South Texas Health System Breaks Ground on Freestanding Monte Cristo Emergency Room
$8.6 million investment is health system’s third new ER in three years
Two years after South Texas Health System (STHS) successfully opened the STHS ER at Weslaco and the STHS ER at Mission, the growing regional hospital network announced at a groundbreaking ceremony that its third new freestanding emergency room — the STHS ER Monte Cristo — will be open for service by early 2018. The new freestanding emergency room will bring the total number of ERs at all STHS facilities to seven.
An $8.6 million investment, the STHS ER Monte Cristo will feature nine treatment spaces, including six examination rooms, three triage bays, an internal waiting area, advanced imaging services such as computed tomography (CT), ultrasound, X-ray and digital radiography, and an on-site laboratory. The STHS ER Monte Cristo will use the Cerner FirstNet electronic medical record system that is compatible with all other South Texas Health System facilities and allows patients to access their private health information online.
The STHS ER Monte Cristo will be capable of treating general emergency cases on an outpatient basis, as well as trauma and observation care up to 24 hours. Patients requiring surgical intervention, a higher level of care or an overnight hospital stay will be stabilized and transferred to a local hospital. STHS expects to add 25 new full time jobs.
South Texas Health System leadership, alongside City of Edinburg and Hidalgo County officials, broke ground at the future ER’s location — the corner of Monte Cristo Road and Interstate 69 — an area Edinburg Economic Development Corporation’s Retail Analysis and Merchandising Plan says is a hot spot for future real estate opportunities. New commercial and residential construction, as well as infrastructure and quality of life improvements, entice continued development and investment in northern Edinburg.
“This project is near and dear to my heart. I truly understand the need for these services as a former Army medic,” said Pct. 4 Hidalgo County Commissioner Joseph Palacios. Palacios talked about the transformation in his district over the past several years and commended the choice of this “strategic location with exceptional access.” “I want to thank (STHS) for investing in us,” he said.
Edinburg Mayor Richard Garcia said that predictions from the University of Texas-Rio Grande Valley show that Edinburg’s population will catch up to McAllen’s within five years, and that in 20 years, the population of Hidalgo County will be equally divided by State Highway 107. “We are at the cusp of growth here in Edinburg … This is going to be a major artery very soon,” Garcia said. The mayor also said the community could not overlook how important timely access to healthcare is. “A few minutes can be the difference between life and death … That’s how important this facility is to us.”
For information on career opportunities throughout South Texas Health System, qualified candidates are encouraged to contact Human Resources at 956-388-2100 or visit our careers page.