For too many Texans, finding a doctor isn’t just an inconvenience — it’s an impossibility. In our rural communities and medically underserved areas, families are forced to travel for hours just to see a primary care provider. Pregnant mothers skip prenatal visits, putting their health and their babies at risk. Working parents delay checkups for their children, hoping minor illnesses don’t become serious. Seniors with chronic conditions like diabetes or heart disease go without routine care because there simply aren’t enough healthcare providers nearby.
These aren’t just statistics — they are real people, our friends, our neighbors, our families. And this is a crisis we can no longer ignore.
That’s why I’m proud to champion the HEAL Act — also known as Senate Bill 9-1-1 — because every Texan deserves access to quality, affordable healthcare, no matter where they live. The urgency of this legislation is reflected in its name. Like dialing 9-1-1 in a crisis, SB 9-1-1 represents an emergency.
Right now, Texas faces a staggering healthcare provider shortage. Over 6 million Texans live in primary care shortage areas, where the demand for doctors far outweighs the supply. This means overcrowded emergency rooms, month-long waits for basic appointments, and heartbreaking decisions about whether to spend time and money traveling long distances for care. It means families forced to go without preventative care and treatment until it becomes an emergency. It means patients suffering needlessly because the system is failing them.
The HEAL Act offers a powerful, commonsense solution: remove outdated regulations that prevent advanced practice registered nurses (APRNs) from providing care they are fully trained and licensed to give. Right now, APRNs must sign costly, restrictive contracts with doctors just to practice. These agreements don’t make patients safer. They don’t improve care. They only make it harder for APRNs to serve communities that desperately need them.
This isn’t about replacing doctors — it’s about giving Texans more options for high-quality care. The reality is, we don’t have enough doctors to meet demand, and that won’t change overnight. But we do have thousands of highly skilled APRNs ready to step up and provide care, if only we remove unnecessary roadblocks.
Every time I travel across Texas, I hear the same stories. Parents who spend months trying to find a doctor for their sick child, only to end up driving hours and missing work for a basic checkup. Retired veterans waiting months for treatment, enduring unnecessary pain because they have no other options. Small business owners in rural towns who forgo medical care entirely because the nearest provider is too far away.
These stories aren’t isolated. They are the reality for too many Texans. The good news? We can fix this.
27 states across the country have already embraced this model with great success, increasing access to care while maintaining high-quality standards. Patients in those states are healthier, healthcare costs are lower, and communities are stronger. Texas shouldn’t just follow — we should lead.
This isn’t just about policy — it’s about people. It’s about making sure no Texan is left waiting, suffering, or forced to choose between putting food on the table and getting medical care. It’s about ensuring that whether you live in a major city or a rural town, you can get the care you need, when you need it.
Healthcare is not a privilege; it’s a necessity. The HEAL Act is our opportunity to take meaningful action and give families the care they deserve. Let’s stand together to break down barriers, expand access, build a healthier Texas for generations to come, and pass Senate Bill 9-1-1.