Fiscal Year 2024 Annual Report
The Central Health 2024 Annual Report looks back at the growth and development that defined our achievements in 2024. It highlights the marked progress the system made from 2023 to 2024, in terms of patients served, coverage provided, and services offered. But this report isn’t just about the numbers—it’s about the care we offer.
In the second year of its Strategic Plan, an initiative launched in 2023 to close gaps in health care in Travis County, Central Health made significant progress toward offering access to better quality care to our community through efforts such as:
- Opening a new specialty clinic.
- Adding new service lines to existing clinics.
- Offering more wraparound care to residents at the margins through our respite and Bridge programs.
- Partnering with local organizations and government agencies to extend our reach even further.
We’re proud of the achievements summarized in this Annual Report, and we’re excited by the future advancements in care they’ve made possible.
Specialty care
In the last year, Central Health has made significant strides to address critical specialty health care gaps for Travis County residents with low incomes. This includes the rapid expansion of services to offer 16 diverse specialties at the Central Health East Austin, Capital Plaza, and newly opened Rosewood-Zaragosa Specialty Clinics, with plans to quickly ramp up to more than 25,000 annual visits at Rosewood-Zaragosa alone.
Specialty services in 2024
6,012
Total direct practice encounters
2,125
Total direct practice patients
Top five service lines
- Gastroenterology: 1,448
- Podiatry: 1,395
- Pulmonology: 1,026
- Dietitian: 342
- Nephrology: 327
Respite care
The Central Health Medical Respite Program provides recently discharged hospital patients with low incomes a place to recover and receive crucial care. Patients requiring respite are often experiencing homelessness and are severely ill or recovering from complex conditions such as cancer, infections, or heart failure. Without this vital respite service, patients are frequently re-admitted to the hospital due to otherwise preventable complications. Medical respite reduces the strain on the local hospital system and provides continuity of care, helping those recovering avoid the additional trauma of healing on the street.
Program expansion
25
Beds in 2024
50
Beds planned for 2025
197
Patients have received care as of 2024
Health care for the homeless
A fundamental goal of the community-driven, long-term Central Health Strategic Plan is addressing the homelessness crisis. In 2024, 11,225 people experiencing homelessness were enrolled in Central Health coverage plans, including MAP (Medical Access Program), MAP Basic, and CHAP (Central Health Assistance Program). Tackling homelessness is not an isolated endeavor—we work diligently with community partners to ensure there is broad access to quality health services for people experiencing homelessness in Travis County.
Justice-involved health
Incarcerated individuals face unique barriers to accessing care, and Central Health is working with community partners to address the needs of this often-overlooked population. In June of 2024, Central Health implemented new specialty care lines for the Justice-Involved Health Program. With support from the Travis County Sherriff’s Office, this program provides specialty medical services to Travis County inmates, with the overall goal of providing better health outcomes for the jailed population.
By the Numbers
Access to coverage
58,646
Uninsured Travis County residents with incomes at or below the federal poverty level ($15,940 for an individual, $32,120 for a family of four) received health coverage through the Central Health Medical Access Program (MAP).
+12.7% since 2023.
91,831
Uninsured Travis County residents received coverage through MAP Basic, a Central Health program with essential primary care and prescription services covered for low-income residents who earn too much to qualify for MAP.
+20.3% since 2023.
2,671
Received insurance premium assistance from Central Health.
+30% since 2023.
24,537
Online applications submitted.
+9.1% since 2023.
96,123
Enrollment assistance calls taken at the Central Health Call Center.
+14% since 2023.
64,905
Total applications processed.
+12.8% since 2023.
Our patients
171,374 people served in 2024.
+10.1% since 2023.
Our care
77,226 primary care visits provided through the Central Health broad network of partners.
+10.5% since 2023.
Our network
255 provider locations, including community health centers, hospitals, specialists, dentists, and urgent care providers.
Our growth
16 new specialty service lines were added.
The Central Health provider network increased by 3.2%.
Looking ahead
The Travis County Commissioners Court unanimously approved the Central Health budget for 2025. The budget includes more than $58 million in new strategic investments for health care delivery and organizational capacity-building to:
- Open new care sites at Cameron Center and Colony Park.
- Develop the Central Health Hancock Campus for phased opening in 2026.
- Expand specialty health services at Rosewood-Zaragosa, with the goal of increasing patient volume sixfold.
- Establish clinic-based and mobile Bridge Program teams to provide ongoing care to patients who lack stable housing.
