Approximately one quarter of San Antonio’s population under 65 is without health insurance in City Council Districts 3 & 4, and tens of thousands of San Antonians are losing their Medicaid coverage due to the cancellation of pandemic-era expansion. Further, with only one hospital currently open on San Antonio’s Southside, colleges and universities and even public schools far outnumber healthcare institutions. University Health’s new hospital, to be built near Texas A&M University-San Antonio, isn’t slated to open until 2027. San Antonio’s Southside offers a unique opportunity to imagine solutions for healthcare, and CAST Med, which was created to add to the pipeline of much-needed doctors and researchers in the San Antonio area, can serve as a launching point for collaborative and creative ways to bridge healthcare and education. This project kicks off with a conversation at CAST Med, linking healthcare professionals, community leaders, and students on Thursday, September 14.
CAST Imagines offers students a deeper understanding of San Antonio. It invites them to imagine new possibilities in collaboration with their community and through conversation that relies on community data, expertise, and creativity. Using a mantra of “do well and do good,” CAST Imagines builds on CAST Schools’ Core Pillars by connecting students to industry and other community leaders and promoting students as co-creators and co-problem solvers, while addressing real-world needs.
CAST Imagines: Education & Healthcare at CAST Med will help:
- Develop shared understanding between students, educators, and healthcare professionals on the significance of current pathways to the needs of the Southside community
- Enrich the intersection of community health, civic engagement, and education at CAST Med
- Enhance external communications to families, the public, and partners on the importance of CAST Med to the Southside community
Resources
- SA2020 San Antonio City Council Profiles: sa2020.org/city-council-profiles
- 2022 Texas Kids Count Data Book: everytexan.org/kids-count-2022/
- Every Texan Healthcare Policy: everytexan.org/our-work/policy-areas/health-care/
