Credentialing slows healthcare expansion in rural areas, behavioral CEO says

Although healthcare is expanding in rural areas, behavioral services remain among the most unmet needs. According to data from the Bureau of Health Workforce, the United States is currently experiencing a “mental health crisis” with increasing levels of unmet behavioral health needs among all ages. The data went on to say that rural counties are more likely than urban counties to lack behavioral services — something that has not gone unnoticed in the Rio Grande Valley, which is considered among the most impoverished and medically underserved areas in the nation. MyRGV.com previously reported that the Valley’s need for mental health resources continues to increase, much of which is attributed to the lack of resources available in the area. Although the Valley has institutions like Tropical Texas Behavioral Health, DHR Behavioral and South Texas Health System Behavioral the demand for mental health resources is difficult to keep up with. In 2024, Tropical Texas explained that it had to i