The healthcare market in East Texas (and Tyler particularly) has seen some major changes in the past few years. As of March 1, 2018, the three largest healthcare systems are:
- Christus Trinity Mother Frances Health System
- UT Health East Texas
- Baylor Scott & White Texas Spine & Joint Hospital
While these changes seem to have happened relatively recently and quickly, a “perfect storm” has been brewing in East Texas that made each change necessary. The new names will allow increased patient access to premium healthcare and allow more patients to be “in network” when they visit an East Texas medical facility. Almost every medical specialty is not represented in Tyler which allows all of us to see the providers we need to see without traveling to Dallas or Houston.
How did we get here?
- 1937: Tyler community leaders and the Sisters of the Holy Family of Nazareth opened Tyler’s first hospital – Mother Frances Hospital (*the facility opened a day earlier than expected due to the New London school explosion).
- 1948: Medical and Surgical Clinic became Trinity Clinic with 300 providers and 36 specialties
- 1949: East Texas Medical Center Regional Healthcare System opened
- 1983: Ardent Health Services is established and owns Behavioral Health hospitals
- 1995: Mother Frances Hospital merged with Trinity Clinics and became Trinity Mother Frances Health System
- 2001: Ardent Health Services is under new management and focuses on health system acquisition
- 2003-2016: Ardent Health Services acquires ten (10) struggling health systems in OK, TX, KS and NM and sells off the behavioral health division
- 2016: Christus Trinity Mother Frances Health System merged to form an 8 hospital, 82 clinic health system
- 2017: UT Health Northeast announces a partnership with MD Anderson Cancer Center
- 2017: ETMC beings looking for a strategic partner
- 2017: Baylor Scott & White and United Surgical Partners announce that Texas Spine & Joint is now part of the Baylor Scott & White network
- 2018: ETMC is purchased by UT Health Northeast (in partnership with MD Anderson Cancer Center) and Ardent Health Services, forming UT Health East Texas