Texas Vista Medical Center, formerly known as Southwest General Hospital, has shut its doors. Its closure will leave South Side residents with less access to health care services.
Employees said the closure of the 327-bed facility leaves nearby residents stranded, with even“We were there for the patients,” said registered nurse Maria Hartman, 55, who had worked on and off at Texas Vista since 1994.
“Some of them, they’re like, 'Where we gonna go? '” Hartman grew up on the South Side, and she sometimes treated patients at Texas Vista who knew her when she was a child. She and her colleagues were blindsided when they learned in early March that owner Steward Health Care System was closing the Southwest Side hospital.Texas Vista, located at 7400 Barlite Blvd., served many low-income patients with chronic illnesses, such as diabetes. Melissa Huchin, a labor and delivery nurse, said the hospital's staff tried to provide a judgement-free place for the sick in their care. Huchin's in-laws, who live nearby, went to Texas Vista whenever they needed emergency care. She doesn't know where they will go now.The 47-year-old nurse, who is relocating to Corpus Christi for a new job, said she's also devastated to lose her Texas Vista co-workers. They struggled together through the pandemic, saved lives and brought babies into the world, and they shared weddings, divorces and deaths. She recalled potlucks, parties and birthday celebrations.Dallas-based Steward, which describes itself as the largest private physician-led health care network in the United States, announced March 1 that it would shut down Texas Vista effective May 1 unless Bexar County and University Health took over the hospital. The facility served “limited-income, high-needs” patients, nearly a quarter of whom did not pay for services and over half of whom were Medicare or Medicaid patients, Steward said. When the company acquired Texas Vista in 2017, it said the hospital — then known as Southwest General — was under financial strain and being “choked out by the well-heeled 'public' hospital competitor across town.” The COVID-19 pandemic dealt another blow, and Steward said it was “not sustainable” to continue shouldering financial losses and risks. County staff said they met with Texas Vista, and the hospital's leaders asked for a bailout of up to $10 million and said the hospital was not closing. County-owned University Health received a proposal from Steward for a takeover with a deadline three business days later, March 1 — when the company made its closure announcement.said taking control of Texas Vista would be a Band-Aid solutionRenovating the aging facility would be expensive, they said. The alternative, building a modern medical center at the site, would be difficult because of space constraints. And besides, a new South Side hospital is already in the works. University Health acquired 68 acres near Texas A&M University-San Antonio for a 256-bed hospital it is building through a $500 million deal with the university. It is scheduled to open in 2026 or 2027. “Is it better to have a hospital next door? Of course,” University Health President and CEO George Hernandez said. “But we can’t put a hospital everywhere. It’s got to be financially viable. I think the story with Texas Vista is it’s not financially viable.” Before Steward made its announcement, employees said they knew the hospital was in financial trouble. The company missed payments to vendors. The phones stopped working more than once, and employees were told Steward hadn't paid the bill. They'd try to order office supplies and learn that the facility's credit was on hold. As the hospital was being cleared out ahead of its closure, the recycling hadn't been picked up because Steward hadn't paid the bill, workers said.The University of the Incarnate Word and the Texas Institute for Graduate Medical Education and Research, a subsidiary of the university,that Steward and Texas Vista owe $4.5 million for services provided by UIW medical residents. In recent weeks, local hospital systems held job fairs, and many of Texas Vista's 800-plus employees found new positions. Patients were moved to beds at other facilities."If you look in the hospital right now, it looks like a movie," Huchin said."It's very surreal."Aside from the cost of upgrading Texas Vista, University Health and county officials also expressed concerns about the businesses they would be dealing with — Steward and Medical Properties Trust, a real estate investment trust that leases the Texas Vista real estate to Steward. In the past, Steward has threatened to close hospitals it operates in other states unless local governments step in.
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Texas: The Issue Is - Rep. Moody discusses HB 3 after it passed through Texas HouseThis week, the Texas House overwhelmingly passed HB3, putting an armed officer, security guard, or district staff member on every campus statewide.
Read more »
This Week in Texas: Progress of Texas 88th Legislative session and newly passed billsNew legislature could soon be headed to Governor Greg Abbott's desk regarding solar energy, school safety and Texas voters.
Read more »
Manhunt continues for suspect in 'execution-style' shooting that killed 5 family members in TexasCLEVELAND, Texas — (CLEVELAND, Texas) -- Authorities are continuing the search for the suspect connected to an 'execution-style' shooting that killed five family members in Texas, including an 8-year-old boy.
Read more »
Texas Wants to Know: Why is Texas Barbecue the Nation's Best?While barbecue in other parts of the country focuses on pulled pork, ribs, or even sides, in Texas one menu item takes center stage — brisket. On this week’s Texas Wants to Know, we hear from pitmasters at two of the state’s top barbecue restaurants and the BBQ Editor at Texas Monthly, Daniel Vaughn.
Read more »
San Antonio weighs health care access as Texas Vista closes its doorsTexas Vista hospital's closure highlights the risks of private equity in health care and the legacy of economic segregation on the city's Hispanic population.
Read more »
UIW files lawsuit against Texas Vista Medical CenterSAN ANTONIO - The University of the Incarnate Word confirms they have filed a lawsuit against Texas Vista and Steward Health Care System.UIW says they and their
Read more »