The ability of a community to sustain a vibrant economic and social life rests upon its regional capacity to provide residents with opportunities for healthy and productive lives. The ability of a community to provide all residents with outstanding health care services fundamentally supports the economy and social well-being of the community. Providing basic and adequate health care services should be a goal of any region.
With a total of 61 hospitals as of 2004, the eight counties that compose the Dallas Primary Metropolitan Statistical Area (PMSA) account for 11.5% of the total number of hospitals in Texas. However, hospitals in the Greater Dallas Area are not evenly distributed. The 37 Dallas County hospitals account for well over half of the hospitals in the Dallas PMSA. While there are significant variations in the size, functions, specialties, and services provided among the hospitals in the Dallas PMSA, key descriptive features and characteristics provide an adequate understanding of the available health resources.
The following observations are made about the hospital resources of the Dallas PMSA:
- Of the total 11,012 hospital beds available in the Dallas PMSA, only 6% are dedicated to psychiatric care.
- Of hospitals in the Dallas PMSA, 34% are classified as nonprofit.
- Of hospitals in the Dallas PMSA, 60% are for-profit hospitals.
- Public hospitals make up 8% of the hospitals in the Dallas PMSA.
- Parkland Hospital on average delivers more babies than any other hospital in the United States.
- Parkland Hospital ranked among the top 10 hospitals in the country for gynecological care.
- The Greater Dallas Area received more than $172 million in National Institutes of Health (NIH) research funding in 2002.
This aspiration presents data and information on four indicators, which are listed in the grey panel on the right side of this page. Specifically, the four indicators within this aspiration report the following:
- Having a competitive edge in health care: Data from the National Institutes of Health, U.S. News and World Report, and the Texas Department of State Health Services regarding the amount of National Institutes of Health research funding, the presence of higher medical education institutions, and the availability and quality of hospitals in the Dallas area
- Right Start rankings in child health outcomes: Child and adolescent health data from the Annie E. Casey Foundation and the Texas Department of State Health Services
- Mental health services capacity: Data regarding the availability and quality of mental health services in the Dallas Area, as reported by the Kaiser Family Foundation and the Dallas Area NorthSTAR
- Language interpreters at area hospitals & health care centers: Data on the ability of area hospitals and health care centers to deal with a diverse population whose primary language is not English, as collected by telephone interviews with representatives from Dallas Area health care facilities