Where You Live Shouldn’t Decide if You Live

Last fall, a 50-year-old schoolteacher in Roscoe, Texas, drove a few blocks after school to a local boutique for her very first breast exam. The convenience of the appointment likely saved her life.

TTUHSC’s Laura W. Bush Institute for Women’s Health, in collaboration with the Bexa™ Equity Alliance and supported by our Institute for Telehealth and Digital Innovation, introduced the noninvasive Bexa Breast Exam™ last fall. Our goal is to provide screenings in 24 rural counties near Abilene, Texas. To date, we’ve provided 1,400 exams — including two male clients — at 33 sites in 18 counties.

One of those — the schoolteacher’s — showed an abnormality. Cancer specialists at Hendrick Health, our partner for continuity of care, diagnosed her with breast cancer and performed surgery in January. Today, she’s on the path to recovery and doing well.

These are the stories that define our purpose.

In many Texas communities, zip codes continue to significantly impact health outcomes. For cancer, the stakes couldn’t be higher. Individuals often receive diagnoses at later stages, when treatment options are more limited. Many lack access to necessary care — and too often, this leads to poorer outcomes.

We refuse to accept that.

Our new vision — a healthier future with access to quality care for every Texan — is more than aspirational. It’s embedded in our DNA and addresses the genuine needs of our state and its people. This includes the need for earlier screenings, more robust prevention efforts, an increased number of physicians practicing in rural and underserved areas, and innovative research that illuminates rural-specific risk factors, enabling more timely, targeted and effective treatment.

The work involves all of us: clinicians who listen, scientists who ask bold questions, educators who inspire and team members who make it all possible. It requires community and philanthropic partners who believe that quality health care should reach everyone, everywhere.

The future we envision is within reach, and we’ve made it our purpose. Every Texan deserves access to quality care, and we won’t stop until that’s a reality.