News Release: CHRISTUS Mother Frances Hospital – Tyler Breaks Ground on Massive Tower Expansion Project

The expansion project will consist of a new 200,000-square-foot Tower to be built on the South side of CHRISTUS Mother Frances Hospital – Tyler. (Rendering courtesy of HDR Architecture)

TYLER, TX – Officials with CHRISTUS Trinity Mother Frances Health System broke ground today on a massive new expansion of CHRISTUS Mother Frances Hospital – Tyler that will drastically increase the Emergency and Intensive Care capabilities of the System.

The expansion project will consist of a new 200,000-square-foot Tower to be built on the South side of CHRISTUS Mother Frances Hospital – Tyler, with a skywalk leading to a new, approximately 850-space parking garage across Dawson Street. The Tower will house a state-of-the-art Emergency Care Center, advanced Intensive Care Units and multiple support services, as well as space for future growth. Construction of the multi-level garage is scheduled to be complete by December 2017 and the tower is expected to be completed in the Fall of 2019.

“CHRISTUS Mother Frances Hospital – Tyler currently handles more emergency room visits than any local provider, with almost 75,000 per year, and is committed to outreach not only with facilities, but through services with Champion EMS and Flight For Life,” said Chris Glenney, FACHE, President and Chief Executive Officer, CHRISTUS Trinity Mother Frances Health System. “Being able to access quality health care, especially emergency care and the specialized services required in the ICU, is hugely important to patients. With the new Tower – and with the services available at the recently constructed CHRISTUS Mother Frances Hospital – South Tyler, we will be able to alleviate much of the pressure put on the current Emergency Care Center at CHRISTUS Mother Frances Hospital – Tyler and provide improved access to the patients who need it most.”

The schematic design of the new tower is complete and the final design development process is underway. The tower facility features six levels:

• Basement Level – Transportation, Biomedical Services, Integrated Service, Environmental Services, Security, Health Information Management, PBX, Equipment Processing and other expanded services
• Level One – State-of-the-Art Emergency Care Center
• Level Three – 24 bed ICU
• Level Four – 24 bed ICU
• Level Five – Future growth
• Roof – Two helipads/express ECC/OR transport

“Sixty percent of patients admitted to CHRISTUS Mother Frances Hospital – Tyler arrive through the doors of the Emergency Department. Today, the Emergency Department at CHRISTUS Mother Frances Hospital – Tyler serves twice as many patients as it was designed for – patients arriving at a higher volume and with more significant injuries and illnesses than ever before. We recognized the need to bring improved access to critically injured and ill patients, both locally and who have been transferred from across the Northeast Texas region with Champion EMS and Flight For Life,” said Jason Proctor, Chief Operating Officer, CHRISTUS Mother Frances Hospital – Tyler and the CHRISTUS Trinity Mother Frances Louis and Peaches Owen Heart Hospital. “This tower will enhance our capabilities to receive and treat the almost 200 patients that walk through the ECC doors at a health care facility with award-winning, faith-based care that has served this region for decades.”

“Because it is the goal of CHRISTUS Trinity Mother Frances Health System to always seek innovation and to improve upon our award-winning services, the new tower will also incorporate the latest technology and advanced equipment,” said Mark Anderson, M.D., Chief of Emergency Medicine for CHRISTUS Trinity Mother Frances Health System and Vice President / CHRISTUS Trinity Clinic Physician Operations. “Our distinguished team of CHRISTUS Trinity Clinic providers, medical staff, nursing staff and Associates will employ evidence-based procedures designed to deliver cost-effective care through operational alignment with national best-practice models and an evidence-based approach that streamlines efforts and prioritizes the patient experience.”

The event also introduces “The Red Door Project,” the CHRISTUS Trinity Mother Frances Foundation campaign to fund 9 million dollars of the cost of the Tower construction. The Foundation Women’s Board has already kicked off the program with their adoption of the dedicated Pediatric ER Waiting Room as the beneficiary of their 2017 fundraising efforts through the “A Toast to East Texas” fundraisers.

“It is crucial that the community come together in support of this vital community resource,” said Scott Fossey, Chief Development Officer / Vice President, CHRISTUS Trinity Mother Frances Health System and President of the CHRISTUS Trinity Mother Frances Foundation. “By supporting The Red Door Project, the community can open the door to the advanced treatment space the community needs in order to maintain the standards of exceptional emergency care provided for all who walk through our doors.”

“This expansion project will build on a legacy of more than 80 years of critical care service to the people of Northeast Texas that was set forth by our Founding Congregations and the caregivers here when they opened a day early to care for the victims of the New London School disaster,” said Lindsey Bradley, FACHE, Senior Vice President of Group Operations for CHRISTUS Health and Chief Executive Officer of CHRISTUS Health Northeast. “In my 38 years with CHRISTUS Trinity Mother Frances Health System, we have completed a lot of important projects; each one of which has had outstanding community support. This new tower and expansion is one of the largest projects ever undertaken by this health system, and we cannot do this without the support of the Northeast Texas community. This project is future-focused and patient-centered, enabling us to extend the healing ministry of Jesus Christ for generations to come.”