Gainesville — Medical administrators in Cooke County responded Friday to results from a federal “scorecard” indicating that Texas health care, recently weighed, has been found wanting.

The Agency for Health Care Research and Quality ranked the state as having the worst health care services and delivery — and delivered ratings of “weak” and “very weak” in nine of the scoring system’s 12 categories. The federal agency’s research used data from 155 separate areas of health care to deliver a final score, and out of a 100 points, Texas finished with 31.61. The highest-scoring state was reportedly Minnesota, which earned 67.31 points.

The research showed that Texas turned up low scores in the categories of home health care for the elderly and disabled; in preventive, acute and chronic care delivery; and in treatment of diabetes and cancer patients.

The problems are reportedly connected to the state’s Medicaid law for the poor and disabled, and to the statistic that more than 25 percent of the state’s residents have no health insurance at all.

This Texas rate of uninsured residents has been termed the highest in America. But the intention of the federal report is to prompt all medical officials to identify their state’s faults and virtues, and to make changes where necessary.

Locally, some of them are aware of a need for improvements.

“We find the report of the Agency for Health Care Research and Quality disturbing and feel that it is something our leaders should take into serious consideration when deciding future support of Texas health care,” said North Texas Medical Center Director of Marketing Gayla Blanton in a statement. “To this end, the state has already initiated a new program called the ‘1115 Waiver Program,’ which provides incentives for hospitals and other health care providers to work together to improve the health of the local community.”

Blanton said that later this summer, NTMC will submit a series of community initiatives for funding consideration. She added that the Gainesville facility is involved with the Texas Medical Foundation’s quality improvement program and received a “Bronze” award for its own improvements in goal areas.

“Other initiatives, including a program to reduce hospital readmissions, are ongoing,” she said. “Also, our clinics Cooke County Medical Center and NTMC Pediatrics have improved access of care for our citizens, with extended hours and walk-in access.”

The topic of the Texas health care system and its reported shortcomings has high relevance this week, given that state lawmakers are now considering how to respond to the Supreme Court’s upholding of President Barack Obama’s federal health care laws.

Republicans, who currently control every statewide office and enjoy a majority in the Legislature, have rejected the president’s new law, which mandates that nearly every eligible U.S. citizen get health insurance.

During 2011, Texas lawmakers reportedly underfunded Medicaid by more than $4 billion, and that amount will be due when they meet again next year. Top officials have estimated that the Legislature will need to find at least $10 billion in new funding for Medicaid at a time when Gov.