Ribbon-Cutting Event Held to Recognize Opening of Valley Baptist Micro-Hospital – Weslaco

WESLACO – Valley Baptist Health System’s award-winning and nationally recognized care is now officially available in Hidalgo County.

More than 150 local residents, business leaders, and elected officials joined Valley Baptist Health System representatives for a ribbon-cutting event held at the Valley Baptist Micro-Hospital – Weslaco on Wednesday, January 15.

The new facility is best described as a community hospital that delivers acute care on a smaller scale than its larger counterparts, said Valley Baptist Health System Chief Strategy Officer Jennifer Bartnesky-Smith.

“Micro-hospitals are relatively new care models that truly focus on treating low-acuity patients and providing both ambulatory and emergency services, leaving more complex service lines to the larger hospitals in the area,” she said. “Many health systems throughout the country are pursuing the micro-hospital model now because of the industry’s focus on providing care at the right time in the appropriate setting.”

During the event, Weslaco Mayor David Suarez welcomed Valley Baptist to the city on behalf of its elected officials.

“Valley Baptist is known throughout the region as one of the best in the health service industry and our residents will now benefit from its quality services right here in town,” he said. “When minutes count at saving lives, having this access right here means patients needing critical care can receive it faster.”

State Rep. Armando “Mando” Martinez, said that the new facility will give local residents more options to receive much-needed healthcare.

“Some might say this is about competition, but I disagree,” he said. “This is about providing a service that is needed here in the area. If there wasn’t a need, then I don’t think this micro-hospital would be here today.”

The new state-of-the-art facility includes a 14-bed emergency department including two trauma bays, one procedure room, eight inpatient beds, and is staffed by specially trained physicians, nurses and techs. The Valley Baptist Micro-Hospital – Weslaco also features outpatient laboratory and imaging services for patients who receive outpatient orders for specific tests from their physicians.

Hidalgo County Pct. 1 Commissioner David Fuentes said that while the micro-hospital will provide an economic benefit to Hidalgo County, the facility’s impact reaches beyond finances.

“A lot of times we value the economic growth and benefit of taxes, and usually the success of a hospital is measured by the bottom line like most businesses are,” he said. “But I think it is touching people’s lives by being there in their most critical time of need, and the empathy and quality of care you provide that defines Valley Baptist as a quality care hospital.”

During his remarks, Valley Baptist Health System CEO Manny Vela stressed that it is the system’s goal to provide quality healthcare to residents of the Valley close to home.

“We are truly humbled to have the opportunity to serve the families of the mid-Valley,” he said. “We will never stray from our goal of ensuring that local residents receive high-quality healthcare without having to leave the Rio Grande Valley.”

While local residents are likely familiar with free-standing emergency rooms that dot the landscape throughout the Valley, the Valley Baptist Micro-Hospital – Weslaco provides a higher level of healthcare by offering an inpatient component to care, meaning that should a patient need to be admitted for additional treatment, they can receive that care closer to home at this new location.

“Free-standing emergency rooms can only treat and release. If a patient needs additional testing or treatment that requires hospitalization, they would have to be transferred to a larger facility to receive care,” said Ronda Lewis, RN, BSN, BHM, and Valley Baptist Micro-Hospital – Weslaco administrator. “This is not the case with our micro-hospital. We can simply admit those patients who require additional care to an inpatient bed in our facility, and because we are a small hospital, we can offer that personal attention that patients expect and deserve.”

While the micro-hospital model is a new concept for the Valley, the goal is to provide the same high-quality healthcare that families have received at Valley Baptist Health System for nearly a century.

“The overarching goal of the micro-hospital is to be able to offer the same Valley Baptist care that the community has grown to trust over generations directly to the Mid-Valley community, so folks can receive this level of care a little closer to home,” Bartnesky-Smith said.

“This project is truly a labor of love for our community. We recognize that no one wants to be in a hospital, but when those times do come, we want to be able to offer the very best to our community as close to home as possible. This project is simply a manifestation of our steadfast commitment to truly serve our entire Valley community.”

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Valley Baptist Micro-Hospital – Weslaco
1021 West Interstate 2 • Weslaco, Texas 78596
(956) 969-7309

Services offered include:

• 14-bed emergency department (two trauma bays)
• One procedure room
• Eight inpatient beds
• Imaging services (including outpatient) featuring X-ray, ultrasound, and 64-slice CT  scans
• Laboratory services (including outpatient)