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Sue Bornstein, Robert Jackson & Camille Miller
Welcome to Texas Health Institute!
Improving the health of Texans and their communities is the mission of Texas Health Institute (THI).  As an independent, nonpartisan, nonprofit think tank, THI pursues solutions to accomplish quality, access, and cost effectiveness.
Through public participation and collaboration, THI works with communities on solutions. Believing community engagement is essential to this process, the wisdom of community stakeholders provides THI with the varied and individual perspectives that can result in successful interventions and improved outcomes. These insights serve to guide our efforts in health education, awareness, prevention, and policy.

We believe the best way to accomplish this is to “listen, tell, and guide.” Why? Because the best possible decisions are made when stakeholders: business, community leaders, government, consumers, insurers, providers/suppliers of health care, and the media, use fair and balanced information.
These decisions affect our state’s health today and will shape it for generations to come.

THI forges partnerships that achieve tangible results. We welcome opportunities to work with community leaders and stakeholders on efforts that improve the health of Texans.

Eliminating “silos”, collaborating to share resources, and facilitating dialogue is essential for success in addressing quality, access, and cost issues in health care. We live by the words of Margaret Mead, “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed people can change the world; indeed, it's the only thing that ever has."
SUPPORT TEXAS HEALTH INSTITUTE
Through its affiliation with ACN, the worlds largest provider of telecommunications,
energy and other essential services that people use every day,
THI has developed a strategy to Raise Discretionary Funds
while FEEDING HUNGRY KIDS.
SOLAR is now available in Texas!
To see the Name Brand communication or energy services we offer go directly to
THI's Online Storefront.  Our Team ID Number is 91003!
NEWS
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THI June 2017 
THI Disparities Team begins collaborative work on project HOPE. Funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and led by National Collaborative for Health Equity (NCHE) and Texas Health Institute (THI), working in collaboration with Virginia Commonwealth University’s Center on Society and Health (CSH), the Health Opportunity and Equity (HOPE) Measures project has two primary goals:
1.Reframing the health disparities conversation in the context of health equity and opportunity and,
2.Developing a set of broadly accessible measures that illustrate the gaps in opportunities that shape health outcomes.

To get more information and see updates go to and bookmark Project HOPE.

THI Introduces 2017 Class of Summer Interns, click HERE.
The Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion (ODPHP) and the Office of Minority Health (OMH) are pleased to announce the release of a new health disparities data widget. The widget provides an easy way to find health disparities data related to the Healthy People 2020 objectives for the Leading Health Indicators (LHIs). .

Click on the HEALTH DISPARITIES button above for easy access to the latest available disparities data.
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Click on image to see full report

Texas Health Institute Releases Report Highlighting Benefits of Increased Insurance Coverage, Identifying Continued Barriers to Health Care Access in South Sacramento (September 2016).

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Click on image for more information
Military Officers Association (MOAA) with research conducted by Texas Health Institute releases 2016 America's Health Rankings Health of Those Who Have Served Report.

THI's Health Equity Team has identified the Evolution of Health Insurance Marketplaces in Reaching and Enrolling Racially and Ethnically Diverse Populations.  A variety of reports are available at:
http://www.texashealthinstitute.org/health-care-reform.html
Advancing the Oral Health Movement in Texas Video
“Oral Health is a reflection of the physiological, psychological, and social factors that are essential to our quality of life”. Learn more about the impact of poor oral health on our lives.
We thank our national advisors, all stakeholders, our partners at the Texas Oral Health Coalition and the DentaQuest Foundation for their support and participation in this shared initiative.  To learn more about our efforts and to participate in this initiative, please contact Ankit Sanghavi, Director for Community and Oral Health Program, THI at asanghavi@texashealthinstitute.org.
As we shared during our June 9th meeting, each workgroup has done a wonderful job involving different stakeholders and creating a strong foundation to build upon. Our focus over the next year and thereafter will be to translate these activities and plans into concrete actions/deliverables at the grassroots level. We anticipate that hese may include completion and dissemination of tools/resources created in Year 1, community engagement to inform next steps in the process, training and technical assistance for community members.  We are in the process of securing financial support for each of our five workgroups to help implement their plans. This provides each one of us an opportunity to be innovative and implement ideas that align with our collaborative work and maximize the use of resources. THI-TxOHC will continue to be involved with workgroups and continue to engage key state and national stakeholders to support our collective work.
 
As a next step, workgroup facilitators will follow-up with their respective members and develop a work plan for the next 6 months utilizing a goal based approach. Our goal is to develop a well-defined, measurable plan by December 2017, at which time we will assess our progress and establish our goals for June 2018. Onward and Upward!
Presentations from the Advancing the Oral Health Movement in Texas, (a collaboration of THI and the Texas Oral Health Collaborative) June 9, 2017 meeting are  now available by clicking HERE.
Texas Lawmakers Agree that Mental Health is one of the State's Critical Areas of Concern."

AUSTIN (KXAN) — KXAN gathered a roundtable of experts to discuss the mental health challenges that lie ahead for law enforcement.

Gyl Switzer is the public policy director for Mental Health America Texas. Dennis Wilson is the sheriff in Limestone County, Texas, and also the president of the Sheriffs’ Association of Texas. And Representative Garnet Coleman has focused on mental health legislation for several legislative sessions at the State Capitol. View the VIDEO.
85th Legislative Summary on Mental Health
Registration is Now Open!
Texas Health Institute, Georgia Shape and the Georgia Department of Public Health
Invite you to participate in the
11th Annual Southern Obesity Summit
In Atlanta, GA October 1-3, 2017 for the Largest
Regional Obesity Prevention Conference in the Nation!

Atlanta Marquis
www.southernobesitysummit.org
Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Texas reflects on the 10 Annual Southern Obesity Summit. Go to:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AlMvKw_Eg7w

HOTLINE INFORMATION

The Office of Minority Health has gathered important resources on our website to help communities support emotional well-being and recovery, and we encourage you to share this information with organizations in your community.  Follow this link:
https://minorityhealth.hhs.gov/omh/browse.aspx?lvl=2&lvlid=17

If you or someone you know are experiencing emotional distress or need help dealing with these tragedies, you are not alone.  Call the Disaster Distress Helpline at 1-800-985-5990 or text “TalkWithUs” to 66746 to get help and support 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.  Help is available in more than 150 languages. 
Transgender Suicide Hot-line is available in the U.S.  The number is: 877-565-8860.
DSHS
A list of HOTLINES available in Texas for a variety of issues is published  by the Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS) and available by following this link:
https://www.dshs.texas.gov/mhsa-crisishotline/
Research & Conference Documentation

THI's web site is rich with resources, scholarly research, conference documentation and extensive links to a large number of valuable organizational and project web sites.

These resources are made available here for use by public policy makers, analysts, research  scientists, educators, students, health industry professionals, and the lay person. 
Please explore our Programs, Library and Links pages for access to this important information organized by program and topic area.
THI's Health Equity Research Team
To receive a copy of THI's Newsletter please send an email to the Editorial Board
or call 512-279-3910.
TEXAS HEALTH INSTITUTE CODE OF ETHICS & CONFLICT OF INTEREST POLICY
THI WEBSITE AND SOCIAL MEDIA POSTING/LINKING POLICY