Bill requiring Texas hospitals to report the citizenship status of patients killed in House
It is unclear whether the House bill could come back as an amendment to another measure before the legislative session ends June 2. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/19c1c05e355e8030cbac5dabebc46f4c/ATX%20Hospitals%20AG%20TT%2018.jpg)
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/profiles/terri-langford.jpg)
Terri Langford is the Tribune's health services reporter based in Austin. Langford is a veteran journalist, having worked at the Florida Times Union, The Associated Press, The Dallas Morning News, the Houston Chronicle, WNYC, Honolulu Civil Beat and Texas Standard/KUT. Langford has a bachelor’s degree in government from the University of Texas at Austin. She has covered various city and state agencies, criminal justice and health and human services for the Houston Chronicle, The Dallas Morning News, The Associated Press, WNYC and Texas Standard at KUT.
Latest Contributions
-
![An Austin-Travis County EMS unit parked near a hospital's emergency entrance in Austin on July 7, 2020.]()
Credit: Allie Goulding/The Texas Tribune -
Bill that would make vaccine exemptions easier to obtain clears Texas House
The bill would allow a vaccine exemption form to be downloadable. Currently, a form must be requested from the state and mailed to the recipient. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/442459f940ccbbd9ab659c159938827d/AISD%20Vaccine%20Event%20SP%20TT%2004.jpg)
![A nurse administers a dose of the Pfizer COVID vaccine at a clinic organized by the Travis County Mobile Vaccine Collaborative at Rodriguez Elementary School on July 28, 2021.]()
Credit: Sophie Park/The Texas Tribune -
Weary from COVID deaths, Hispanic Texans embraced vaccines. It saved their lives.
In the deadly summer of 2020, Hispanics in Texas were half of all COVID-19 deaths, spurring many to vaccinate. Today, in a startling flip, Hispanics make up less than a quarter of deaths from the disease. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/294a4c07afecc6c0b989bc7474f2a895/Widow%20COVID%20Delia%20EG%20TT%2001.jpg)
![Delia Ramos, center, holds a photo of her and her husband Ricardo with her daughter, right, and son tk. Ricardo died in July 2020. Brownsville on March 7, 2021.]()
Credit: Eddie Gaspar for The Texas Tribune -
Fired state employees breached the personal data of 33,529 more Texans
So far, nine Texas Health and Human Services Commission employees have been fired for improperly accessing Texans’ data. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/d8f3ed2432de8c816d8d903a0c6493a4/0424%20HHSC%20Box%20PYH%20TT%2032.jpg)
![A Texas Health and Human Services client application on April 24, 2018.]()
Credit: Pu Ying Huang for The Texas Tribune -
In visit to Texas, RFK Jr. said autism, diabetes deserve more attention than measles
During a visit to College Station, the U.S. health secretary said Europe has a worse track record with the virus, which gets too much media attention. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/eb774a7870b6776e61b15e59153e478c/0429%20RFK%20and%20Rollins%20TAMU%20IS%20TT%2002.jpg)
![U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brook Rollins looks on as Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr. speaks at a press conference during a visit to the Texas A&M AgriLife Phenotyping Greenhouse in College Station on Tuesday, April 29, 2025.]()
Credit: Ishika Samant for The Texas Tribune -
Texas will ask voters to approve $3 billion to study dementia
State lawmakers have been pushing the dementia fund for years, modeling it after a state fund for cancer research. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/6ee373ad1521efd8af23afc1e55d8688/Abbott%20DOGE%20KCG%20TT%2018.jpg)
![Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick at a press conference at the Capitol in Austin on April 23, 2025.]()
Credit: Kaylee Greenlee for The Texas Tribune -
Bill to create dementia research institute approved in House, but could face $3 billion funding hurdle
Some Republicans have bristled at the hefty cost of the bill, and Democrats could reject the funding for it over the school voucher dispute. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/3ae20b97fae697fed93835711d444f67/1113%20El%20Faro%20Alzheimers%20BB%2001%20TT.jpg)
![The facilities of El Faro Health and Therapeutics clinical research facility count with an infusion room to treat patients with Alzheimer’s disease in Rio Grande City on November 13, 2021.]()
Credit: Brenda Bazán for The Texas Tribune. -
Texas measles cases remain steady at 750. Track the spread here.
An outbreak is considered over if there are no new cases reported in 42 consecutive days. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/677a8e7528a374b2e3016d867c1d8961/measles-tracker_lede.png)
![An editorial art for the West Texas measles outbreak tracker.]()
Credit: Yuriko Schumacher/The Texas Tribune -
Early Texas hospital data shows millions spent in care for non-U.S. citizens
A state employee testified Monday that tens of thousands of people in the U.S. unlawfully were treated, but it was unclear how long the data had been collected. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/c5663b782d2e7f8612e79b3c616fb499/ATX%20Hospitals%20AG%20TT%2004.jpg)
![An Austin-Travis County EMS vehicle parked outside of an emergency room in Austin on July 7, 2020.]()
Credit: Allie Goulding/The Texas Tribune -
Anti-vaccine advocates battle over narrative in West Texas, downplaying role of measles in deaths
After Daisy Hildebrand died of measles, her death was made public first by Dr. Robert Malone, a vaccine skeptic who blamed the hospital for fumbling her care. Daisy’s father told The Texas Tribune he never to spoke to Malone. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/a5d3cfe047bd4fa895d70a3356924e67/0222%20Robert%20Malone%20REUTERS%20TT%2001.jpg)
![Dr. Robert Malone speaks with Epoch Times editor Jan Jekielek at the annual Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) held at at the Gaylord National Resort and Convention Center in National Harbor, Maryland on Feb. 22, 2025.]()
Credit: Zach D Roberts/NurPhoto via REUTERS