Waco healthcare
Can Waco care support ordinary needs and a serious event?
Baylor Scott & White Medical Center Hillcrest describes a 260-bed full-service hospital with emergency, cancer, heart and vascular, imaging, surgery, rehabilitation, and other services. Ascension Providence provides 24/7 emergency care, heart and vascular services, orthopedics, imaging, rehabilitation, pharmacy, and specialty care on its Waco campus.
The public city facts list six nearby hospitals and 29 pharmacies, with healthcare access at 88 and hospital access at 95. Primary care and specialist measures are lower, so a strong hospital list should lead to specific calls about clinicians, coverage, appointments, referrals, prescriptions, and rehabilitation.
Access to care
6 hospitals are listed within 12 km. A primary care visit, a pharmacy stop, and an urgent need may not all be equally close to the same home.
6
Hospitals Within 12 km
- Healthcare Access
- Excellent
- Hospital Access
- Excellent
- HRSA Adult Primary Care Sites Within 15 Miles
- 11
- Nearest HRSA Adult Primary Care Site
- 0.7 mi
Everyday and urgent care
Primary care and pharmacy access shape frequent appointments. Specialist and emergency options matter when a need cannot wait.
Everyday care
- Primary Care Access
- Good
- Registered Retail Pharmacies
- 29
More involved care
- Medicare Listed Selected Specialists in City
- 208
- Emergency Care
- Excellent
Specialists and long term care
Specialist availability, emergency options, and longer term health can matter once you have chosen a neighborhood.
- Medicare Listed Rheumatology Clinicians in City
- 1
- Medicare Listed Nephrology Clinicians in City
- 7
- Medicare Listed Pulmonary Disease Clinicians in City
- 15
- Medicare Listed Endocrinology Clinicians in City
- 4
- Medicare Listed Ophthalmology Clinicians in City
- 13
- Medicare Listed Neurology Clinicians in City
- 50
- Medicare Listed Medical Oncology Clinicians in City
- 4
- Medicare Listed Cardiology Clinicians in City
- 23
- Medicare Listed Geriatric Medicine Clinicians in City
- 0
- Residents 65+ Without Health Insurance
- 2.0%
- Medicare Emergency Hospitals Within 30 Miles
- 3
- Nearest Medicare Emergency Hospital
- 3.1 miles
- Nearest CMS Rated Hospital
- 3.1 mi away
- Reported Hospital Beds Within 12 km
- 779
- Life Expectancy at Birth — National (2024)
- 78.9 years
- Medicare Advantage Plan Options
- 28
- CMS Certified Nursing Homes Within 15 Miles
- 15
- Nearest CMS Certified Nursing Home
- 1.4 mi away
- Medicare Listed Home Health Agency Offices in City
- 7
- Medicare Listed Hospice Provider Offices in City
- 10
- Medicare Listed Dialysis Facilities in City
- 4
- CMS Reported Ambulatory Surgical Centers in City
- 3
- CMS Listed Inpatient Rehab Facilities in City
- 2
- CMS Listed Long Term Care Hospitals in City
- 0
- CMS Listed Inpatient Psychiatric Facilities in City
- 1
- CMS Listed Rural Health Clinics in City
- 0
- CMS Listed Federally Qualified Health Centers in City
- 11
- CMS Listed Home Infusion Therapy Supplier Enrollments in City
- 0
- Residents 65+ With a Disability
- 40.5%
- CMS Listed Ambulance Service Supplier Enrollments in City
- 1
- CMS Listed MDPP Supplier Enrollments in City
- 0
- Life Expectancy
- About 78.9 years
- Walkability for Health
- Moderate
2 of 5 stars · 3.1 mi away
Ivy Creek Wellness & Rehabilitation (455478) · 1.4 mi away
Waco in everyday life
Could Waco work for you?
What may work well
- Hillcrest and Ascension Providence give Waco two substantial hospital pathways.
- The city facts list six nearby hospitals and 29 pharmacies to investigate.
- Emergency, specialty, imaging, rehabilitation, and pharmacy services are documented at the two major campuses.
What to think about
- Hospital service lists do not answer current openings, coverage, appointment timing, or capacity.
- Primary care and specialist measures are lower than the headline healthcare access measure.
- Heat, storms, traffic, and recovery transportation affect the practical value of nearby facilities.
Connect the Waco home to care
Call both major hospitals
Ask about primary care, specialties, emergency services, referrals, insurance, scheduling, rehabilitation, accessibility, and current patient contacts.
