Texas Department of State Health Services

What Texas Department of State Health Services does

The Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS) is a state government agency founded in 1939 and headquartered in Austin, Texas, responsible for protecting and promoting public health across the state. It employs 1,001-5,000 staff serving a population of 30+ million Texans through a combination of direct public health services, disease surveillance, regulatory licensing, vital records administration, and public health data dissemination.

DSHS's core technology stack centers on a suite of health information systems including the Texas Syndromic Surveillance (TxS2) platform for statewide disease monitoring used by hospital infection preventionists and local health departments, the National Electronic Disease Surveillance System (NEDSS) for tracking notifiable conditions, an electronic fax solution processing over 1,000 laboratory reports monthly, and the public-facing Texas Health Data portal exposing vital statistics, cancer registry, and behavioral risk factor data. Additional platforms include electronic case reporting (eCR) integrated with the AIMS platform built since 2005. The agency's product portfolio spans 12+ named systems and services ranging from vital statistics (birth, death, marriage, divorce records), laboratory services, immunizations, newborn screening, the Texas Cancer Registry, birth defects surveillance, maternal and child health programs, and the Texas Center for Nursing Workforce Studies.

DSHS's funding model is structurally that of a public agency rather than a commercial enterprise. The agency is funded primarily by Texas legislative appropriations, supplemented by federal grants (including $1.4 billion secured over five years for rural healthcare under the 'Rural Texas Strong' initiative) and licensing/registration fees collected from regulated businesses. New or materially increased fee schedules have been adopted across hemp retailers ($5,000/year/location, up from ~$150), hemp manufacturers ($10,000/year/facility, up from ~$250), and youth camps ($2,000-$15,000/year under the Youth CAMPER Act). DSHS also awards grants to healthcare and local government partners (Lubbock Animal Services, Bexar County CHCS) and operates a partnership-based research model (e.g., $50 million ibogaine trial with UTHealth Houston and UTMB Galveston). The agency is currently undergoing Texas Sunset review.

Name

Texas Department of State Health Services

Legal name

Texas Department of State Health Services

Website

https://dshs.texas.gov

Company type

Private

Founded year

1939

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Short description

The Texas Department of State Health Services is a state government agency headquartered in Austin, Texas, founded in 1939, that protects and promotes public health for 30+ million Texans through disease surveillance, vital statistics, regulatory licensing of healthcare providers and businesses, and public health data systems.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Public Health Services

NAICS

Administration of Public Health Programs (923120)

SIC

Services-Health Services (8000), Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

State/Provincial/Regional Health Departments (HLAJAAAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

State/Provincial Health Department & Public Health Administration (BPAIABAH), County/District/Local Health Departments (HLAJAAAB)

Keywords

• Public health services
• Vital statistics records
• Disease surveillance systems
• Health regulatory licensing
• Immunization programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Austin

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. State Legislative Appropriations: DSHS operates as a state government agency funded primarily through Texas state legislative appropriations. The agency experienced over $600 million in pandemic-era federal funding expiration and reductions in CDC and other federal program budgets, leading to staff layoffs and program closures.
2. Business Licensing and Registration Fees: DSHS collects licensing and registration fees from regulated businesses including hemp retailers ($5,000 annual per location) and manufacturers ($10,000 annual per facility), food establishments, EMS providers, tattoo studios, and other licensed entities.
3. Federal Grants: DSHS receives federal funding for public health initiatives including rural healthcare ($1.4 billion over five years), Medicaid programs, immunization activities, and health data systems modernization through CDC grants.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

The Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS) is the primary state government agency responsible for protecting and promoting public health in Texas. It delivers essential public health services including vital statistics registration (birth, death, marriage, divorce records), statewide immunizations, laboratory testing, newborn screening, and disease surveillance and prevention. The agency also licenses and regulates healthcare-related businesses including food manufacturers, drug manufacturers, EMS providers, tattoo studios, retail food establishments, hemp retailers, and youth camps.

