Christus Trinity Mother Frances to open 24-hour emergency care center in Lindale

Apr. 9—In late summer, Christus Trinity Mother Frances will be breaking ground to build the health system's new around-the-clock emergency care center at the Christus Trinity Mother Frances HealthPark in Lindale.

Leaders from Christus and the city said the expansion of health care access in Lindale is the result of shared goals of caring for Northeast Texas residents. The emergency room will not only serve the Lindale community, but also Hideaway, Mineola, Quitman, Winona and the surrounding area.

"Being able to access quality, COVID-safe health care, especially emergency care, is of huge importance to our patients. With the new facility, we are answering the needs of our patients in Lindale and the surrounding area," said Jason Proctor, president of Christus Mother Frances Hospital and the Christus Trinity Mother Frances Louis and Peaches Owen Heart Hospital in Tyler.

"We have been a part of this community for more than 15 years, providing health care services to Lindale and the surrounding area. We have made major investments in this community over the years, and this emergency care center has been a part of our master plan, so we are thrilled to be able to bring it to fruition," he continued.

The new facility, conveniently located at the familiar HealthPark site at 3203 S. Main St., features new exam rooms, trauma rooms, a full-service imaging center and a laboratory for easier access to test results. The medical staff will include board-certified Emergency Medicine physicians and nurses, who will join the trusted Christus Trinity Clinic primary care providers, as well as the specialty providers in cardiac, orthopedics and sleep medicine that already see patients at the HealthPark. The HealthPark also contains a physical therapy suite and the health and fitness center. The new Lindale Emergency Care Center will also be accepting ambulance traffic, so patients can ask their ambulance providers if the new ER is the right place for their care.

"The new facility will add jobs, reinforcing Christus Trinity Mother Frances' commitment to the growth of the Lindale area," said Chris Glenney, senior vice president of Group Operations, Christus Health, chief executive officer, Christus Health Northeast Texas. "With this new facility, we will have 125 associates on-site, adding emergency medicine physicians, advanced practice providers, nurses and staff to a skilled team already in place."

Construction is set to begin on the project in late summer 2021, but patients and visitors to Christus Trinity Mother Frances HealthPark — Lindale will still be able to receive care and access the fitness facilities with uninterrupted service.

"I am proud to be a part of the Christus Trinity Mother Frances Health System," said Dr. Russell Bell, Christus Trinity Clinic Primary Care physician in Lindale. "Our health system has been committed to providing quality health care in this community for many years, and I have been here for 14 years. Our family is ingrained in this community and proud to call Lindale home, and we are proud this emergency facility will be a blessing to not only our community but surrounding communities."

Dr. Melita Brooks, Christus Trinity Clinic primary care physician in Lindale, said she was also excited for the addition of an emergency room in Lindale.

"Having improved access to emergency care for our community and surrounding areas is a much-needed addition to the growing area. I expect that our patients will be equally excited to hear the news. This will provide a higher level of services and convenience as well as an opportunity of improved health for our families, friends and neighbors," she said.

Proctor also thanked Lindale Mayor Jeff D. Daugherty, the city council and incoming Lindale Chamber of Commerce President RJ Collins and Major General James Brown for their willingness to work together.

"We are very excited. This is something that this mayor and this council have worked on for several years," Daugherty said. "The citizens of our area need and deserve a fully capable 24-hour emergency care center. Thank you, Christus Trinity Mother Frances for continuing to be a large part of our community."

Dr. JT Brown, chief of emergency medicine at Christus Mother Frances Hospital, said Christus is focused on raising the standard of emergency care in East Texas, and the opening the emergency center in Lindale is step toward that goal.

"I grew up in Lindale, I'm a proud graduate of Lindale ISD, and I couldn't be happier that my hometown is soon going to have immediate access to the highest quality emergency care. We can't wait to get the new facility up and running so that we can better serve this community," Brown said.

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