News

In a medical emergency, swift action is imperative, with access to nearby emergency services vital for positive patient outcomes.

Through the emergency rooms at its four acute care hospitals and six freestanding emergency departments in the Rio Grande Valley, the South Texas Health System Trauma & Critical Institute – the largest integrated network of emergency care south of San Antonio – has provided quality, close-to-home emergency care to the people of the Rio Grande Valley. In 2023, 231,112 emergency visits were reported across South Texas Health System’s facilities, an 11% increase from the previous year, making South Texas Health System one of the busiest emergency care networks in the State of Texas.

To help meet the growing need for emergency medical services in the City of Pharr and the communities in the southern parts of Hidalgo County, South Texas Health System is opening its seventh freestanding emergency department, South Texas Health System ER Pharr, in the heart of the ever-expanding city on Tuesday, October 8. STHS ER Pharr is located at 435 W. Ridge Rd. in Pharr. To contact the facility, call 956-403-5550.

“The city of Pharr has experienced tremendous growth throughout the years and continues to expand, so a facility like this is much-needed to serve residents in the city and surrounding communities,” says Daniel Garcia, BSN, RN, Director of Freestanding Emergency Departments – Pharr, McColl and Monte Cristo, South Texas Health System. “The STHS ER Pharr team is looking forward to serving the people of the Hub City of the Valley with quality, close-to-home emergency care.”

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 Pharr city limits – will provide round-the-clock emergency medical care for adult and pediatric patients dealing with a variety of medical conditions, as well as stabilizing treatment for higher acuity conditions like trauma, stroke and heart attack.

The 10,500-square-foot facility features nine treatment spaces, including six 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, a patient of size room that features expanded clearance space and a ceiling-mounted lift for safe patient handling and mobility for patients with excess weight, and a decontamination room where staff can work closely with first responders to remove or neutralize hazardous materials, including chemicals, radioactive substances and infectious material, from injured or ill patients to prevent further harm and optimize the chance of a full recovery for the exposed person.

“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 Officer, South Texas Health System Heart, who also 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! The design enhancement at STHS ER Pharr will allow us to provide emergency care more efficiently and effectively.”

To commemorate the grand opening of its seventh FED, South Texas Health System hosted a special ribbon-cutting ceremony on Thursday, October 3. Prior to cutting the ribbon at the entrance to the facility, attendees heard from South Texas Health System Board of Governors Chairman J. Humberto Rodriguez; City of Pharr City Manager Dr. Jonathan B. Flores; Pharr City Commissioner Dr. Ramiro Cabellero and Hidalgo County Judge Richard Cortez, who provided a video statement, on the impact the new freestanding ER will have in the City of Pharr and the surrounding communities.

Beyond emergency care, STHS ER Pharr will also provide outpatient laboratory and imaging services with limited wait times, including health checks and screenings, computed tomography (CT), ultrasound, X-ray and digital radiography.

“It’s all part of South Texas Health System’s mission to be the leader in healthcare in the Rio Grande Valley and provide quality, compassionate care to the patients in the communities we proudly serve, whether they need emergency care, hospitalization or outpatient services,” says Rodriguez, who has served on the STHS Board of Governors for four decades and witnessed first-hand the tremendous growth of the healthcare system. “As the Valley’s largest integrated network of healthcare, we’re committed to meeting the needs of our ever-growing community, and we look forward to continuing to expand our services to serve the people of the Valley.”