Why It Matters
The Issue
The City of San Antonio’s Southside is officially designated as medically underserved. When comparing Southside health conditions to those on Northside, the distressing facts are documented by Metro Health, Bexar Health Collaborative, and the University Health System’s 2023 South Bexar County Health Care Needs Assessment report.
A community in need
Clear Geographic Disparities
Distribution of hospital and stand along emergency care facility’s in San Antonio
1
out of 16
Hospitals
Located on the South Side
3
out of 30
Freestanding ERs
Located on the South Side
366
out of 4,562
Staffed hospital beds
Located on the South Side
AFFECTING 500,000 BEXAR
COUNtY RESIDENTS
Limited Resources.
Long-Term Effects.
These and other indicators illustrate the vast inequities facing medically underserved Southside residents that must be overcome in order to be true to our designation as a Compassionate City.
- More diabetes and amputations
- Lower educational attainment
- Longer job commute distances
- More household poverty
- More food deserts
- Fewer parks, trees and green spaces
- Less health insurance coverage
- Lower household income
- More transportation issues
- Extensive housing insecurity
- Higher rates of disability
- More dangerous streets
Closing the gap
A Bold Vision for Health Equity in South Texas
The Center for Health Empowerment in South Texas (CHEST) is working hand-in-hand with communities to drive long-term, meaningful change—because equity starts with all of us. Together, we’re building a healthier, more equitable future.
Health Care Services
Increase Southside health care from primary to specialty, hospital and auxiliary services, anchored, but not limited to the former TVMC area on Barlite and the new UHS-A&M hospital center with complementary nodes throughout medically underserved sectors.
Life Expectancy
Raise Southside life expectancy equal to Northside via systematic improvements in the essential nonmedical social determinants of health and timely access to personal health care.
Health Careers
Generate a large pipeline of Southside residents enrolled in professional medical and allied heath career educational programs with aim of providing services in their own underserved communities.