Texas
Texas suicide-prevention hotlines buckle as mental health crisis increases
HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) — Two years ago, when the suicide prevention hotline launched, it was called a “game-changer.”
However, 988 systems in Texas are now beginning to buckle under the weight of a multi-million dollar budget deficit.
The Texas Tribune’s mental health reporter, Stephen Simpson, joined Eyewitness News to break down what caused this deficit and the impact on health care across the state.
Most of the money comes from a federal grant but was never meant to support the system long-term.
“This was just to get the 988 systems up and running until the state stepped in to take over the funding,” Simpson said.
The state of Texas has not dedicated any funds to the suicide prevention hotline.
Texas only has five centers dedicated to answering calls for help, compared to Florida, which has 13. As a result, 20% of calls from Texans in crisis in Texas are answered by out-of-state counselors.
“The more you’re transferred out of state, the more likely you are going to drop the call. Currently, Texas has the 5th highest number of dropped calls in the nation. Without the number of crisis counselors, the text and chat features we have here don’t really work,” Simpson said.
Texas has one of the highest numbers of calls into 988 centers across the country, mental health resources are low, and the suicide rate is climbing. The suicide rate in Texas jumped 37% from 2000 to 2022.
Senator José Menéndez, D-San Antonio, has filed a bill to create a state trust fund for the upcoming legislative session, which begins Jan. 14.
The 911 call centers are funded similarly. A surcharge on cellphone bills would support the 988 trust fund. Other states use money from Medicaid expansion to fund their 988 centers.
For updates on this story, follow Briana Conner on Facebook, X and Instagram.
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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.
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