Irving, Texas-based CHRISTUS Health has announced a new strategic direction and patient-centered model for its Southeast Texas region.
Here are 10 things to know about the transformation.
1. All of CHRISTUS Health Southeast Texas' existing 27 locations will be united and rebranded under one name: CHRISTUS SOUTHEAST TEXAS Health System.
2. By 2018, CHRISTUS SOUTHEAST TEXAS Health System will increase its service offerings from 27 locations to more than 40 locations, adding access to urgent care centers, outpatient clinics, primary care practices and specialty care.
3. An initial investment of $10 million will launch CHRISTUS' plans to bring new healthcare locations to many Texas communities including Beaumont, Orange, Bridge City, Port Arthur/Mid County and Silsbee. A new outpatient facility is scheduled to open in Mid County before the end of this year as well as a new imaging/diagnostics center and a freestanding emergency room.
4. CHRISTUS will relocate services from the existing CHRISTUS Southeast Texas Outpatient Center to the new outpatient facility in Mid County when it is completed.
5. Each phase of the CHRISTUS transformation will continue to expand the CHRISTUS primary care network. The approved plan will increase the CHRISTUS Physician Group Primary Care Clinics from eight to 15 within the next three years, with more than 40 primary care providers.
6. CHRISTUS SOUTHEAST TEXAS Jasper (Texas) Memorial Hospital will anchor the region's rural market strategy that includes more primary care, specialty services and telemedicine.
7. Beginning Sept. 1, CHRISTUS SOUTHEAST TEXAS St. Mary hospital in Port Arthur will transition to a short-stay surgical inpatient hospital. As a part of this transition, St. Mary will consolidate the following inpatient services to CHRISTUS SOUTHEAST TEXAS St. Elizabeth hospital in Beaumont: obstetrics, neonatal intensive care, pediatric, cardiovascular and general medicine inpatient services. Services that will remain at the existing St. Mary campus include outpatient chemotherapy and infusion services, emergency room, radiology, laboratory services as well as the inpatient and outpatient short-stay surgical capabilities.
8. CHRISTUS plans to make new investments at St. Elizabeth including a proposed $2.1 million renovation of the neonatal intensive care unit. CHRISTUS has also started pursuing upgrades in emergency services at St. Elizabeth to a "Level 2" trauma center.
9. The changes at St. Mary will affect some associates. CHRISTUS said every effort will be made to preserve every job possible and CHRISTUS will offer associates the ability to transfer within the system. Roughly 251 St. Mary associates will be retained to operate the new short-stay surgical inpatient facility. The remaining 162 Associates will be offered opportunities within the Southeast Texas region, where 144 positions are currently available. Additionally, other opportunities within CHRISTUS include over 1,000 open positions system-wide.
10. Plans call for a new micro-hospital to be built in Mid County in 2018 that will match the demand for outpatient care and community-driven inpatient care.