Freestanding emergency room will be known as CHI St. Luke’s Health Memorial Emergency Center
- By STEVE KNIGHT/The Lufkin News
- Updated
Dr. Josh Allen, CHI St. Luke’s Health Memorial medical director of emergency services, stands for a photo in front of the newly renamed CHI St. Luke’s Health Memorial Emergency Center in Lufkin on Wednesday.
CHI St. Luke’s Health Memorial assumed operations of the Altus Emergency Center in Lufkin on Wednesday. Posing for a photo to mark the occasion are, from left, Shawn Barnett, CHI market COO and Lufkin president; Market CEO Monte Bostwick; Dr. Josh Allen, medical director of emergency services; Kevin Herrington, executive vice president of Altus Health and president of Altus Emergency Centers; Dane Anne, CHI St. Luke’s Health Memorial Emergency Center administrator; and CHI spokeswoman Yana Ogletree.
The freestanding emergency room, on U.S. Highway 59 near Walmart and Sam’s Club, will now be known as the CHI St. Luke’s Health Memorial Emergency Center.
Since CHI St. Luke’s Health Memorial signed a non-binding letter of intent to assume ownership of the facility in November, hospital leaders have been involved in due diligence to ensure what they have said would be a smooth transition between companies.
Shawn Barnett, CHI market COO and Lufkin president, said assuming operations of Altus ER allows hospital staff to provide quality health care in a variety of locations to a variety of people.
“Our current (emergency department) is at capacity,” Barnett said. “We don’t have an opportunity to grow where we’re at, so this gives us an access point on the south side of town, (allows) the southern part of Angelina County to see patients, and gives us an opportunity to grow the business.”
Barnett emphasized that the facility is the only freestanding emergency room in the area that can accept all contracted commercial plans — in-network versus out-of-network — and Medicare and Medicaid.
“The model that we bring and connecting it to the hospital allows us to see any patient,” Barnett said. “We think that would be a huge benefit to the community. We look forward to this exciting opportunity to provide a broader range of emergency services, help alleviate wait times at our main emergency department and help build healthier communities, which is our ultimate purpose in being here.”
Kevin Herrington, executive vice president of Altus Health and president of Altus Emergency Centers, said partnering with CHI allows options unlike any other freestanding ER facility in the community.
“Altus wanted to ensure that all the Lufkin community could be seen at the freestanding ER — from grandparents to grandkids,” Herrington said. “Confusing bills are a big concern to patients who use freestanding ERs. Now, with CHI, there will be no more concern if the patient was billed correctly or if their insurance covered their care or not. CHI contracts allow this location to be in-network with insurance companies as well as accepting Medicare and Medicaid.”
Patients needing a higher level or more specialized care will be transferred to the hospital’s main facility.
Steve Knight’s email address is [email protected].