A free medical clinic opened in rural East Texas. Thousands poured in for help.

Dr. Doug Curran in his office at the East Texas Community Clinic in Athens last November. Curran helped open the safety-net clinic in 2020 after decades of practicing medicine in the rural area and seeing the fallout of Texas’ high rate of uninsured people. (Credit: Blaine Young/Public Health Watch)

Juanita Franklin was driving through the East Texas town of Gun Barrel City a couple of years ago when she saw a new sign down the road from the Christian Life Center food pantry where she volunteers. It promised something she desperately needed: “Healthcare Access for All!”

Franklin, whose left leg is amputated below the knee and who has chronic high blood pressure and thyroid problems, is among the 18% of Texans who are trying to survive without health insurance. That’s the highest state rate in the country by far and more than double the national average. The rate is even higher — nearly 30% — among the 6,400 residents of Gun Barrel City.