Convenient access to quality healthcare facilities and physicians is at the top of “must-have” list for all age groups – from young parents to retired empty-nesters. This is one of the driving forces for more people to choose to live in suburban communities such as MorningStar.
The prognosis for accessible and quality healthcare in many areas of the U.S. is not good. Urban hospitals, many in disrepair, are fighting a losing battle with large populations of uninsured patients and a reduction in funding from federal insurance programs such as Medicaid to pay for services. This is forcing many to reduce services and consider expanding into other, more profitable areas.
Due to these same economic realities, hospitals and clinics in rural areas are closing at an alarming rate. A report by the U.S. Government Accountability Office found that 64 rural hospitals closed between 2013 and 2017, more than twice the number of rural hospital closures in the previous five-year period. This can present a life-or-death challenge because of the distance involved in getting to a hospital in an emergency.
According to a 2018 report from Pew Research, “Rural Americans live an average of 10.5 miles from the nearest hospital, compared with 5.6 miles for people in suburban areas and 4.4 for those in urban areas. Taking local traffic patterns into account, that works out to a travel time of 17 minutes for people who live in rural communities, 12 minutes for those in suburban areas and 10 minutes for those in urban areas.”
MorningStar is a Healthy Place to Live
The MorningStar community, located just north of Austin near Liberty Hill (in Williamson County), is in a sweet spot as far as access to quality healthcare and doctors for residents. Well-respected hospitals such as Baylor Scott & White hospital, Austin Regional Clinic, Seton hospital, and many others have opened state-of-the-art facilities just a few minutes from MorningStar. There are also a great many retail health clinics that offer convenient care, 24/7.
National healthcare organizations, such as the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, have ranked the facilities and care in immediate proximity to MorningStar as exemplary. For example, when comparing all of the other 254 counties in Texas, The County Health Rankings and Roadmap survey ranks Williamson county as follows:
- #3 in Health Outcomes
- #7 in Length of Life
- #7 in Quality of Life
- #5 in Health Factors
- #3 in Clinical Care
Many residents of MorningStar have realized just how important the “quality of life” ranking in this survey is to healthy living. Families are happier and healthier when they have options for outdoor activities such as hiking and running on the MorningStar trails or swimming in the resort-style pool. Safer neighborhoods and exemplary schools also make for less stress and a healthier lifestyle.
All of these lifestyle factors, combined with access to emergency care (in minutes!) and regularly scheduled visits to pediatricians, general practitioners, and specialists such as surgeons and physical therapists, make MorningStar a very healthy place to live.
To review the 2019 “Healthy Williamson County Community Health Assessment,” just click here. If you’re concerned about timely access to state-of-the-art healthcare, write yourself a prescription to check out MorningStar soon.