The Greater San Antonio Chamber of Commerce Economic Development Council met on September 21 to discuss the state of healthcare in San Antonio. Graciously hosted by longtime Chamber member UT Health San Antonio, Chair Kevin Matula (USAA Government Relations) welcomed two experts on healthcare in our community, Dr. Robert Leverence, and Mr. Ted Day, who joined Kevin for a fireside discussion about the challenges and opportunities for healthcare in the region.
Both expressed the healthcare outlook as very positive, even with the closure of Texas Vista hospital, there is continued growth such as the new Women’s and Children’s Hospital in the University health network opening this fall. In addition, San Antonio’s well-known collaborative approach extends well into the healthcare sector with hospital systems working together for new ways to provide a wider geographic area of care, higher quality care, and increase specialty care options.
The post pandemic changes to healthcare offer both opportunities and trials. First, telemedicine is helping extend care to both individual patients (with several check-ins) and to those who may not have been seen by a care provider at all. It also provides the option of “hospital at home,” a care option to bring traditional in-patient care home with several check-ins. Of course, telemedicine brings with it security concerns and the post-COVID patent has tended to be of higher acuity, sometimes with multiple, more severe, or more unpredictable conditions.
Both guests told Kevin the real need in San Antonio is for better public health and prevention and there are several organizations working on this effort including Metro Health and Bexar County. UT Health has started a joint MPH program with UTSA to help fully staff public health programs. Several institutions have started healthy food programs and increased numbers of case managers to assist in healthy living across our region.
Although the big news in San Antonio over the last several months was the challenges to the provision of healthcare in our region, the community is working diligently to provide the best care and coverage possible while adhering to a world class standard of care. At the end of the discussion, we can see the outlook for healthcare in San Antonio is healthy.