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Media Release

September 8, 2008

KLRU-TV, Austin PBS and 12 health care organizations launch unprecedented project – Critical Condition: Central Texas – to raise awareness about the crisis in health care in our community

Austin, TX -- With one in four people in Texas lacking health care coverage, Texas ranked 49th (out of 51) for overall health system performance and 51st for both access and equity, a group of Central Texas organizations is working to raise awareness of the need for a basic standard of health care for all.

Spurred by the national documentary Critical Condition – a film that puts a human face on the growing health care crisis in America – KLRU-TV, Austin PBS, has partnered with 12 local organizations for Critical Condition: Central Texas. This partnership includes the airing of the national documentary, the creation of video vignettes capturing Central Texans’ stories and a web site with information on local resources. Additionally, Critical Condition: Central Texas is organizing a community forum to be held in mid-November to look toward identifying strategic cooperation and next steps on this serious issue.

KLRU will broadcast the national documentary Critical Condition from the award-winning P.O.V. series on Tuesday, September 30 at 8 p.m. KLRU is also producing several short vignettes that will feature the stories of five Central Texans and their struggles to obtain adequate health care. These stories show how the health care crisis impacts both the uninsured and the insured. The vignettes will begin airing on September 22 on KLRU.

Additionally, facilitated by KLRU, 12 health care organizations have been meeting since June to raise awareness about the lack of affordable health insurance in Central Texas.  The group is to discuss the status of current systems in place to provide assistance and to work together as a community to find solutions to the problem. The group includes the American Cancer Society, Austin/Travis County Community Health Centers, Austin Travis County Mental Health Mental Retardation Center, Center for Public Policy Priorities, Integrated Care Collaboration, insure-a-kid, Lone Star Circle of Care, People’s Community Clinic, Seton Family of Hospitals, St. David’s Community Health Foundation, Texans Care for Children, and the Travis County Healthcare District. 

As a follow up to the broadcast the group will also host a community forum in mid- November at the KLRU studios on Ensuring a Basic Standard of Health Care. The community forum will include facilitated conversations among diverse stakeholders that will identify areas for strategic cooperation and next steps.

Nationally, 47 million Americans don’t have health insurance. In Texas 5 million -- or  one in four people -- either  don’t have enough health insurance or are completely uninsured. While Travis, Hays and Williamson counties have systems in place to address this problem there are insufficient resources to sustain these systems, particularly in light of the growing need.

About Critical Condition National Outreach Campaign:
Designed and managed by Outreach Extensions and P.O.V., the <em>Critical Condition </em> National Outreach Campaign is made possible by funding from The Annie E. Casey Foundation, the Charles A. Frueauff Foundation, the Fledgling Fund, the Kaiser Foundation Health Plan, Missouri Foundation for Health, the Nathan Cummings Foundation, the Park Foundation, the Spunk Fund, and the Trull Foundation.

 

About KLRU

KLRU-TV, Austin PBS, reflects, celebrates and inspires Central Texas through creative excellence,
community engagement and lifelong learning. Although primarily a television station providing locally produced and quality national programming, KLRU is also a non-profit organization helping to build a stronger community through educational workshops, community engagement projects and public events. Get more information about KLRU at klru.org.

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