H.R. No. 1854
R E S O L U T I O N
WHEREAS, Texas provides vital health care services to its
residents through more than 590 hospitals, which together house
some 82,000 licensed beds; and
WHEREAS, These diverse institutions range from general
acute-care and pediatric hospitals to psychiatric, rehabilitation,
long-term acute-care, and other specialty facilities; about 27
percent are located in rural areas of the state, while more than 73
percent are in urban areas; and
WHEREAS, During 2009, Texas hospitals provided care for an
estimated 2.7 million inpatients, 37 million outpatients, and 9.5
million emergency patients, and they were the site of 808,000
inpatient surgeries and 395,000 births; and
WHEREAS, Over 260 of the state's hospitals are designated
trauma facilities and staffed by specially trained physicians and
nurses, as well as supported by EMS personnel who provide urgent
prehospital care through ground and air transportation; this trauma
system is critical to the health and economic well-being of Texas;
and
WHEREAS, Hospitals rank as the number two source of private
sector jobs in rural areas of the state and are among the top 20
employers in major metropolitan areas, with approximately 366,000
full-time and part-time employees statewide, including some
120,000 registered nurses and licensed vocational nurses; and
WHEREAS, Jobs in Texas hospitals generate approximately $137
billion in economic activity annually, and one in nine U.S. jobs are
supported either directly or indirectly by hospitals; and
WHEREAS, Texas has the highest rate of uninsured residents in
the nation, and hospitals are required by state and federal law to
assess and stabilize all who come to the emergency room, without
regard to their ability to pay; and
WHEREAS, Hospitals stand ready to serve 24 hours a day, 7 days
a week, 365 days a year, and it is indeed fitting to acknowledge the
contributions of these vital institutions; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 82nd Texas
Legislature hereby join in observing May 8-14, 2011, as National
Hospital Week and in recognizing all those who serve in hospitals
across the Lone Star State.
Kolkhorst
______________________________
Speaker of the House
I certify that H.R. No. 1854 was adopted by the House on May
13, 2011, by a non-record vote.
______________________________
Chief Clerk of the House