Check the ordinary route
Drive to the preferred hospital, pharmacy, clinic, and rehabilitation location from the proposed home during traffic and warm weather.
Ask about primary care
Confirm new-patient timing, clinicians, coverage, prescriptions, after-hours advice, referrals, and the plan for ordinary care before an urgent event.
Prepare regional backups
Ask which conditions require Austin, Dallas, Temple, or another referral center and price travel, lodging, insurance, and family support.
Questions retirees ask
What hospitals are in Waco?
Baylor Scott & White Medical Center Hillcrest is a 260-bed full-service hospital with emergency and many specialty services. Ascension Providence offers 24/7 emergency care and specialty services. Call for current details.
How many pharmacies are nearby?
The current city facts list 29 pharmacies. Confirm location, hours, medicine supply, refills, delivery, insurance, and a backup if one location is closed or out of stock.
Is primary care easy to find in Waco?
The current primary care measure is lower than the overall healthcare access measure, so call about new-patient timing, coverage, referrals, clinicians, and prescription continuity before choosing a home.
Will I need to leave Waco for specialty care?
Some conditions may require referral to Austin, Dallas, Temple, or another regional center. Ask the preferred hospital which services are local and how insurance and transportation would work.
Waco healthcare is promising because two large hospital pathways and many mapped facilities are close to a regional city. Make the fit personal by calling providers, tracing the route, and writing down the backup plan before the household needs it.
Sources
Hospitals, primary care, pharmacies, specialists, and emergency care all affect how close and practical care may feel.
Confirm insurance acceptance, specialist availability, language needs, prescription access, and emergency care before making serious plans.
- OpenStreetMap healthcare amenities static probe
Used for Healthcare Access, Primary Care Access
- FEMA RAPT / HIFLD Hospitals
Used for Hospital Access, Hospitals Within 12 km, Reported Hospital Beds Within 12 km
Checked 2026-07-19
- Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS)
Used for Medicare-Listed Selected Specialists in City, Medicare-Listed Rheumatology Clinicians in City, Medicare-Listed Nephrology Clinicians in City, Medicare-Listed Pulmonary Disease Clinicians in City, Medicare-Listed Endocrinology Clinicians in City, Medicare-Listed Ophthalmology Clinicians in City, Medicare-Listed Neurology Clinicians in City, Medicare-Listed Medical Oncology Clinicians in City, Medicare-Listed Cardiology Clinicians in City, Medicare-Listed Geriatric Medicine Clinicians in City
Checked 2026-07-13
- Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services NPPES NPI Registry
Used for Registered Retail Pharmacies
Checked 2026-07-19
- Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services
Used for Emergency Care, Medicare Emergency Hospitals Within 30 Miles, Nearest Medicare Emergency Hospital, Nearest CMS-Rated Hospital
Checked 2026-07-12
- U.S. Census Bureau
Used for Residents 65+ Without Health Insurance
- Health Resources and Services Administration
Used for HRSA Adult Primary-Care Sites Within 15 Miles, Nearest HRSA Adult Primary-Care Site
Checked 2026-07-18
- World Bank
Used for Life Expectancy at Birth — National (2024), Life Expectancy
Checked 2026-06-18
- Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services
Used for Medicare Advantage Plan Options
- Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS)
Used for CMS-Certified Nursing Homes Within 15 Miles, Nearest CMS-Certified Nursing Home
- Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS)
Used for Medicare-Listed Home Health Agency Offices in City
- Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS)
Used for Medicare-Listed Hospice Provider Offices in City
- Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS)
Used for Medicare-Listed Dialysis Facilities in City
- Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS)
Used for CMS-Reported Ambulatory Surgical Centers in City
- Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS)
Used for CMS-Listed Inpatient Rehab Facilities in City
- Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS)
Used for CMS-Listed Long-Term Care Hospitals in City
- Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS)
Used for CMS-Listed Inpatient Psychiatric Facilities in City
- Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS)
Used for CMS-Listed Rural Health Clinics in City
- Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS)
Used for CMS-Listed Federally Qualified Health Centers in City
- Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS)
Used for CMS-Listed Home Infusion Therapy Supplier Enrollments in City
- U.S. Census Bureau
Used for Residents 65+ With a Disability
- Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS)
Used for CMS-Listed Ambulance Service Supplier Enrollments in City, CMS-Listed MDPP Supplier Enrollments in City
- U.S. Environmental Protection Agency National Walkability Index
Used for Walkability for Health
Checked 2026-07-10
Not yet available for this place: Specialist Access.
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Partner with Retirement ListsResearch and writing byGrant Gibson
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