Mega Doctor News
In the last 20 years, the Rio Grande Valley has grown by leaps and bounds. While it’s hard to tell which city you’re in when driving across Interstate 2, commonly known as Expressway 83, there are still rural areas across the four-county region. In Hidalgo County, nearly 9% of the county is considered rural.
While living in a sparsely populated area offers independence, fresh air and an opportunity to be miles away from the hustle and bustle of the city, the unexpected can happen, with rural residents more likely to die from accidents or strokes than people in urban areas, according to the National Institutes of Health.
It’s no secret: in a medical emergency, time is critical. Swift action is required to save a life or prevent a serious outcome.
“Having an emergency room in a rural community is extremely important, especially when dealing with a medical emergency like a traumatic accident, heart attack or stroke,” says Brenda Ivory, Chief Executive Office, South Texas Health System Heart, who oversees South Texas Health System’s freestanding emergency departments. “It’s about how quickly emergency medicine personnel can provide lifesaving or life-stabilizing measures. Every second matters!”
In its commitment to provide close-to-home emergency care to the people of the Rio Grande Valley, the South Texas Health System Trauma & Critical Care Institute is set to open its seventh freestanding emergency department, South Texas Health System ER Pharr, on Monday, October 7.
Located near the intersection of Cage Blvd. and Ridge Rd., the $14.3 million facility – which will serve as the only emergency room in the city of Pharr – will provide round-the-clock emergency medical care for adult and pediatric patients residing in Pharr and its surrounding communities. The closest ER for the people in the southern parts of Pharr, the full-service ER will treat patients dealing with a variety of medical conditions including chest pain, broken bones, minor lacerations, flu and other ailments, as well as stabilizing treatment for trauma, head injury, stroke, heart attack, respiratory distress, abdominal pain and orthopedic injuries.
“South Texas Health System is officially making a footprint in Pharr,” says Daniel Garcia, Director, STHS ER Pharr, STHS ER Monte Cristo and STHS ER McColl. “The city has experienced tremendous growth over the years, and this type of facility is desperately needed to serve residents living in Pharr and the surrounding communities.”
The 10,500-square-foot facility features nine treatment spaces, including six private/semi-private exam rooms and three spaces unique to STHS ER Pharr. They include a trauma room that will allow medical staff to swiftly treat and stabilize patients with higher acuity conditions before transferring them to a local Trauma Center, person of size room that features a ceiling-mounted lift for safe patient handling and mobility for patients of size, and a fully enclosed decontamination room where staff can remove hazardous materials, including chemicals, radioactive substances, and infectious material, from patients in need.
“It’s all part of South Texas Health System’s commitment to provide quality, compassionate emergency care to the people of the Rio Grande Valley,” says Garcia. “As the Valley’s largest integrated network of healthcare, we’ll be able to provide life-saving care in-house or life-stabilizing treatment and then easily work with our sister facilities, including our Level I Trauma Center and Comprehensive Stroke Center at STHS McAllen and dedicated cardiac facility at STHS Heart, to ensure higher acuity patients get the care they need in a timely manner.”
Beyond emergency care, STHS ER Pharr will also provide outpatient diagnostic services, including computed tomography (CT), ultrasound, X-ray and digital radiography with limited wait times.
To help celebrate the grand opening of the new facility, South Texas Health System will hold two special events on the STHS ER Pharr grounds on Thursday, October 3. The first will be a ceremony with local dignitaries and community leaders from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m., where attendees will be able to take part in a ribbon-cutting ceremony to mark the occasion. That event will be followed by a community celebration from 6:00 – 8:00 p.m. that will feature no-cost health screenings, a community resources fair and tours of the facility. The entire community is welcome to attend the evening event.
Officially opening to the public on Monday, October 7, STHS ER Pharr is located at 435 W. Ridge Rd. in Pharr. To contact the facility, call (956) 403-5550. For more information on the system’s seventh freestanding emergency department , visit https://www.southtexashealthsystem.com/our-facilities/south-texas-health-system-er-pharr.
Who: South Texas Health System
| What: | STHS ER Pharr Grand Opening Events |
| When: | Thursday, October 3, 2024 Ribbon-cutting ceremony10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. Program will start promptly at 10:15 a.m. Community Celebration6:00 – 8:00 p.m. |
| Where: | 435 W. Ridge Rd. Pharr, TX 78577 |
