Delta County

Low Income Primary Care Access

Summary of Information:

Low Income Population: 2,247 (at or below 200% FPL, 1998)

Total practicing primary care physicians: 0

Regular full time equivalency: 0

Full time equivalents serving the low-income population: 0

Ratio of low-income population to low-income FTE: NA

Considered a shortage of providers: Yes. Delta County is currently designated

as a Primary Care HPSA.

Physicians accepting new patients: NA

Physicians accepting new patients who have Medicaid coverage: NA

Physicians who can provide interpretation for non-English speaking patients: NA

Languages interpreted: NA

Community Input:

Travel is a barrier. Tourism as an industry is increasing, as is the number of retirees, so the need for primary care will increase.

Christus St. Joseph, out of Paris, has a rural health clinic in Cooper, staffed by a nurse practitioner. This has been open for nine years and is the only health care site in the county.

Other issues: 1) EMS providers have to travel long distance; 2) the transient “lake population has strained existing health care provisions; and 3) elderly in the county have a difficult time traveling the distance required for care.

Prepared by Community Health Provider Resources, Texas Department of Health, as part of The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation East Texas Rural Access Program; Spring 2001