Mega Doctor News
During a medical emergency, timely action is necessary, with access to nearby trauma and critical care services essential for positive patient outcomes.
In the Mid-Valley, South Texas Health System has provided thousands of patients with 24/7 emergency medical attention in the last decade at STHS ER Weslaco, the first of the healthcare system’s seven freestanding emergency departments (FEDs) in the region.
Opened in December 2014 and fully operational by January 2015, STHS ER Weslaco – part of the STHS Trauma & Critical Care Institute, the largest integrated network of trauma and critical care in the Rio Grande Valley –STHS ER Weslaco began providing close-to-home emergency care to residents of Weslaco and the surrounding communities.
Ten years later, STHS ER Weslaco has provided quality, compassionate care to 197,832 patients and counting, including 74,603 children and 24,888 elderly residents, when they needed it most.
“STHS ER Weslaco has been, and continues to be, a pillar of healthcare for our residents and surrounding communities,” says Mayor Adrian Gonzalez, City of Weslaco. “Our communities deserve the best and, thanks to South Texas Health System, having access to high-quality healthcare in our own backyard ensures our residents receive that care.”
Unlike an urgent care center or night clinic, STHS ER Weslaco provides the same round-the-clock care available through South Texas Health System’s hospital-based emergency rooms, improving access to care for trauma patients in the rural areas of the Mid-Valley, including the cities of Donna, Elsa and Mercedes. The first freestanding emergency department in the state of Texas and second in the nation to earn a cardiac care certification by the American College of Cardiology, the facility is currently certified in chest pain management and designated an Acute Stroke Ready Hospital by The Joint Commission. Additionally, STHS ER Weslaco has earned a Level 3 Geriatric Emergency Department accreditation from the American College of Emergency Physicians.
For STHS’ parent company, Universal Health Services Inc., STHS ER Weslaco was the first facility of its kind serving as the model for the nearly 30 facilities like it now operating across the country.
“For the last 10 years, STHS ER Weslaco has helped meet the healthcare needs of the people in the Mid-Valley by providing round-the-clock care,” says Doug Matney, Vice President – Freestanding Emergency Departments, Universal Health Services Inc., who was instrumental in launching the first of its kind facility for the company in the Rio Grande Valley. “The success of the freestanding emergency department model has allowed us to bring care closer to home for our patients across the country, addressing a need for additional healthcare options driven by patient choice.”
To commemorate STHS ER Weslaco’s 10th anniversary, South Texas Health System hosted a special milestone celebration on Thursday, January 9, which helped shine a spotlight on the decade of exceptional emergency care and outpatient services provided for infants, children and adults by the facility.
The milestone celebration featured the participation of STHS leaders and City of Weslaco officials speaking about the facility’s impact and its commitment to the healthcare needs of residents of Weslaco and the surrounding communities.
During the ceremony, STHS leadership honored two STHS staff members – Josie Chavira and Eddie Arevalo, who not only helped open the facility, but still work there today.
“Being a Mid-Valley native, I take such pride in being a part of STHS ER Weslaco’s rich history,” says Arevalo, the lead vascular ultrasound technologist responsible for the sonography services across STHS’ seven freestanding emergency departments. “It’s so gratifying to know that we’ve been able to provide quality, compassionate care to hundreds of thousands of patients when and where they need it most.”
In addition to providing 24/7 close-to-home emergency care, STHS ER Weslaco also offers convenient outpatient services with limited wait times, including mammograms, imaging and laboratory services.
In the last 10 years, the facility has performed 109,938 X-rays, 46,943 computed tomography (CT) scans, 1,988 MRIs, and 10,055 mammograms, as well as a staggering 2,206,606 lab studies.
“We’re honored to have served Weslaco and the surrounding communities for the last 10 years and look forward to continuing to deliver on our promise of quality, compassionate care for the residents of the Mid-Valley,” says Brenda Ivory, Chief Executive Officer, STHS Heart, who also oversees STHS FEDs. “Our sincerest gratitude to everyone who has entrusted STHS ER Weslaco with their healthcare needs in the last decade.”
For more information on the services provided by STHS ER Weslaco, visit southtexashealthsystem.com.
