Our History and Heritage

Community leaders and the Sisters of the Holy Family of Nazareth create Tyler’s first and only hospital. Doors open a day early on March 18 to treat hundreds of seriously wounded teachers and children after an explosion destroys New London School about 25 miles southeast of Tyler.

 

1942-1945:

During World War II, the Sisters of the Holy Family of Nazareth at Mother Frances Hospital provide care to the community, welcome home returning soldiers and plan for the future.

1948:

A new $500,000 four-story wing was dedicated, more than doubling the size of Mother Frances Hospital-Tyler from 60 to 150 beds. $200,000 in new equipment is also installed.

1949:

Mother Frances Hospital-Tyler is designated a regional polio treatment center. A special isolation ward was established, with iron lung therapy. Victims of infantile paralysis from a 100-mile radius were treated at the hospital’s special unit.

1952:

The only electro-encephalograph in East Texas is installed at Mother Frances Hospital-Tyler. An advanced diagnostic aid, the new technology measures brain waves in response to stimuli.

1954: 

The Ford Foundation awards Mother Frances Hospital-Tyler a grant to add a laboratory, diagnostic and treatment services, new delivery rooms and provides air conditioning for the first floor of the hospital.

Mother Frances Hospital-Tyler receives JCAHO full accreditation. A total of 55,580 patients have been admitted since the hospital’s opening in 1937. The hospital adds new departments, services and improved diagnostic and treatment services.

1955:

1,376 children in Smith County receive their first Salk vaccine polio shots.

Mother Frances Hospital Auxiliary and the Mother Frances Hospital School of Vocational Nursing are founded.

1964: 

Mother Frances Hospital-Tyler launches the Junior Volunteer Program, called “Sweethearts and Beaux,” for students 14 to 16 years old.

1965: 

October 5-12, Tyler celebrates Mother Frances Hospital Week in honor of the dedication of a new 140,000 square-foot wing added on the north side of the hospital. The $4.5 million project includes renovation of existing facilities and increases the number of hospital beds to 240.

1966: 

Mother Frances Hospital-Tyler develops an ICU/Cardiac Care Unit to meet the needs of the growing region. The Cardiac Care Unit is one of the first of its kind in the U.S.

1972: 

Mother Frances Hospital-Tyler installs nuclear X-ray equipment, becoming the first in the area to utilize nuclear medicine in the diagnostic field.

1979: 

Telemetry is added to monitor heart patients at Mother Frances Hospital-Tyler and ultrasound capability is added to the special procedures and X-ray areas.

1980: 

Mother Frances Hospital-Tyler expands obstetric facilities and education and allows husbands in delivery rooms for the first time.

1981: 

Arthroscopic knee surgery was first offered at Mother Frances Hospital-Tyler, using a new $30,000 camera and equipment to assist orthopedic surgeons.

1983: 

Mother Frances Hospital-Tyler is granted approval by the Texas Health Facilities Commission to provide open-heart surgery.

First catheterization is performed in the new cardiac cath lab. The first open-heart surgery in Tyler is performed at Mother Frances Hospital-Tyler on a 63-year-old patient who undergoes quadruple bypass surgery.

Mother Frances Hospital Maternal Child Service Center opens, adding a 20,000 square-foot Alternative Birthing Center with a home-like environment for low-risk patients; newborn nursery; and new labor and delivery rooms for normal and high-risk obstetrics.

Dedication of a new 175,000 square-foot patient tower brings Mother Frances Hospital’s capacity to 358 beds. Renovations and additions include an 8,000 square-foot expansion to the emergency center and new regional cardiovascular center.

1984: 

One hundred open heart surgeries are performed at Mother Frances Hospital-Tyler in the first six months the procedure is available.

Trinity Mother Frances Foundation is organized to create an opportunity to share its programs, services and activities with the community.

1986: 

Flight For Life emergency air transport services begin, bringing emergency helicopter service to parts of the region.

MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging) advanced diagnostic equipment is added at Mother Frances Hospital-Tyler.

Tyler Square Day Surgery Unit opens. The 13,000 square-foot facility is the only one of its kind in the area and one of only 300 similar facilities in the U.S.

