Sickness, poverty in 76104 diminish all of Fort Worth. Here are some solutions
When a 2019 report identified Fort Worth’s 76104 as the ZIP code with the lowest life expectancy in Texas, it drew attention and lamentation, but it didn’t spark much action.
That needs to change. In this era of focus on discrimination and disparities, it’s time to get to work on behalf of neighborhoods with a rich history that are now being left behind.
An investigation by Star-Telegram reporter Nichole Manna details the human consequences of the health and economic neglect of 76104. The stories show how deliberate policy choices and sweeping generational change have led to wide gaps that shorten lives, typically by 12 years off the national average.
Several factors drive the disparity in the mostly Black and Hispanic neighborhoods in the area, but the most glaring and frustrating is in healthcare. The area includes the city’s hospital district, so residents with the most acute needs in the city are in the shadows of the city’s premier institutions. But they often can’t access the care, thanks to cost and transportation issues. In the Historic Southside, Hillside and Morningside neighborhoods, where many residents do not have cars, there are zero medical clinics or pharmacies.
The proximity to hospitals has prevented them from opening clinics in the neighborhood. While that makes sense at one level, leaders of the county’s JPS Health Network should step in and put one there. That step alone would save lives lost to chronic conditions.
Many of the area’s residents would qualify for JPS’ low-cost services, but residents told Manna they are often unaware of the options. A better marketing campaign is in order; one idea would be to partner with neighborhood churches to spread the word.
The area needs pharmacies and primary-care doctors, too. The city and state must step up with economic incentives to encourage such business development. Federal student-loan assistance aims to draw doctors into rural areas; why couldn’t a similar program urge doctors to practice in these impoverished neighborhoods?
Longer term, the area also needs a sustained focus on nutrition. The nearest grocery stores are a long trek via public transportation, and it’s difficult for residents to sustain healthy eating habits amid block after block of convenience stores, fast-food restaurants and dollar stores.
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The city is working on ideas to bring a grocery store to the area. And while government incentives will be crucial, this is a chance for corporations to step up and help. Indeed, while targeted government spending is crucial, the best long-term solutions for the area are those that come with sustainable private-sector economic wins, too.
White the priority is healthcare, the issue that connects so many of the area’s problems is transportation. The city’s level of commitment to public transit overall is disappointing, but in this case, perhaps there are pilot programs that could test ways to connect residents to healthcare facilities, at least, could lead to real improvements. JPS could take charge, too, doing more to provide shuttle services and working with Trinity Metro to improve bus routes so that going to the doctor isn’t a daylong commitment.
Both the statistics and the in-depth reporting show a simple fact: Poverty kills. The decline of neighborhoods such as these unfolded over decades, and they’ll take some time to fix.
Until the coronavirus epidemic slammed the entire economy, Fort Worth enjoyed a long stretch of growth and prosperity. It will eventually return, and when it does, the city and county must do more to make sure that everyone benefits. The 76104 ZIP code would be a good place to start.