SAN ANTONIO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Baptist Health System is bringing top-notch emergency medical care to neighborhoods across San Antonio with a first of its kind concept here. On Friday, December 9, 2011, at 7 a.m., the first Baptist Emergency Hospital will open at 16088 San Pedro Avenue, allowing residents of the north side area to access emergency medical care in a location close to home. This is the first of five facilities that Baptist Health System is opening across the San Antonio area over the next year.
“Baptist Health System is pioneering a new concept in San Antonio that we believe will be of great benefit to our residents in the Alamo City and surrounding areas,” said Graham Reeve, President and Chief Executive Officer of Baptist Health System. “Having these hospitals close by will mean emergency care is available when and where people need it most, so we are excited to be able to bring this new service to our neighbors around San Antonio.”
Baptist is partnering with emergency medicine pioneer Emerus to manage the facilities, based on the company’s successful model in other areas throughout Texas, including Houston and Dallas/Fort Worth.
“Baptist Health System saw a lot of need in the San Antonio area for improved access to care,” said Toby Hamilton, M.D., F.A.C.E.P., and CEO of Emerus. “We are pleased to partner with a hospital system that truly cares about its patients like Baptist Health System does. They are not only the long-time trusted name for healthcare in San Antonio, but also an innovator. We know that when our patients or one of their loved ones has an emergency, you don’t want a delay because of distance or traffic, two very real obstacles in a growing city. We pride ourselves in getting people on their way to recovery faster.”
Baptist Emergency Hospital facilities will feature ERs that are efficient and accessible. Once patients are triaged and registered, they will be seen by a physician within 15 minutes, on average. From filling out paperwork, to being seen by a physician, to having diagnostic tests such as CT scans or laboratory tests, most patients will spend less than one hour in the hospital.
These emergency hospitals differ from urgent care centers in that most urgent care centers are designed to handle simple, non-life-threatening medical complaints, often during regular or extended business hours. Baptist Emergency Hospital, on the other hand, will be open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year and staffed with board-certified emergency medicine physician specialists. The emergency rooms are equipped like conventional, large hospital-based emergency departments, offering on-site imaging services including X-ray, CT scan and ultrasound, as well as in-house laboratories. Because of this, these emergency hospitals can handle any medical emergency at any time of day or night.
Five Baptist Emergency Hospital locations will reshape the emergency care landscape in San Antonio. Locations are planned in areas across San Antonio that have been identified based on access and need, including hospitals at:
- 8230 N 1604 W, San Antonio, TX 78249
- 10811 Town Center Drive, San Antonio, TX 78251
- 25622 N US Hwy 281, San Antonio, TX 78258
- I-35 at Schertz Pkwy, Schertz, TX 78154
The five Baptist Emergency Hospital facilities will range in square footage from 20,000 to 40,000 square feet each. All locations will be staffed by emergency medicine physicians, registered nurses, radiation technologists, and other clinical specialists. The five facilities will create a total of approximately 200 new jobs in the San Antonio area.
For more information, please visit www.baptistemergencyhospital.com.