1987: 

Mother Frances Hospital-Tyler is named one of the Children’s Miracle Network hospitals and participates in its first CMN telethon.

1988: 

Trinity Mother Frances opens its first regional medical clinic in Canton.

1989: 

Mother Frances Hospital-Tyler is named 1989 Business of the Year by the Texas Association of Businesses.

1990: 

Mother Frances Hospital-Tyler is recognized by The Wall Street Journal as one of the Top Ten Hospitals in the country, with the lowest mortality rate for open heart surgery – less than one percent.

1992: 

The Trinity Mother Frances Heart Institute opens a new outpatient cardiac cath lab facility.

Groundbreaking takes place for the new physician’s clinic site on East Douglas Street. The $6.3 million facility is now known as CHRISTUS Trinity Clinic - Douglas.

1993: 

The Children’s Center, a new 21-bed pediatric unit, opens on the third floor of Mother Frances Hospital-Tyler.

The Royce E. Wisenbaker Conference Center and Wisenbaker Diabetes Center are dedicated.

1995: 

The historic merger of Trinity Clinic with Mother Frances Hospital creates Trinity Mother Frances Hospitals and Clinics, uniting the region’s largest group of primary care physicians with the area’s leading hospital. The new integrated healthcare system, only the third of its kind in Texas, has led to expanded service and value to patients throughout the region, more access to services and to a greater focus on wellness and prevention.

1997: 

Trinity Mother Frances opens the first of six Ross Breast Center facilities, providing the first and only comprehensive breast cancer facility in the region.

1998: 

Trinity Mother Frances, Good Shepherd Medical Center and Memorial Health System of East Texas partner to form Champion EMS, which provides emergency transport services to an expanded area in East Texas.

1999: 

Trinity Mother Frances is named one of the “Best in the US” for cardiac care.

2000: 

Trinity Mother Frances is named a “Top 100 Health System” in the US by Solucient.

2001: 

Trinity Mother Frances is named a “Top 100 Hospital for Stroke Management,” one of only seven hospitals in Texas and the only one in East Texas to receive this honor.

Trinity Mother Frances-Jacksonville opens. The facility serves Cherokee County and the surrounding area with a 101,000 square-foot medical complex, housing spacious private patient rooms where highly skilled healthcare providers utilize the latest technology in both inpatient and outpatient procedures.

Trinity Clinic - Athens, a new $1.8 million, 14,725 square-foot facility, opens to better serve Athens and Henderson County.

2002: 

Trinity Mother Frances combines sports and orthopedic services under one roof at HealthPark Plaza, located at 1327 Troup Highway in Tyler, offering a convenient location for patients to access services.

2003: 

The Ornelas Tower opens. The facility adds 152 new private patient rooms and 16 new surgical suites with the latest technology for cardiac care.

2004: 

Trinity Mother Frances breaks ground on a multi-physician medical complex north of Interstate 20 on Highway 69 in Lindale offering primary care, urgent care, fitness facilities, laboratory, imaging, mammography, cardiac stress testing, cardiac and physical rehabilitation and sleep studies.

2006: 

Trinity Mother Frances-Canton moves to an expanded new facility to better serve patients in the region through primary care, urgent care, fitness facilities, laboratory, imaging, mammography, cardiac stress testing, cardiac and physical rehabilitation and sleep studies. 

Trinity Mother Frances is the first in the region to launch the life-saving heart attack protocol, Code STEMI (ST-segment Elevation Myocardial Infarction), to reduce time between transport and treatment of acute heart attack victims.

2007: 

Mother Frances Hospital is named one of the nation’s 100 Top Hospitals by Thomson Reuters.

Trinity Mother Frances opens the first of six sleep centers to address sleep disorders.

2008: 

Trinity Mother Frances opens the first and only Level IIIA Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) in Tyler, offering close-to-home advanced life-saving medical care to at-risk infants.

2009: 

Trinity Mother Frances-Lake Palestine opens, offering primary care, urgent care, fitness facilities, laboratory, imaging, mammography, cardiac stress testing, cardiac and physical rehabilitation and sleep studies.

2010: 

The Texas Department of State Health Services designates Mother Frances Hospital-Tyler as a Primary (Level II) Stroke Facility. 

