On Nov. 7, Harris County voters will vote on a $2.5 billion bond proposal to fund Harris Healththe facilities plan. From creating new clinics to serving underserved areas, this plan aims to improve the overall health and well-being of Harris County.
Impact on the community spoke with Dr. Esmaeil Porsa, President and CEO of Harris Health, as he delved into the details of the ambitious $2.9 billion facilities planhighlighting the motivations behind this transformative initiative for healthcare in Harris County.
Why is Harris Health embarking on a $2.9 billion facilities plan?
Dr. Porsa: There is an urgent and pressing need to address some of our infrastructure problems, which are the result of years, if not decades, of lack of or reduced investment in our infrastructure. Health systems and businesses tend to ignore routine capital and, unfortunately, that has been the case with Harris Health System over the past few decades. In general, the system has been underfunded, resulting in underfunding of our current capital, which was initially used to refresh and reinvest in infrastructure. Today we are faced with two hospitals and several clinics that are literally collapsing. We face many infrastructure challenges, some of which put our patients and employees at risk.
Additionally, we have a capacity problem. Almost everyone in Harris County knows about our hospitals, which are usually overwhelmed with patients. Our emergency rooms are often filled with patients who were admitted to the hospital but did not have an open room upstairs. Every morning we start our day incapacitated because our emergency rooms are crowded. When this happens, the entire hospital finds itself paralyzed since everything stagnates.
How does projected population growth in Harris County impact Harris Health and the need for quality health care?
Dr. Porsa: I often mention when I talk to people that almost exactly 30 years ago I trained and interned at Harris Health System and Lyndon B. Johnson Hospital. At the time, the hospital had quadruple rooms. Over the years, we have wanted to offer more privacy to our patients by offering semi-private accommodation. There are now two patients per room in this hospital, so the capacity is almost half of what it was 30 years ago. Harris County’s population has more than doubled, from just over 2 million residents 30 years ago to nearly 5 million today. Additionally, Harris County has the highest rate and number of uninsured patients today at 1.2 million people, and we project that number will reach 1.5 million by 2040.
We know that a large part of the facilities plan focuses on hospitals and acute care. However, tell me how this also addresses improving access to primary care?
Dr. Porsa: When you look at the numbers, and this is something I’m very proud of, is the fact that Harris Health is truly a community organization. Together, our hospitals recorded 30,000 hospital discharges last year. In our clinics, we’ve had over 1.6 million patient encounters, and part of that $2.9 billion infrastructure improvement over the next decade is actually an investment of half a year. billion dollars in our clinics. We are building three new clinics, one in East Harris County, one in Northwest Harris County and one in Southwest Harris County. We also plan to replace some of our aging clinics, since our oldest clinic, for example, is over 50 years old.
We do this because ultimately it’s not about managing the disease. We do not want to wait until patients become ill to welcome them into our care. It’s actually about promoting health and preventing disease. We want to reach out to our communities and provide them with the opportunity to have access to preventive care and primary care so that we can have a healthier community. Ultimately, our mission is to improve the health of our communities. We will never be able to achieve this mission through our hospitals alone. We must invest in our communities that do not have adequate access to health care.
Why is your investment in LBJ Hospital so important to Harris County, especially with its Level I trauma capabilities?
Dr. Porsa: Ben Taub is our Level 1 trauma center in Harris County, a county of nearly 5 million people that, in reality, should have at least five adult Level 1 trauma centers. If people living within the Harris County area suffer a serious traffic accident, are stabbed or injured and need immediate access to a trauma center, they will need to drive or fly to the Texas Medical Center.
By creating another Level 1 trauma center on the LBJ campus, we are addressing some of the accessibility issues in Harris County, as well as the geographic issue. LBJ Hospital serves the entire northeast corridor of Harris County, which is a large area with a significant population. By building a Level 1 trauma center hospital, we are not only meeting the needs of Harris County as a whole, but also those of northeast Harris County, which relies almost exclusively on LBJ Hospital for their health care needs.
How is the development plan financed?
Dr. Porsa: It is urgent to invest 2.9 billion dollars, of which 2.5 billion will be devoted to the bond referendum on November 7. Over the next decade, the remaining $400 million we anticipate will come from philanthropy, operational cost savings and operational liquidity. .
The bond proposal will go up for voter consideration on November 7. If approved, what will be the financial obligation and impact for the average homeowner?
Dr. Porsa: Voting takes place on November 7, but early voting actually begins on October 23. I told everyone close to me: don’t wait until the last minute to vote. Vote early. The impact on an average Houstonian, someone who owns a home valued at $300,000, is about a two-cent increase in the tax rate. The total financial impact for Harris County homeowners with homes valued at $300,000 is about $6 per month, or about $70 per year.
Learn more about how Harris Health will use the bond to bring a new hospital to the LBJ campus, renovate the original LBJ building, build capacity at Ben Taub Hospital, and provide additional clinics and essential care in areas that need it most.
The above story was produced by multi-platform journalist Holly Galvan with the Community Impact storytelling team with information provided solely by the local business as part of its “sponsored content” purchase through our advertising team .
