SAN ANTONIO — One of the one hospitals serving the southwestern portion of Bexar County will shut May 1, the well being care supplier introduced Wednesday.
Doctors on the Texas Vista Medical Center, previously referred to as Southwest General, have served San Antonio citizens from the Barlite Boulevard development for just about 40 years. The facility additionally homes an OB-GYN place of job.
A spokesperson for the hospital’s guardian corporate, Steward Health Care Network, defined the hospital isn’t making sufficient cash to stick open. Steward says more or less 25% of its sufferers can’t and don’t pay for services and products TMVC provides.
“On limited resources, TVMC supports limited-income, high-needs patient populations,” she mentioned. “Steward was able and willing to assume financial losses and risks during that extraordinary public health crisis (COVID-19); it is not sustainable to do so any longer.”
Bexar County Judge Peter Sakai mentioned he’s coordinating with University Health and different hospital leaders to “assist in coordinating the redirection of more than 175 patients who will be directly affected by the closure, as well as the 842 employees who work there.”
University Health invited TMVC personnel who will transform unemployed to use for open jobs on the county hospital.
“Health care providers have already met to make sure there is no gap in health care coverage,” Bexar County Commissioner Tommy Calvert instructed KENS 5 Wednesday. “I don’t think this is something the average person will really see… I think we’re going to be OK.”
Calvert famous there are new scientific clinics at the town’s southwest side which intention to regard sufferers sooner than they require hospital or emergency room care.
University Health additionally plans to open a cutting-edge hospital throughout from Texas A&M-San Antonio’s campus in 2027. The facility will most likely serve lots of the southside citizens who’d lately consult with TMVC.
“This is a real golden era of health care in Bexar County,” he mentioned. “We have a little hiccup, but it shouldn’t be more than the system can handle.”
In a statement that blindsided county leaders, Steward Health Care Network partially blamed the town’s booming scientific business for TMVC’s monetary issues.
“When Steward Health Care assumed operations of Texas Vista Medical Center in 2017, the facility was struggling financially, as it was choked out by the well-heeled “public” hospital competitor across town,” a spokesperson mentioned.
The spokesperson steered that University Health is increasing to extra prosperous areas of San Antonio, leaving TMVC to handle sufferers who can’t pay their scientific expenses.
“That is a rich assertion and I don’t think that holds facts,” Calvert mentioned, rolling his eyes.
Steward Health additionally blamed Bexar County and University Health for TMVC’s closure, for the reason that entities have now not bailed out the non-public hospital with taxpayer greenbacks.
“Steward has put forth a proposal for University Health System (UHS) and Bexar County to take over control of TVMC, but UHS and Bexar County have not accepted our offer,” the spokesperson wrote.
“If TVMC is forced to close as a result of inaction by UHS and Bexar County, emergency department (ED) boarding times will increase, wait times for appointments with specialists will get longer, and the time and attention given to each patient in the area will suffer,” she persevered.
The spokesperson pointed to University Health’s plans for 2 new hospitals, together with close to Texas A&M-San Antonio, as evidence the county hospital “can afford to assume control of TVMC.”
But University Health, Calvert and a Bexar County spokesperson each and every say Steward by no means requested University Health to take over the hospital.
The county spokesperson mentioned Jon Turton, the hospital’s president, knowledgeable Bexar County leaders on Jan. 20, 2023 that TMVC would want “$5 to $10 million of taxpayer dollars to sustain Texas Vista Medical Center.”
“Mr. Turton assured Bexar County staff that, to his knowledge, TMVC was not closing,” the Bexar County spokesperson persevered. “Since this conversation took place, Steward Health has not attempted to communicate with Bexar County and staff has not been asked to vet any formal proposal to assume control of TMVC.”
University Health added that TMVC development is growing older and will require “significant renovation and IT upgrades” to satisfy the general public hospital’s requirements.
“It has also become increasingly clear that our mission and values are not aligned with Medical Properties Trust, the real estate investment trust that owns the assets of Texas Vista Medical Center and collects lease payments from Steward Health, which operates the hospital,” the University Health observation persevered.
Tuesday, plenty of regulation corporations introduced they’re investigating whether or not Medical Properties Trust defrauded its traders.
The legal professionals allege the company landlord gave its suffering tenants cash to pay hire. The tenants would pay the donated a refund to Medical Properties Trust, propping up the owner’s inventory costs on faux source of revenue.
“We are disappointed that these two for-profit companies made the decision to identify University Health and Bexar County as somehow being response for their inability to successfully operate Texas Vista, and to imply that local taxpayers should bail them out,” the University Health spokesperson wrote.
“We stand by our commitment to help our overall health care system, but it is not the obligation of the county to provide any kind of bailouts to private sector companies that don’t make sense for the taxpayers,” Calvert mentioned.
Calvert added county leaders would nonetheless welcome dialog with Steward Health about different attainable answers to their monetary issues.
Steward Health will most likely factor its staff a “WARN” realize on Tuesday, 60 days sooner than the ability would shut.
We reached out to Mayor Ron Nirenberg, who had this to mention:
“Any loss of access to health care – particularly in underserved portions of our community – is concerning. The announced hospital closure is a loss for the South Side and our city as a whole,” said Mayor Ron Nirenberg. “Although the City of San Antonio does not own or operate hospitals, area hospital leaders, such as UHS, have informed us that they will be meeting to discuss the impact of this development, and best approaches for ensuring that all San Antonio residents have the access they deserve.”
We reached out to County Judge Peter Sakai who had this to mention:
“The County is aware Texas Vista Medical Center is closing and we will be monitoring the situation to make sure the health care needs of all of its patients are met with dignity and respect,” mentioned Sakai. “We will be participating in any meetings related to this development to assist with the transition. I have reached out to University Health leadership and other community health partners to assist in coordinating the redirection of more than 175 patients who will be directly affected by the closure, as well as the 842 employees who work there. Bexar County and University Health System are in the process of building a new hospital to better serve the needs of Southside residents and we are committed to investing in hospital facilities in underserved areas of our community. Please direct any additional questions to University Health.”
Councilwoman Dr. Adriana Rocha Garcia launched this observation regarding the introduced remaining:
“It is disheartening to hear about the closure of a local healthcare facility, and equally concerning is the devastating impact this will have on our residents living in southwest San Antonio. More than a quarter of District 4 residents are uninsured and struggle to receive the healthcare they need, so this closure will only exacerbate prevalent health disparities. I am also concerned about the loss of 800 jobs and the economic impact of this closure.
“I am committed to working with the Council and the leaders of our regional hospital systems to help meet the medical needs of our most vulnerable residents, and look forward to discussing access to healthcare and employment in the healthcare industry at a future Community Health, Environment and Culture committee and identifying potential options to assist residents who may be impacted by this closure and need medical care and employment close to their homes.”
The 325-bed scientific facility will shut on May 1.
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