Product overview

The Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS) is a state government health agency offering a comprehensive portfolio of public health services, surveillance systems, and data reporting tools. The agency operates primarily as a service organization rather than a product company, providing core services including Vital Statistics (birth/death records), Laboratory Services, Immunizations, and Regional & Local Health operations. Key data systems include the Texas Syndromic Surveillance (TxS2) system, Texas Health Data dashboard, and Texas Cancer Registry. The agency also manages workforce research through the Texas Center for Nursing Workforce Studies and maintains disease registries including the National Electronic Disease Surveillance System (NEDSS) and Birth Defects Registry. Programs span maternal and child health, newborn screening, and emergency preparedness.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Vital Statistics Services

Quantifiable outcome

• Processing over 1,000 lab faxes monthly with electronic fax solutions, cutting staff workload in half
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 17 April 2026Texas DSHS Commissioner Dr. Jennifer Shuford appointed as CDC Deputy Director and Chief Medical Officer, bringing frontline infectious disease experience and crisis management expertise to federal agency.
• UTHealth HoustoncoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 April 2026UTHealth Houston selected as lead institution alongside University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston to conduct two-year multicenter clinical trial evaluating ibogaine's effects on patients with opioid addiction, PTSD, and traumatic brain injuries as part of the Texas ibogaine research program. State investment of $50 million.
• University of Texas Medical Branch at GalvestoncoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 April 2026Selected alongside UTHealth Houston to lead ibogaine clinical trials. UTMB brings expertise in addiction medicine and behavioral health as part of state-funded $50 million research program.
• CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 27 February 2025CDC provides technical assistance, laboratory support, vaccines, and therapeutic medication to Texas health authorities during measles outbreaks. HHS Secretary Kennedy directly coordinated with Governor Abbott and Texas health officials during West Texas measles response.
• Texas Alcoholic Beverage CommissioncoreTechnology or IntegrationJoint regulatory authority over consumable hemp products. TABC establishes age restrictions and ID verification requirements for retailers under Governor Abbott's executive order delegating hemp oversight.
• Texas Health and Human Services CommissioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDHHS and DSHS jointly identified deficiencies in Camp Mystic's emergency preparedness plan following July 2025 flood tragedy. HHSC administers mental health facility funding ($20 million to Victoria County) and various healthcare programs.
• Bexar County Center for Health Care ServicesminorStrategic or Co-development Partner$1.3 million grant recipient providing Multisystemic Therapy for at-risk youth in Bexar County. Program targets youth with substance abuse, assault, and terroristic behaviors to reduce juvenile detention.
• Lubbock Animal ServicesminorStrategic or Co-development Partner$150,000 grant recipient as part of $13 million statewide pet overpopulation initiative. Provides approximately 1,500 spay and neuter vouchers through existing veterinary partnerships.
• ASTHO (Association of State and Territorial Health Officials)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDSHS Commissioner Dr. Jennifer Shuford served as ASTHO board member before appointment to CDC Deputy Director. ASTHO issued statement applauding her appointment as invaluable to CDC.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Illinois Department of Public Health: Illinois's state health agency performs comparable public health functions including disease surveillance, vital statistics, healthcare facility licensing, and laboratory services, making it a peer state agency with similar organizational structure.
• Georgia Department of Public Health: Georgia's state public health agency performs analogous functions including disease surveillance, vital records, environmental health, and emergency preparedness, serving as a comparable state-level agency with similar scope and operational model.
• Pennsylvania Department of Health: Pennsylvania's state public health agency performs comparable functions including disease surveillance, vital records, healthcare facility licensing, and laboratory services, making it a peer state agency with similar organizational scope and regulatory authority.
• Florida Department of Health: Florida's state public health agency performs comparable disease surveillance, vital statistics, environmental health regulation, and public health emergency response functions for another large, diverse state population, making it a direct peer agency.
• California Department of Public Health: California's state public health agency performs an analogous role to DSHS including disease surveillance, vital statistics, licensing, and laboratory services for the largest US state population, making it the most structurally comparable state health department.
• New York State Department of Health: New York's state health agency performs comparable public health functions including disease surveillance, vital records, healthcare facility regulation, and laboratory services for a similarly large population, making it a direct peer in scope and operational model.

Broad incumbents

• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: The CDC serves as the federal-level public health counterpart to DSHS, providing technical assistance, laboratory support, and grant funding. The CDC also directly hired DSHS's Commissioner, demonstrating the close institutional linkage between the agencies.

Regional players

• Texas Health and Human Services Commission: Texas HHSC is the sister state agency that oversees Medicaid, behavioral health, and broader health and human services in Texas. It partners with DSHS on major initiatives including Camp Mystic investigation and mental health facility funding.
• Harris County Public Health: Harris County's local public health department coordinates with DSHS on disease surveillance and emergency response for the Houston metropolitan area, representing the local-level public health counterpart within DSHS's Texas service area.

Others

• Association of State and Territorial Health Officials: ASTHO is the national membership organization representing state and territorial public health agencies including DSHS, which participates through its Commissioner on ASTHO's board. It serves as the industry association peer for state health agencies.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/texasdshs
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/texasdshs

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Texas Department of State Health Services