News Roundup: Texas Hospitals Took Part In A Nationwide Survey Of Healthcare Equality

Our daily look at Texas headlines.

By Becky FogelMarch 29, 2018 2:18 pm

The Standard’s news roundup gives you a quick hit of interesting, sometimes irreverent, and breaking news stories from all over the state.

The Human Rights Campaign Foundation has released its annual Healthcare Equality Index. It scores healthcare facilities on policies and practices aimed at providing equitable treatment to LGBTQ patients, visitors, and employees. For example, HRC Foundation looks at whether these providers have patient non-discrimination policies or equal visitation policies, and whether they effectively communicate these policies.

This year a record number of providers – 626 total – participated in the voluntary nationwide survey. However, Tari Hanneman, director of the HRC Foundation’s Health Equality Project, points out that only 19 of those healthcare facilities hailed from Texas.

“And it is an incredibly small number,” Hanneman says. “Texas, I think, has the largest number of hospitals in the nation, so to only have 19 hospitals participate is not very good.”

Despite this low rate of participation, of those 19 facilities, eight received a perfect score of 100 on the index. That’s compared with just three Texas providers the year before. Hanneman points out that the Health Equality Index, or HEI, is aimed at helping healthcare facilities improve.

“And what the HEI really is, is more than just a metric. It’s really a tool for change. So it’s a great way for a healthcare facility to learn about the best practices in LGBT-inclusive care,” Hanneman says.

The eight Texas healthcare facilities that received perfect scores in the 2018 index are in Dallas, El Paso, Galveston, Houston, and San Antonio.




An El Paso artist is working to restore a mural honoring a wrestling hero.

It was first painted 11 years ago as part of an initiative called the Youth Graffiti Art Mural Project. Maria Cortes Gonzalez, a reporter with the El Paso Times explains that project allowed four different students to work on murals, “and they were on columns under the bridge, that is kind of in central El Paso.”

Cortes Gonzalez says one of those students, Eric Dubitsky, wanted to paint fellow El Pasoan and WWE superstar Eddie Guerrero, who passed away in 2005. To watch a 2004 wrestling match featuring Guerrero, you can click here.

Cortes-Gonzalez says Dubitsky decided to update his mural of Guerrero after seeing comments on social media that it was starting to look a little shabby.

But Dubitsky wanted to go a step further.

“He decided not only to refurbish it but he also got permission from the city to go ahead and add a little bit more to the mural on the other sides of the column. So there’s like three other sides that he can work on,” says Cortes Gonzalez. “And so he’s kind of excited that he’ll be able to reflect some of the other family members, apparently some of them have continued in wrestling, so there might be a mural of one of his daughters I believe.”

The goal is to complete the entire mural by June.




It’s opening day for Major League Baseball and the Texas Rangers are starting the new season hosting the reigning world champion Houston Astros. While those Texas teams face off in Arlington, fans can stuff their faces with nine new ballpark foods. From KERA News in Dallas, Molly Evans assures us there’s something for everyone.

For carnivores? The Triple B sandwich, made with bacon, brisket and bologna. Then there’s a huge chicken breast sandwich – it’s fried with a potato chip crust. For spice lovers? A hot dog with jalapenos and Cheetos for garnish. Like sweet and salty stuff? There’s an ice cream cone made with crushed pretzels. And there’s something for vegans, too: Vegan-friendly nachos. As for everyone else? There’s always peanuts and Cracker Jack.

You can find the entire rundown of new foods offered at Globe Life Park this season here.