CHRISTUS St. Michael Health System celebrates 100-year anniversary
For nearly 100 years, CHRISTUS St. Michael Health System has been providing care to people in this region. First opening in 1916 as Michael Meager Memorial Hospital, the hospital has been carrying out its mission of extending the healing ministry of Jesus Christ since then.
“We’re excited to be coming up on our 100-year anniversary,” said Chris Karam, CHRISTUS St. Michael CEO/president. “Not many organizations have those kind of roots and can say they’ve been here for 100 years.”
CHRISTUS St. Michael’s commitment to providing care for patients and doing its part to create a healthier community hasn’t wavered in the quickly evolving health care field.
“There are many challenges in health care and it’s a rapidly-environment. The fact the CHRISTUS St. Michael has been able to sustain the health care ministry in this region is important, and we know that community support has been vital in ensuring we’re here to meet the needs of this region,” said Francine Francis, director of communications for CHRISTUS St. Michael.
CHRISTUS St. Michael’s commitment to providing excellent health care has resulted in a many awards and accolades including the 2014 Texas Award for Performance Excellence, Modern Healthcare Best Place to Work in 2014, Magnet Hospital, affiliation with the Cleveland Clinic Heart & Vascular Institute and the region’s only designated Breast Imaging Center of Excellence. The hospital also received the Women’s Choice Award America’s 100 Best Hospitals for Patient Experience (2011-14).
CHRISTUS St. Michael is Joint Commission-accredited and has specific certifications by the Joint Commission for primary stroke and orthopedic joint replacement.
“We’re not only committed to being here, but we really try to be an excellent health care organization. One of the recent awards we’ve received is the Quality of Texas Award,” Karam said. “Because of that, now we’re being considered for the Malcolm Baldridge National Quality Award.”
“It’s just a way to validate we’re offering the most current, evidence-medicine,” Karam said.
CHRISTUS St. Michael is also designated as an accredited stroke center, trauma center and a level III Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. They were also instrumental in helping establish Genesis PrimeCare, a federally qualified health center that provides care to an underserved segment of the population.
“Genesis PrimeCare has seen nearly 17,000 patient visits this year. In that clinic, they offer dental, pediatrics, OB, behavioral health and primary care, so we’re very excited about that,” Karam said.
Genesis PrimeCare recently expanded services to include obstetrics and welcomed Dr. Johnny Jones to the clinic’s staff. Jones is board certified by the American Board of Obstetrics and Gynecology. He has almost 40 years’ experience in the field and has delivered more than 14,000 babies in the Texarkana region.
Working with Community HealthCore, CHRISTUS St. Michael was also instrumental in helping establish the Regional Crisis Response Center in Atlanta, Texas, a huge need for this community. The RCRC will ensure patients 18 and older suffering with a mental-health crisis receive the right care in the right setting at the right time. The 24-bed unit is in CHRISTUS St. Michael Hospital-Atlanta.
“The facility is comparable to some of the most highly advanced psychiatric facilities in the country,” said Thomas McKinney, administrator for CHRISTUS St. Michael Hospital-Atlanta.
Through the HealthTeacher and GoNoodle programs, CHRISTUS St. Michael is improving the health of the younger citizens in this community. The interactive resources integrate healthy activities into the classroom.
During this past school year, 77 schools in 25 districts in the region engaged in HealthTeacher and GoNoodle. More than 22,000 students participated in 3.2 million minutes of physical activity through GoNoodle during the year.
“We offer Health Teacher to all the school districts so children can learn about healthy choices. The way it’s taught helps kids prepare for standardized tests and provides information on healthy living,” Karam said.
CHRISTUS St. Michael does all of this and more because of its commitment to the people in this area.
“Holding true to our faith traditions, we continually strive to improve the health of the community,” Karam said. “Because our mission is to extend the healing ministry of Jesus Christ, our focus is on reaching out to the poor and underserved so they can have a better quality of life.”
To help fulfill the need of quality health care in this region, CHRISTUS St. Michael has helped bring new physicians to the community in a variety of specialties.
Dr. Hesham Hazin, medical oncologist, is joining the W. Temple Webber Cancer Staff at CHRISTUS St. Michael Health System.
“He’s a very positive young physician,” Karam said.
Dr. Kevin Randall Hayes, electrophysiologist, will join the medical staff this summer. He will be working at CHRISTUS St. Michael’s new electrophysiology lab, the first electrophysiology lab in the region, and will join Texarkana Cardiology Associates.
“The electrophysiology lab is just one more component in continuing to elevate cardiovascular services for people of this region and creating the opportunity for them to stay close to home for those services and feel good about the expertise available in their own hometown,” Francis said. Patients will have their heart’s electrical pathways evaluated to determine heart-rhythm disturbances. The information gathered will help determine the best procedure or device to treat problems. Having the electrophysiology lab in the community will keep patients from having to travel for this service.
Neurohospitalist Dr. Bashar N. Alshareef will work with the stroke program.
“We are really excited about adding new physician expertise in the community,” Karam said.
CHRISTUS St. Michael and its physicians and community programs are integral to inspiring healthy living in Texarkana and the surrounding communities.
“As we look into the future, we’re focusing on population health,” Karam said. “While we have the components of trying to create healthier communities, we want to take it to another level. How can we keep people out of the hospital, and what can we do so individuals can get the care they need in their homes or a less-expensive setting.”
For nearly 100 years, CHRISTUS St. Michael has been providing compassionate, quality health care to people here. Hospital officials are committed to continuing to do so.
“We look forward to the next century with all the things we’re doing to create a healthier community now and in the future,” Karam said.