Reflecting on 2023, I am proud to share the advancements Texas Health has made. It was a year of recovery, stabilization and growth, driven by our commitment to improving the health of the people in the communities we serve. Our priorities included:
Protecting employees’ welfare
Healthcare is a people service, delivered by people to people. We highly regard and value the health and well-being of our employees and recognize that their welfare impacts the care provided to you and your loved ones.
Caring for people experiencing illness and trauma takes a toll. In 2023, we increased the mental and physical health resources we provided our workforce to ease these stressors and encouraged self-care. These efforts are proving effective, with more employees utilizing these supports and instilling healthy habits. Both job satisfaction and retention exceeded national averages across industries.
The persistence of threats and aggression directed at caregivers is deeply disheartening. It is a stark reality that our care teams, dedicated to healing and saving lives, must grapple with concerns for their safety. In 2023, we invested to fortify systemwide security, and we continue to advocate for improved protections to keep healthcare facilities places of refuge and healing.
Expanding access to seamless, quality care
To meet the healthcare needs of our growing population, we opened five new Texas Health Breeze Urgent Care clinics, added behavioral health programs, completed hospital modernization and expansion projects and connected individuals to providers via telehealth.
Our persistence in delivering reliable and equitable care has significantly improved quality outcomes and patient safety. We also made progress addressing disparities in maternal health and hypertension outcomes among our patient population, underscoring our efforts to offer everyone the highest standard of care.
Supporting our communities
Texas has the highest rate of uninsured individuals nationwide, deterring millions from seeking care to stay well. The complexity of our nation’s healthcare system requires all stakeholders to do their part to control costs and collaborate to develop equitable solutions for all.
In 2023, Texas Health remained steadfast in delivering crucial community health improvement programs and services to tackle pressing needs. We provided $1.05 billion in charity care and community benefit, exceeding the state’s nonprofit requirements. In addition, donors to the Texas Health Resources Foundation generously contributed $13.6 million for community and system needs, and we empowered employees to volunteer 10,655 hours to support local nonprofits.
Sincerely,
Barclay E. Berdan, FACHE
Chief Executive Officer