Trinity Mother Frances welcomes Winnsboro into the family of community hospitals by opening a new Mother Frances Hospital-Winnsboro campus.

Mother Frances Hospital Tyler receives Chest Pain Center accreditation.

Mother Frances Hospital is named one of the nation’s 100 Top Hospitals by Thomson Reuters.

Trinity Mother Frances opens Phase One of the Louis & Peaches Owen Heart Hospital, the first and only freestanding heart hospital in the region.

Trinity Mother Frances opens the Epilepsy Center as the region’s only continuous inpatient monitoring unit, to provide comprehensive care for patients with seizure disorders.

2011: 

Trinity Mother Frances breaks ground on the region’s first freestanding heart hospital, Phase Two of The Louis & Peaches Owen Heart Hospital.

Trinity Mother Frances opens the Outpatient Imaging Center at HealthPark Plaza.

Mother Frances Hospital is named one of the nation’s 100 Top Hospitals by Thomson Reuters.

The Louis & Peaches Owen Heart Hospital receives a three-star rating in cardiac surgical care from the Society of Thoracic Surgeons.

2012: 

Trinity Mother Frances begins implementing a new system-wide Electronic Health Record System, ConnectCARE, which offers seamless access to information, enhancing efficiency as well as patient safety and convenience.

IMS ranks Trinity Mother Frances 16th in the US and first in Texas on the list of Top 100 Integrated Healthcare Networks.

2013: 

Trinity Mother Frances opens the Pat Herd Women's Center, remaining faithful in its mission to serve the women of East Texas. The 27-bed unit, located on the fifth floor of Mother Frances Hospital Tyler, facilitates exceptional care and service for a woman's unique needs following child birth or surgery.

Mother Frances Hospital is ranked the No. 1 Hospital in Texas for Medical Excellence in Overall Hospital and Cardiac Care by CareChex -- a division of Comparion.

2014: 

Mother Frances Hospital is named one of the nation’s 100 Top Hospitals by Truven Health Analytics.

The Louis and Peaches Owen Heart Hospital is named one of the nation’s 50 Top Cardiovascular Hospitals by Truven Health Analytics.

Mother Frances Hospital is ranked the No. 1 Hospital in Texas for Patient Safety in Overall Hospital and Surgical Care by CareChex -- a division of Comparion.

2015: 

Trinity Mother Frances breaks ground on the system's eighth hospital, Mother Frances Hospital South Tyler.

Mother Frances Hospital is ranked the No. 1 Hospital in Texas for Patient Safety in Overall Hospital and Surgical Care by CareChex -- a division of Comparion.

2016: 

CHRISTUS Mother Frances Hospital is named one of the nation’s 100 Top Hospitals by Truven Health Analytics.

The region's preferred healthcare provider completes a partnership with CHRISTUS Health to become CHRISTUS Trinity Mother Frances Health System and CHRISTUS Trinity Clinic.

Hopkins County Memorial Hospital in Sulphur Springs becomes part of CHRISTUS Health and is renamed CHRISTUS Mother Frances Hospital - Sulphur Springs.

CHRISTUS Mother Frances Hospital is named one of the nation’s 100 Top Hospitals by Truven Health Analytics.

CHRISTUS Mother Frances Hospital is ranked the No. 1 Hospital in Texas for Medical Excellence and Patient Safety in Bariatric Surgery by CareChex.

CHRISTUS Trinity Mother Frances opens the Herrington-Ornelas HealthPark at the corner of Grande Boulevard and Texas HWY 110 in southeast Tyler.

2017:

 CHRISTUS Mother Frances Hospital - South Tyler opens to expand emergency care access to the residents of southern Tyler and surrounding areas.

CHRISTUS Mother Frances Hospital is named one of the nation’s 100 Top Hospitals by Truven Health Analytics for the seventh time.

CHRISTUS Mother Frances Hospital - Tyler, the CHRISTUS Trinity Mother Frances Louis and Peaches Owen Heart Hospital and CHRISTUS Trinity Clinic are granted recognition by the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) as Magnet® facilities – one of the most prestigious and exclusive recognitions in health care.