Longview hospitals invest $47.9 million
to expand services and renovate facilities.
In an effort to continue providing top quality services to East Texas, Longview’s two primary hospitals embarked on multimillion dollar expansions and renovations in 2021 that will bring a new level of care to the community.
CHRISTUS Good Shepherd Health System is investing $35 million for a campus expansion at its NorthPark center in North Longview and for the creation of the city’s first dedicated Orthopedics & Sports Medicine Institute. CHRISTUS also invested $8.5 million to create a new cardiac facility that will offer premier cardiovascular care in Longview.
“As the leader of cardiovascular and orthopedic care in the community, we recognize the need for these important clinical services to continue to advance by ensuring our specialists have the latest training and innovative skills combined with state-of-the-art technology,” said Todd Hancock, President and Chief Executive Officer of CHRISTUS Good Shepherd Health System.
Meanwhile, Longview Regional Medical Center invested $4.4 million into enhancements at the hospital’s Heart and Vascular Institute. The project at Longview Regional Medical Center will see the creation of a dedicated Electrophysiology Lab and additional services to enhance the patient experience.
“Longview Regional Medical Center is fortunate to have a longstanding, committed group of cardiac professionals who provide comprehensive, quality cardiac care to East Texas,” said Steve Gordon, Chief Executive Officer of Longview Regional Medical Center.
The expansions at the medical facilities are intended to provide more services in East Texas so patients can receive the care they need without having to travel to a metropolitan city, such as Dallas or Houston, officials with both hospitals said. “We’re very excited about this expansion of services as it will allow us to continue to provide unparalleled care to our community without traveling outside of the Longview area,” Gordon said.
Hancock also noted the improved facilities will aid CHRISTUS in attracting, recruiting and retaining “highly trained specialists from all over the nation.”
At CHRISTUS, the health system kicked off the year in 2021 by announcing in January that it would invest $8.5 million on a new cardiac facility. The CHRISTUS Good Shepherd Heart & Vascular Institute will feature clinical offices and comprehensive cardiac health services, providing capacity for twelve existing specialists and their teams, with opportunity for future expansion. The cardiac center also will provide expanded comprehensive cardiac care at every level, including diagnosis, treatment, prevention, rehabilitation and education, according to CHRISTUS. “This facility will be a wonderful resource for East Texans because it offers one-stop convenience and a readily accessible location,” said Dr. C. Fagg Sanford, chief of cardiology for CHRISTUS Trinity Clinic in Northeast Texas.
The CHRISTUS Good Shepherd Heart & Vascular Institute is located in the Medical Plaza parking garage with designated VIP parking. Health system officials said the center will provide expedited and “often same-day” diagnosis and treatment planning. Services include a minimally invasive vein clinic, nuclear imaging, cardiac rehabilitation, stress testing, EKG and echocardiography, heart health and device education, and minor procedure rooms.
“Providing expanded comprehensive cardiac care in one location is not only convenient for our patients, but it also streamlines the care delivery process,” Hancock said. “Joining all of our cardiovascular specialists and rehabilitation services at one location facilitates collaborative patient care.” Collaborative and coordinated patient care is a hallmark trait of CHRISTUS’ other projects.
As the cardiac center was underway, the health care system announced in July that it was embarking on yet another project. CHRISTUS Good Shepherd Health System announced plans to dramatically grow its NorthPark campus as part of a multi-year expansion project.
The $35 million investment includes expansions at CHRISTUS Good Shepherd Hospital – NorthPark and the establishment of the CHRISTUS Orthopedics & Sports Medicine Institute. Additionally, the plans also included other infrastructure improvements to allow for continued campus expansion.
“At our new NorthPark hospital and Orthopedics & Sports Medicine Institute, patients will have an entire campus focused on musculoskeletal care,” Hancock said. “From diagnosis and treatment to rehabilitation and recovery, we can coordinate care throughout the patient journey.”
Designed with a focus on the patient, the new campus will offer convenience and ease of access. With services centralized to one location, the patient can experience an initial physician visit, diagnostic imaging, surgery, rehabilitation and recovery on site. Construction began in mid-August 2021, and the CHRISTUS Orthopedics & Sports Medicine Institute will be completed by the fall of 2022. CHRISTUS Good Shepherd Hospital – NorthPark is expected to open spring 2023.
The new CHRISTUS Good Shepherd
Hospital – NorthPark will add 27,000 additional square feet to the existing facility. The new surgical hospital will feature patient rooms, six state-of-the-art operating suites and expanded clinical space. The new facility will be primarily focused on orthopedics and sports medicine, with the capability to accommodate not only outpatient procedures but also overnight stays as well.
