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Listen In, Lubbock: Rural Healthcare, The Other Texas Drought

A closed sign is taped up at the entrance of Van Zandt Regional’s emergency room entrance. The hospital closed abruptly in the summer of 2019. Lindauer and his team have been working to reopen it since the fall of 2020.
Kaysie Ellingson
/
Texas Tech Public Media
A closed sign is taped up at the entrance of Van Zandt Regional’s emergency room entrance. The hospital closed abruptly in the summer of 2019. Lindauer and his team have been working to reopen it since the fall of 2020. ";

Over the past 15 years Texas has seen more rural hospital closures than any other state in the country—24 to be exact. As the pandemic swept through the state and overloaded hospitals, it exposed the brittle relationship between the urban and rural healthcare systems. It’s a delicate balance and Lubbock plays a vital role as a medical hub in the healthcare desert of West Texas. 

Guest: 

Jayme Lozano, rural healthcare reporter

Related Articles:

Rural Health And Hospitals: A Focus On Texas

Fight for Healthcare Access in Rural East Texas Continues as Some of the State’s Hospitals Face Closures

Kaysie Ellingson is the former news director for Texas Tech Public Media. She came to Lubbock after living in Anchorage, Alaska, working as a documentary producer for Alaska Public Media. Prior to working in public media, Kaysie earned her master's degree in journalism from the University of Southern California with an emphasis in documentary production.
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