Bohac Announces New Health Care Measures That Benefit Texas Families
Reforms focus on cancer research and nursing shortage
AUSTIN, TEXAS- This past legislative session, State Representative Dwayne Bohac (R-Houston) helped pass several health care measures that will benefit Texas families. During his time in office, Bohac has made health care one of his top priorities, and fought for measures that improve Texas’ health care system.
Bohac voted for legislation that appropriated $450 million in funding for cancer research to continue the state’s fight against the deadly disease. Texas is a national leader in cancer research thanks to a constitutional amendment which Texans overwhelmingly adopted in 2007 that created the Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas. This state agency has the mandate to create and expedite new and innovative ways to combat cancer, to enhance cancer research to find cures for cancer, to attract, expand and create research facilities across the state and to implement the Texas Cancer Plan.
The Texas Cancer Plan is a statewide blueprint for cancer prevention and control in Texas. It is a collaborative plan to be used by public and private cancer organizations, and provides a strategic, scientific approach to reducing the impact of cancer on Texans.
During the past session, Bohac also helped pass House Bill 4586, which provided $150 million for the recovery of the University of Texas Medical Branch (UTMB) in Galveston. Galveston and specifically UTMB were hit especially hard by Hurricane Ike. Funding for UTMB includes repairing educational, research, hospital and clinic space. It also includes provision for the Trauma Center to reopen this summer at Level Three status, and eventually back to Level One in early 2010.
The legislature also took a significant step to address the nursing shortage all across Texas. It is estimated that Texas needs an additional 22,000 nurses. Despite the shortage, Texas must turn away nearly 8,000 qualified nursing school applicants due to the lack of faculty to handle the increased student population.
House Bill 4471, co-authored by Bohac, provides incentives to nursing schools for hiring more teachers and graduate more nurses. This allocation of roughly $35 million will allow for the training of those qualified applicants so that the shortage will be dramatically reduced.
“These bills create a great return on investment for Texas,” said Bohac. “Ensuring that Texans are healthy is a key to making sure that our state continues to grow and prosper.”