The expansion will add to the NorthPark center’s services. CHRISTUS Good Shepherd established its NorthPark campus in 2014. The location also offers an ER, imaging center and outpatient lab. It also features offices for CHRISTUS Trinity Clinics, including Obstetrics/Gynecology and Pediatrics.
ENT Associates of East Texas and Longview Orthopaedic Clinic Association also reside at NorthPark.
In addition to the expansion at NorthPark, CHRISTUS Good Shepherd is renovating the building that houses the Institute for Healthy Living to transform it into the new CHRISTUS Good Shepherd Orthopedics & Sports Medicine Institute.
The 75,000-square-foot, multi-story facility will feature orthopedic and sports medicine experts to serve patients in Longview and greater East Texas. According to CHRISTUS Good Shepherd, the institute will offer orthopedics and sports medicine care, outpatient therapy and rehabilitation, human performance, medically-integrated fitness and musculoskeletal radiology.
The CHRISTUS Good Shepherd Orthopedics & Sports Medicine Institute will have space to house thirteen CHRISTUS Trinity Clinic physicians and advanced practice clinicians specializing in orthopedics, sports medicine and podiatry. The clinical area will include forty exam rooms and three minor procedure rooms, as well as onsite diagnostic imaging. The facility also will continue to house the CHRISTUS Good Shepherd Institute for Healthy Living to which the public may still obtain memberships. The Institute for Healthy Living’s fitness floor, personal training, multi-fitness studio and Aquatics Center – which includes a lap pool, cold therapy plunge, whirlpool and resistance pool – will remain available to members, according to CHRISTUS. Those services also may be integrated into the care plan for patients of the Orthopedics & Sports Medicine Institute.
“The NorthPark hospital, Cardiac & Vascular Institute and Orthopedics & Sports Medicine Institute combine the professional expertise of our highly-skilled physicians with the most advanced technology available today,” Hancock said. “This new model has become the standard of care in our community, enabling us to continue recruiting highly trained specialists from all over the nation. These centers of excellence will elevate the level of care for our patients, who will be able to get the best care and the best technology, right here in Longview.”
Electrophysiology Lab
Meanwhile, Longview Regional Medical Center announced in April that it was embarking upon a $4.4 million expansion to enhance its cardiac services. The project includes renovations to the entry and public spaces of the LRMC Heart and Vascular Institute and to the Regional Clinics Cardiology Suite, which is located at 709 Medical Park Plaza. A highlight of the project was the addition of a dedicated Electrophysiology Lab, which Dr. Jorge Massare said will allow for better patient care.
“Longview Regional Medical Center’s new Electrophysiology Lab allows us to provide timely and more complex cardiovascular treatments to patients seeking care right in their own community,” said Massare, who serves as an electrophysiologist at Longview Regional Medical Center.
The new Electrophysiology Lab will occupy 7,000 square feet of space and will be equipped with advanced technologies, according to the hospital. Minimally invasive techniques will be used to diagnose and treat patients’ cardiovascular conditions, including irregular heartbeats or arrhythmias. Additional cardiology enhancements include a newly renovated Heart and Vascular Institute entrance with wayfinding features for patients and families. According to LRMC, the new interior space will feature additional guest seating and “a welcoming environment.”
The Regional Clinics Cardiology Suite will receive similar enhancements to assist patients arriving for their appointments.
Patients will be greeted by a newly designed waiting area with amenities added to enhance their experience, according to the hospital.
The latest cardiology renovations at Longview Regional come on the heels of another prior expansion at the hospital. In March of 2018, the hospital expanded its cardiac services with the addition of a $2.9 million Cardiac Catheterization Lab. Since the Cardiac Catherization Lab completion in 2018, more than 10,000 patients have benefited from access to advanced heart procedures in Longview from the hospital’s cardiac team, according to information provided by the hospital.
The Heart and Vascular Institute team of Longview Regional is comprised of fourteen cardiac professionals. The team has been nationally recognized by IBM Watson as a Top 50 Heart Hospital and delivers cutting edge cardiac services to East Texas, according to Longview Regional. The team offers a range of services, including cardiac diagnostics and intervention, cardiothoracic surgery, electrophysiology treatment, management and treatment of heart failure, cardiac rehabilitation, Holter monitoring, research and more. “Our goal at the Heart and Vascular Institute of Longview Regional is to achieve the best results for all of our patients and to improve their overall quality of life,” said Dr. Samir Germanwala, an interventional cardiologist at Longview Regional Medical Center. “I’m proud to practice alongside a vested team of fellow cardiac professionals who have a combined three-hundred years of cardiac care experience in East Texas.”
