Rural Texas Families Face Extensive Travel for Neonatal Care in San Antonio
Families residing in rural communities surrounding San Antonio often endure travel times of up to four hours to access specialized neonatal care. While Bexar County boasts 10 neonatal hospitals, ranging from Level 1 to Level 4, many of the 22 surrounding counties lack higher-level neonatal services. This disparity forces parents, like Julissa Rios from Del Rio, to make weekly trips to San Antonio for necessary medical attention during high-risk pregnancies. Dr. Isabel Basaldu-Prado, medical director of the neonatal intensive care unit at Mission Trail Baptist Hospital, confirms that their facility regularly treats patients from outlying communities. She attributes the lack of specialized care in rural areas to financial constraints, staffing shortages, and insufficient demand to justify establishing such facilities.
