Health

Collaborating officials with the city of Lubbock and Lubbock County broke ground on a new mental health diversion center yesterday. For now, many Lubbockites could be taken to the hospital or jail when dealing with serious addiction or mental health concerns, but the Hope Center will bring more options for mental health care in West Texas.

One of the primary challenges facing people living with HIV — and those advocating for them — is stigma. Education, awareness, and visibility are priorities when it comes to HIV, for advocates and the City of Lubbock.

KERA’s Elena Rivera reports on almost 3.5 million Texans signing up for an Affordable Care Act plan during open enrollment. And the Texas Supreme Court heard arguments yesterday about Senate Bill 14, a law which prohibits gender-affirming care for transgender youths.

With the new year well under way, our reporter Samantha Larned has more from a doctor with Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center with advice on maintaining fitness-oriented resolutions. Texas Public Radio's Marian Navarro reports that Texas was awarded $100 million in federal grants to continue building electric vehicle charging networks.

ERCOT has issued a weather watch for early next week as meteorologists monitor the possibility of our coldest temperatures so far this winter, with lows for Lubbock forecasted in the single digits. And as COVID-19 cases increase nationally after the winter holidays, KERA’s Elena Rivera reports on how doctors are talking to their patients about health risks like long COVID.

With the number of mental and physical health concerns now associated with excessive screen time, Our reporter Samantha Larned has more from one doctor who is talking about how to develop healthier habits when it comes to devices. Texas Public Radio's Marian Navarro has the latest after a court ruled that emergency rooms in Texas are not obligated under law to perform emergency abortions.

An El Paso mother sued her doctor because she got pregnant after she was led to believe he had tied her tubes. KERA's Toluwani Osibamowo reports the Texas Supreme Court's ruling in her case could alter reproductive freedoms in a largely pro-life state. The Texas Newsroom’s Julian Aguilar has details on Texas-based civil rights groups who filed a lawsuit to stop a law that would make unauthorized entry a state crime.

After hearing from the public, Lubbock’s city council praised the civic engagement this effort motivated but voted to reject the ordinance because they felt obligated by their oaths to the Texas Constitution and state laws. Now, the proposal will be on the ballot in the upcoming May election for a decision from Lubbock voters, a strategy tried in the city before hoping to bring people to the polls.

Our reporter Samantha Larned has more on the city’s purchase of six new paratransit buses as the next phase of its “fleet replacement” plans. KERA's Bekah Morr reports on a growing number of abortion challenges in Texas as the U.S. Supreme Court agrees to hear a case about whether to restrict access to a common abortion drug.

Lubbock’s Public Health Department is hosting an open meeting tomorrow. Our reporter Bishop Van Buren has more on a collaborative initiative to assess the health needs of the city. KERA's Stella Chavez reports Texas Congressional members are blasting a bill that makes illegal border crossings a state crime.