Delegate Sofia Domingeuz-Trejo, a passionate representative for proposal No.1 and member of Texas Y&G State Affairs, ushers herself to the podium along with her a movement of change. Upon her opening statement, the young delegate revealed her meticulous preparation of the presented proposal and the various beneficial consequences once the bill is approved.
Ms. Dominguez-Trejo presents the proposal, stating, “There are few things one can do without their health, you can’t work, partake in the things that bring you joy, or sustain your family…Texas has the highest risks of rural hospital closure out of any other state in the nation,
and it also has the highest rural population of any other state in the nation”. Delegate Dominguez-Trejo continues to advocate passionately for the accessibility of healthcare and Medicaid for rural citizens, a growing population in Texas, and provides logistics of current treatment availability as well as demographic, “In 2022, the risk of rural hospital closure was found to be 26%, this is up 10% to one year prior, rural hospital closure was up 16%”.
Dominguez-Trejo’s plan includes a 3-pronged approach: first, expand Medicare and Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act, allowing an expansion of total allotment for these hospitals, as well as increasing the total number of insured rural citizens. Secondly, a committee
that is open to average citizens, including donors, marketing people, etc., should be installed to promote discussion of the importance of rural hospitals. Lastly, expand telehealth access, “the use of communications technologies to provide health care at a distance,” as defined by the National Institute of
Biomedical Imagining and Bioengineering (NIBIB) across the state.
Following the young delegate’s opening statements, Dominguez-Trejo effortlessly reciprocates fellow peers’ questions. Delegate Germany Herrera inquires, “You mentioned in your proposal of action this would increase the total allotment for hospitals. What is the current allotment?… You also mentioned, in your proposal, the implementation of telehealth, and considering telehealth can sometimes come with barriers because of the online aspect, how will your proposal combat this?”. Dominguez then provides an estimated bracket of the allotment being approximately 5-7 hundred million dollars and would increase from the estimate in the following years. The young delegate answers Herrera’s second inquiry by explaining Congress’ push to expand internet access to all residents of Texas. Ms. Dominguez-Trejo concludes her proposal by reiterating the significance of establishing Medicare and Medicaid for rural citizens, addressing con statements questioning the financial effects of her proposal. The young delegate states, “…I had many [con speakers] explaining that Medicare would be too much of a burden and did not work. However, I know people who receive all of their healthcare from Medicare and Medicaid. I see what it does for them”. The young delegate persists, “For people in the lower socioeconomic bracket…this is the only way for them to receive healthcare…And anything that impacts and helps people go by is good”. Finalizing her conclusion, delegate Dominguez-Trejo left the decision for an improved healthcare system across rural areas of In the hands of her peers and nearly the entire auditorium, Texas voted in favor of the proposal. This young woman is bringing change to poor rural healthcare systems in Texas, one proposal at a time.
Written by: Amina Omar Ahmed