Texas
Focus at Four: Why Texas is one of the worst states for women’s reproductive health
BRYAN, Texas (KBTX) – A recent report ranks Texas the second worst state in the country for women’s reproductive health.
Among people of reproductive age, Texas also has one of the highest rates of being uninsured.
Theresa Morris, the Director of the Women’s and Gender Studies Program at Texas A&M University said on Tuesday that part of the issue is the expense of reproductive health in Texas.
“Texas has the strictest requirements to be on Medicaid and in fact, working adults don’t qualify to be on Medicaid unless they’re caregivers, disabled, pregnant, or over 65. Then the Affordable Care Act does have subsidized insurance. But one has to make 100% of the poverty level to enter that exchange. So, it’s called the gap, and they’re about, I think, 800,000 people in Texas who are in this gap,” Morris explained.
This report wasn’t all bad news for Texas, especially when it comes to mortality rates.
“Texas has put resources into addressing maternal mortality and infant mortality. There’s a maternal mortality and review board that does biennial reviews, and so that, I think, is why you’re seeing those numbers a little bit better. There are over 40 measures on this report card and Texas didn’t do poorly in all of them,” said Morris.
One of the things Morris said Texas could do to address the issue was expand Medicaid.
“Think about who to vote for issues that you might support and write to your Congress person about that, and I also think support, community birth, and home birth and midwives. That’s a place where the maternity deserts are served. These are certified, professional midwives who are all over Texas serving many of those deserts, and we even have some in our community. We have a birth center, Jubilee Birth Center in our community, and also focusing on how do we expand healthcare access,” Morris added.
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When it comes to training the doctors and researchers who will staff hospitals, Texas holds its own on the world stage.
Several Texas health and medical institutions landed on U.S. News and World Report’s 2026-27 Best Global Universities list, with three cracking the global top 500 — led by UT Southwestern Medical Center at No. 113.
The list considered 13 indicators and weights to measure global research performance and reputation, ranking the world’s 2,250 top universities.
Here’s a look at how some major public and private health care and medical universities in Texas fared on the list.
University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center
Global Ranking: No. 113.
Location: Dallas, Texas.
Type: Public university.
Baylor College of Medicine
Global Ranking: No. 144.
Location: Houston, Texas.
Type: Private university.
University of Texas Health Science Center — Houston
Global Ranking: No. 324.
Location: Houston, Texas.
Type: Public university.
University of Texas Medical Branch — Galveston
Global Ranking: No. 599.
Location: Galveston, Texas.
Type: Public university.
Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center
Global Ranking: No. 1,871.
Location: Lubbock, Texas.
Type: Public university.
Mateo Rosiles is the Texas Connect reporter for USA TODAY and its regional papers in Texas. Got a news tip for him? Email him at mrosiles@usatodayco.com.
AUSTIN – Texas officials are rolling out a new online hub aimed at helping residents spot and report the New World screwworm, a pest Gov. Greg Abbott says threatens livestock, wildlife, and the state’s rural economy.
Abbott announced the launch of screwworm.texas.gov, an enhanced website housed in the Texas Division of Emergency Management’s Disaster Portal that he described as a “one-stop shop” for information and resources tied to the state’s response.
The New World screwworm poses a direct threat to Texas livestock, wildlife, and our rural economy,” Abbott said. “This new website puts essential tools in the hands of our producers, veterinarians, and families. Screwworm.texas.gov delivers the facts, maps, identification methods, and certification resources Texans need to detect problems early and report cases without delay. Now every Texan has the information to act. Texas will protect our land, our animals, and our way of life from this pest.
According to the governor’s office, the site is designed to provide “actionable and reliable multimedia information” about the New World screwworm, including fact sheets, videos, and educational materials.
The portal includes background information, guidance on how to spot the pest, sample collection procedures, Texas Animal Health Commission New World screwworm zone maps, the U.S. Department of Agriculture case dashboard, links to best practices for livestock and wildlife, and details on registering for a new no-cost New World screwworm Certified Inspector Training.
The governor’s office said state and federal partners are working together to detect, control and contain the spread, and that expanding public outreach and providing clear information is a key part of reducing risk.
Abbott’s office also highlighted actions taken by the governor in response to the pest, including:
- Directing the creation of a joint Texas New World screwworm Response Team
- Joining USDA Secretary Brooke Rollins to announce a $750 million investment in a new sterile fly production facility in Edinburg
- Issuing a statewide disaster declaration ahead of the first detection
- Deploying state resources and activating the State Emergency Operations Center after the first confirmed Texas cases
- Visiting the Knipling-Bushland U.S. Livestock Insects Research Laboratory in Kerrville for a briefing
- Launching a free online training course to certify more inspectors
- Announcing federal funding to strengthen inspection capacity.
Texans are urged to inspect livestock and pets for wounds and report suspected cases immediately, including in wildlife.
For livestock and pets, suspected cases should be reported to the Texas Animal Health Commission’s 24-hour veterinarian call line at 1-800-550-8242.
For wildlife, reports should be made to Texas Parks and Wildlife’s 24-hour biologists’ call line at 512-389-4505. Officials also warn people not to move affected animals.
More information and updates are available at screwworm.texas.gov and screwworm.gov.
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