Texas Health Institute

03/10/2026

Leaders and partners from across the state came together to advance solutions for maternal health in rural Texas.

The Rural Texas Maternal Health Assembly, co-convened by Texas A&M Rural and Community Health Institute, Texas Health Institute, Texas Organization of Rural & Community Hospitals, Texas Academy of Family Physicians, and Texas Association of Community Health Centers (TACHC), brought together partners committed to advancing the Rural Maternal Health Rescue Plan, a shared framework for strengthening care in rural communities.

As the state prepares for the 90th Texas Legislature, participants are continuing to work together to refine priorities and advance practical solutions that improve maternal health outcomes across rural Texas.

03/09/2026

Early coverage trends can reveal important signals about the future of primary care access and affordability.

In the Texas Primary Care Consortium webinar, Coverage and Primary Care in 2026: Early Insights and Impacts, panelists discussed how changing coverage patterns, rising premiums, and evolving insurance models may shape access to care, financial pressures on providers, and the broader primary care landscape across Texas.

Watch the full discussion: https://youtu.be/oUrb2DVV5QU?si=-OEJRPBsTP9csigF

As open enrollment unfolds, early 2026 coverage trends are emerging. They offer the first real glimpse into how the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA) and fe...

03/06/2026

“Texas continues to face meaningful challenges in healthcare access and affordability. That reality shapes both childhood prevention and adult chronic disease outcomes.”

In the latest Texas Health Lens, THI’s executive director, Ankit Sanghavi, MPH, BDS, explores how those challenges become visible in both heart disease and children’s oral health, illuminating structural patterns in Texas’ health system, particularly how uneven prevention allows risk to accumulate and costs to concentrate downstream. Drawing on recent state data and system design insights, he examines what it would mean to embed prevention as core infrastructure rather than layering it on after disease has advanced.

Read more: https://texashealthinstitute.org/texas-health-lens-heart-health-oral-health-and-the-system/

03/04/2026

Oral health is deeply connected with overall health, affecting everything from how we eat and speak to job opportunities and chronic disease prevention. Yet too many Texans still face barriers to care. The 2026 Texas Oral Health Coalition, Inc Summit will bring together leaders, providers, advocates, researchers, community partners, and more who are committed to advancing oral health for all Texans. Healthy communities start with connection, join TxOHC in connecting ideas to action and improving oral health across the state.

Register today: https://bit.ly/txohc26

03/02/2026

The THI board had the privilege of being hosted at Cook Children's Las Vegas Trail Neighborhood Health Center in Fort Worth, TX. The center is more than a medical facility; it serves as a one-stop shop community hub.

During our visit, we toured the center and saw firsthand the impact they are making in partnership with their community, through services ranging from primary pediatric and family health care to mental health support, nutrition education, job training, and community classes.

We are grateful to Cook Children's Health Care System for their hospitality and for providing the opportunity to hold our board meeting in a space deeply rooted in community impact.

02/26/2026

"A system designed primarily to respond to advanced disease will always be more expensive than one designed to manage risk early."

American Heart Month and National Children’s Dental Health Month offer more than a calendar coincidence. In Texas, placing these two side by side offers perspective on how our health system is designed. While heart disease and childhood tooth decay may appear unrelated, both reveal the same structural truth: when prevention is inconsistent, risk accumulates, and costs concentrate downstream.

In the latest Texas Health Lens, THI’s executive director, Ankit Sanghavi, MPH, BDS, examines what heart health and children’s oral health reveal about early prevention and explores a central question for Texas: Are we building a system that responds to advanced disease, or one that manages risk early enough to change long-term outcomes?

Read more: https://texashealthinstitute.org/texas-health-lens-heart-health-oral-health-and-the-system/

02/25/2026

Meet Meghan Varghese, MSSW, THI’s communications manager!

Varghese started at THI as a graduate intern in 2017. Since then, she has held numerous roles at the institute spanning project analysis, event coordination, and communications. Varghese earned both her Bachelor of Social Work and Master of Science in Social Work with a concentration on administration and policy practice from The University of Texas at Austin.

We are so lucky to have you, Meghan!

02/23/2026

Join the Texas Oral Health Coalition, Inc this Thursday for Whole-Child Health Starts Here: The Power of Oral Health, a webinar exploring how elevating oral health as an essential component of whole-child health can create new opportunities for prevention, access, and collaboration across Texas. Discover ways to connect with the renewed Texas Oral Health Coalition and contribute to shared statewide priorities.

Register today: https://bit.ly/3YUvnzY

02/19/2026

"Texas is entering a period where traditional coverage metrics and lived access are beginning to diverge, where enrollment remains visible, yet the ability to use coverage is increasingly constrained. This shift matters not only for families and employers, but for how successfully new rural health investments translate into real-world impact."

In the latest Texas Health Lens, THI's executive director, Ankit Sanghavi, MPH, BDS, examines what these trends mean for access, affordability, and new rural health investments across the state.

💻 Read the full blog here: https://texashealthinstitute.org/texas-health-lens-underinsurance-and-affordability/

02/13/2026

Oral health is a key part of whole-child health, shaping how children eat, speak, learn, and thrive. Join Texas Oral Health Coalition, Inc on February 26 for Whole-Child Health Starts Here: The Power of Oral Health, a webinar exploring how oral health is an essential component of whole-child health.

💻 Register today: https://bit.ly/3YUvnzY

02/10/2026

Understanding the scope of unmet oral health needs is essential to advancing oral health for all Texans and informing policy, system, and community-driven solutions across the state. Findings from statewide and national survey data show that millions of Texas delay or forgo dental care, leading to $1 billion in state spending on oral health issues as well as an increase in emergency department use. Advancing Oral Health Equity in Texas: A Community-Driven Approach identifies cost, availability, accessibility, and system-level barriers as key factors influencing oral health care utilization.

Source: Texas Health Institute, Advancing Oral Health Equity in Texas: A Community-Driven Approach (2024)

02/06/2026

📢 Calling all oral health, primary care, public health, and community health professionals!

Texas Oral Health Coalition, Inc is bringing together a diverse cohort to strengthen communication and engagement skills in today’s complex information environment. This application-based series will feature interactive, peer-driven sessions where participants will share insights, explore strategies, and engage in discussions across public health, practice, systems, messaging, and policy.

Apply by 11:59 PM CT tomorrow: https://bit.ly/4sVY4uc