Serving Patients, Supporting Our Community at Woodland Heights Medical Center
3/23/2025
When patients come through our doors at Woodland Heights Medical Center and our outpatient clinical care sites, it is our privilege to provide quality, compassionate medical care to help them get well and live healthier. And we are proud to play an important part in the health of Lufkin and the larger region with a collective impact in 2024 of approximately $132 million.
Delivering Medical Care
Across our hospital and clinical care sites, we delivered care and service at more than 114,400 patient encounters in 2024, including nearly 30,000 emergency department (ED) visits where lifesaving, medically necessary care is provided to every patient, regardless of their ability to pay. Our ED supports the most vulnerable members of our community, including those who cannot fully afford their medical care, by offering care at a significantly reduced cost or at no cost to the patient and working to connect them with resources for medications and medical support devices. Last year, we provided more than $68.5 million in charity and uncompensated care.
Strengthening Local Access to Healthcare
We are continuously investing resources to advance our medical care and services, support our workforce and strengthen operations. In 2024, we completed the majority of our $13.5 million expansion to the emergency department to meet the needs of our growing area. The expansion included seven additional rooms, in addition to an 8-bed ambulatory care treatment area, an added nurses’ station and new waiting room. We are continually considering how we can apply our resources to help patients access medical services, improve the patient experience and bring the latest innovations to deep east Texas.
Addressing Social Determinants of Health
In addition to the healthcare we provide, I am proud of our commitment to addressing other needs in our area. We support charitable organizations, including those that address social determinants of health such as food insecurity. Through service projects such as our annual Jars of Love Peanut Butter drive for the East Texas Food Bank and contributions to the Salvation Army and the Junior League of Lufkin’s Back to School Bonanza, we contribute to causes that strengthen our community and support better health for all.
Impacting the Local Economy
As one of the largest employers in the area, we support the health of our local economy through the jobs we offer and development of the future healthcare workforce. We recognize the need for trained medical professionals and are supporting the next generation of doctors. With Sam Houston State University College of Osteopathic Medicine, we offer a residency program for third-year students in internal medicine, general surgery, obstetrics and emergency medicine. We also collaborate with both Angelina College and Stephen F. Austin State University nursing programs to foster the growth of new nurses. And, in 2024, we paid approximately $2.1 million in taxes, which support local infrastructure and civic services.
I’m proud of what Woodland Heights Medical Center contributed to our community in 2024, and we couldn’t have done it without our great team of employees, strong relationships with the medical staff, and the trust placed in us by thousands of patients and their families. We are committed to continuing this journey to create a stronger, healthier deep East Texas together.
Jose A. Echavarria is the CEO at Woodland Heights Medical Center. He can be reached at via email here. Woodland Heights is owned in part by physicians.
Back