CHRISTUS Trinity Mother Frances Health System Opens New Emergency Care Center and Expanded Clinic in Athens


3/30/2023 11:30 AM

A ribbon cutting and blessing on Thursday marked the official opening of a new CHRISTUS Trinity Mother Frances Health System emergency care center and expanded clinic in Athens.

Located at 1509 S. Palestine St., the emergency center covers more than 10,000 square feet and houses more than a dozen exam rooms, trauma rooms, a full-service imaging center, and a new helipad.

“We are here to be with you at your most critical moments,” said Heather Haimes, nursing director, Athens emergency care center. “We have everything we need to allow for patients to stay in our community to get the care they need.”

CHRISTUS Associates, along with representatives from both Henderson County and the City of Athens spoke at the event, before touring the new facilities.

Dr. Shaun York, the emergency department medical director, shared a story of how CHRISTUS emergency care recently saved his sons life.

He says that critical care his son received in Tyler is now available in Athens.

“We are able to take care of anything and everyone who walks through that door. They don’t even have to get to the door - you get anywhere near that door, and we are going to take care of you,” York said. “In emergency care, minutes mean lives, and having this facility here in Athens means less time traveling, less time waiting, and more time getting the care you need.”

Speaking to the crowd, Dr. Steven Keuer, president of CHRISTUS Trinity Clinic, emphasized the expansion of the clinic will allow for more specialists to be brought in, expanding the ability to care for more complex diagnoses.

“We are passionate about increasing access to health care for patients across East Texas,” Keuer said. “Both of these facilities, the emergency center and the clinic, reflects our commitment to provide access for urgent and more complex conditions.”

Asked when the emergency care center would be open to the public, York said, “We are ready right now and we are looking forward to it.”