Texas had serious rural health issues well before the pandemic. How will providers continue to care for rural Texans?

Rural health care challenges in Texas have only gotten worse since the pandemic. They include major staffing shortages, economic hurdles and spotty broadband limiting access to telehealth. How will providers continue to care for rural Texans?

Join The Texas Tribune at noon Central time Wednesday, May 18, at Temple College for a conversation on why rural Texans are running low on health care options and what can be done about it. Hear from Dr. Diedra Wuenschel, doctor of osteopathic medicine at Coryell Health in Gatesville, and Lorenzo Serrano, CEO of Winkler County Memorial Hospital, in a discussion moderated by Texas Tribune CEO Evan Smith.

Register for the conversation here

This in-person event will be simultaneously streamed for virtual attendees and will be available to watch on demand afterward at texastribune.org/events.

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About our speakers

Lorenzo Serrano, CEO, Winkler County Memorial Hospital

Serrano has more than 14 years of health care leadership experience and served the last six years as the CEO of Winkler County Hospital District. He is the vice chair on the board of directors for the Texas Organization of Rural and Community Hospitals and chair of the Texas Hospital Association’s rural hospital council.

Dr. Diedra Wuenschel, doctor of osteopathic medicine at Coryell Health in Gatesville

Wuenschel is the Coryell Health medical director for RehabLiving, the medical director of the Coryell Health Medical Clinic of Gatesville and Mills County, and the elected chief of staff. Wuenschel joined Coryell Health in 2011.

Evan Smith, CEO of The Texas Tribune

Smith is the CEO and co-founder of The Texas Tribune. Previously, he spent nearly 18 years at Texas Monthly, including eight years as editor and a year as president and editor-in-chief.

Sponsors help make our events possible. Thank you to Methodist Healthcare Ministries of South Texas Inc., Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Texas Association of Counties, and Texas Organization of Rural & Community Hospitals for supporting this event and Temple College for hosting this event.

Tribune events are also supported through contributions from our founding investors and members. Though donors and corporate sponsors underwrite Texas Tribune events, they play no role in determining the content, panelists or line of questioning.