U.S. NEWS & WORLD REPORT RECOGNIZES SOUTH TEXAS HEALTH SYSTEM EDINBURG AS A BEST REGIONAL HOSPITAL FOR EQUITABLE ACCESS

South Texas Health System in Edinburg is seen in this Sept. 2022 file photo. (Courtesy: South Texas Health System/Facebook)

STHS Edinburg is among only 53 regional hospitals nationwide recognized for providing high-quality care to a medically underserved community

Across the nation, low income and working families lack access to medical care for a variety of reasons including geographical barriers, the inability to afford to pay for a doctor’s visit and a lack of health insurance.

In the Rio Grande Valley, economic and income inequality have resulted in great disparities in healthcare access, leading to each of the region’s four counties – Starr, Hidalgo, Cameron and Willacy – to be declared as medically underserved communities.

Between 25.3 to 32.8 percent of people in the Valley are currently living in poverty, according to the U.S. Census, while the uninsured rate throughout the region is approximately 30 percent, much higher than the statewide average.

Despite the healthcare disparities reported throughout the Valley, residents can count on South Texas Health System Edinburg and its sister facilities to provide high-quality care to underserved populations.

South Texas Health System Edinburg has been recognized as a Best Regional Hospital for Equitable Access by U.S. News & World Report for the facility’s success as a high performing hospital providing excellent care to patients in our underserved communities.

“The Best Regional Hospitals for Equitable Access demonstrate by their example that a hospital can both excel in overall quality of care and provide a substantial amount of that exceptional care to historically underserved communities, said Ben Harder, chief of health analysis and managing editor, U.S. News & World Report. “Recognizing community hospitals that lead in this respect is a modest but necessary step toward ensuring everyone in the U.S. has access to high-quality medical care.”

Along with being one of only three hospitals in Texas to earn the distinction, STHS Edinburg is the only Valley hospital recognized for its equitable access.

“It’s imperative that all individuals have access to the care they need, regardless of age, race, gender or socioeconomic status; and we’re proud of the staff and physicians at South Texas Health System Edinburg and our sister facilities who work tirelessly every day to provide quality, compassionate care to all patients,” says Lance Ames, Chief Executive Officer, STHS Edinburg & STHS Children’s. “South Texas Health System is committed to improving the health and wellbeing of all people in the Rio Grande Valley. Through our relentless focus on quality, we’re working to change lives and transform the delivery of healthcare for all.”

To earn the distinction, STHS Edinburg and the other 53 Best Regional Hospitals for Equitable Access had to meet at least two of the following criteria: 1) had 40 percent or more of its patients from a community of greater socioeconomic deprivation (according to the Area Deprivation Index), 2) served 20 percent or more racial/ethnic minority patients or was in the highest tier in at least 1 o f 5 measures of racial and ethnic patient representation and 3) served 20 percent or more Medicaid patients or was in the highest tier in the measure of low-income patient representation.

In 2022, STHS Edinburg opened a $105 million patient tower, which more than doubled the size of the facility, to provide expanded healthcare services in the City of Edinburg and its surrounding communities, including a new cardiac catheterization laboratory to help diagnose and treat heart conditions, an expanded laboratory department to more efficiently facilitate testing on biological samples and enhanced emergency, intensive care and rehabilitation services.

STHS Edinburg, which was also recently named a Best Regional Hospital by U.S. News & World Report for the third consecutive year, is part of South Texas Health System, the largest integrated network of care in the Rio Grande Valley. To learn more about the facility, its services and its commitment to health equity, visit www.sthsedinburg.com.

About South Texas Health System

South Texas Health System is a multi-hospital health care system serving patients throughout the Rio Grande Valley. The system includes four hospital campuses with specialties in pediatrics, heart and vascular services, maternity and women’s health and trauma services. Treatment for behavioral health needs and addictive disorders is also provided through the system’s South Texas Health System Behavioral Health campus location. South Texas Health System is affiliated with the South Texas Clinical Partners ACO, Prominence Health Plan, and Cornerstone Regional Hospital. The system operates an advanced Level I Trauma Center at South Texas Health System McAllen, the first and only pediatric ER at South Texas Health System Children’s, a specialized cardiac ER at South Texas Health System Heart, and six freestanding emergency rooms located in and around Weslaco, Mission, Edinburg, McAllen and Alamo. For more information on the system, please visit www.southtexashealthsystem.com.

Physicians are independent practitioners who are not employees or agents of South Texas Health System. The hospital shall not be liable for actions or treatments provided by physicians.

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