HOUSTON -- In another sign of the times, the more the economy struggles, the harder it is for Harris County to keep up with the demand for healthcare.
The county says one indicator is the Harris County Hospital District call center in the 9200 block of Kirby Drive.
Representatives there field as many as 10,000 calls every day.
That's a 100-percent increase from last summer.
What's more, the number of people asking for or calling about Harris County Gold Cards, which help pay for all or part of county healthcare, are up as much as 40 percent.
It sometimes takes as long as an hour to reach a representative at the call center.
"People are seeking healthcare," said Dr. Robert Trenchel, senior vice president and administrator of ambulatory care services at the Harris County Hospital District. "If they don't have the means to pay for it, they're typically falling into the safety net, which is [us]."
The statistics are staggering.
More than 1 million people will visit Harris County clinics this year.
That's on top of the tens of thousands of patients at its hospitals.
"Considering the volume we have it's the best we can do under the circumstances," said Julie Young, with the Harris County Hospital District.
Harris County is taking steps to ease the crunch by establishing automated systems that call residents back to decrease the call volume.
