SAN ANTONIO — One of the only hospitals serving the southwestern portion of Bexar County will close May 1, the health care provider announced Wednesday.
Doctors at the Texas Vista Medical Center, formerly known as Southwest General, have served San Antonio residents from the Barlite Boulevard building for nearly 40 years. The facility also houses an OB-GYN office.
A spokesperson for the hospital's parent company, Steward Health Care Network, explained the hospital is not making enough money to stay open. Steward says roughly 25% of its patients cannot and do not pay for services TMVC offers.
"On limited resources, TVMC supports limited-income, high-needs patient populations," she said. "Steward was able and willing to assume financial losses and risks during that extraordinary public health crisis (COVID-19); it is not sustainable to do so any longer."
Bexar County Judge Peter Sakai said he is coordinating with University Health and other hospital leaders to "assist in coordinating the redirection of more than 175 patients who will be directly affected by the closure, as well as the 842 employees who work there."
University Health invited TMVC staff who will become unemployed to apply for open jobs at the county hospital.
"Health care providers have already met to make sure there is no gap in health care coverage," Bexar County Commissioner Tommy Calvert told KENS 5 Wednesday. "I don't think this is something the average person will really see... I think we're going to be OK."
Calvert noted there are new medical clinics on the city's southwest side which aim to treat patients before they require hospital or emergency room care.
University Health also plans to open a state-of-the-art hospital across from Texas A&M-San Antonio's campus in 2027. The facility will likely serve many of the southside residents who'd currently visit TMVC.
"This is a real golden era of health care in Bexar County," he said. "We have a little hiccup, but it shouldn't be more than the system can handle."
In a statement that blindsided county leaders, Steward Health Care Network partly blamed the city's booming medical industry for TMVC's financial problems.
"When Steward Health Care assumed operations of Texas Vista Medical Center in 2017, the facility was struggling financially, as it was choked out by the well-heeled “public” hospital competitor across town," a spokesperson said.
The spokesperson suggested that University Health is expanding to more affluent regions of San Antonio, leaving TMVC to care for patients who cannot pay their medical bills.
"That is a rich assertion and I don't think that holds facts," Calvert said, rolling his eyes.
Steward Health also blamed Bexar County and University Health for TMVC's closure, since the entities have not bailed out the private hospital with taxpayer dollars.
"Steward has put forth a proposal for University Health System (UHS) and Bexar County to take over control of TVMC, but UHS and Bexar County have not accepted our offer," the spokesperson wrote.
"If TVMC is forced to close as a result of inaction by UHS and Bexar County, emergency department (ED) boarding times will increase, wait times for appointments with specialists will get longer, and the time and attention given to each patient in the area will suffer," she continued.
The spokesperson pointed to University Health's plans for two new hospitals, including near Texas A&M-San Antonio, as proof the county hospital "can afford to assume control of TVMC."
But University Health, Calvert and a Bexar County spokesperson each say Steward never asked University Health to take over the hospital.
The county spokesperson said Jon Turton, the hospital's president, informed Bexar County leaders on Jan. 20, 2023 that TMVC would need "$5 to $10 million of taxpayer dollars to sustain Texas Vista Medical Center."
"Mr. Turton assured Bexar County staff that, to his knowledge, TMVC was not closing," the Bexar County spokesperson continued. "Since this conversation took place, Steward Health has not attempted to communicate with Bexar County and staff has not been asked to vet any formal proposal to assume control of TMVC."
University Health added that TMVC building is aging and would require "significant renovation and IT upgrades" to meet the public hospital's standards.
"It has also become increasingly clear that our mission and values are not aligned with Medical Properties Trust, the real estate investment trust that owns the assets of Texas Vista Medical Center and collects lease payments from Steward Health, which operates the hospital," the University Health statement continued.
Tuesday, a number of law firms announced they are investigating whether Medical Properties Trust defrauded its investors.
The attorneys allege the corporate landlord gave its struggling tenants money to pay rent. The tenants would pay the donated money back to Medical Properties Trust, propping up the landlord's stock prices on fake income.
"We are disappointed that these two for-profit companies made the decision to identify University Health and Bexar County as somehow being response for their inability to successfully operate Texas Vista, and to imply that local taxpayers should bail them out," the University Health spokesperson wrote.
"We stand by our commitment to help our overall health care system, but it is not the obligation of the county to provide any kind of bailouts to private sector companies that don't make sense for the taxpayers," Calvert said.
Calvert added county leaders would still welcome conversation with Steward Health about other potential solutions to their financial problems.
Steward Health will likely issue its employees a "WARN" notice on Tuesday, 60 days before the facility would close.
We reached out to Mayor Ron Nirenberg, who had this to say:
“Any loss of access to health care – particularly in underserved portions of our community – is concerning. The announced hospital closure is a loss for the South Side and our city as a whole," said Mayor Ron Nirenberg. "Although the City of San Antonio does not own or operate hospitals, area hospital leaders, such as UHS, have informed us that they will be meeting to discuss the impact of this development, and best approaches for ensuring that all San Antonio residents have the access they deserve.”
We reached out to County Judge Peter Sakai who had this to say:
"The County is aware Texas Vista Medical Center is closing and we will be monitoring the situation to make sure the health care needs of all of its patients are met with dignity and respect," said Sakai. "We will be participating in any meetings related to this development to assist with the transition. I have reached out to University Health leadership and other community health partners to assist in coordinating the redirection of more than 175 patients who will be directly affected by the closure, as well as the 842 employees who work there. Bexar County and University Health System are in the process of building a new hospital to better serve the needs of Southside residents and we are committed to investing in hospital facilities in underserved areas of our community. Please direct any additional questions to University Health."
Councilwoman Dr. Adriana Rocha Garcia released this statement in regards to the announced closing:
“It is disheartening to hear about the closure of a local healthcare facility, and equally concerning is the devastating impact this will have on our residents living in southwest San Antonio. More than a quarter of District 4 residents are uninsured and struggle to receive the healthcare they need, so this closure will only exacerbate prevalent health disparities. I am also concerned about the loss of 800 jobs and the economic impact of this closure.
"I am committed to working with the Council and the leaders of our regional hospital systems to help meet the medical needs of our most vulnerable residents, and look forward to discussing access to healthcare and employment in the healthcare industry at a future Community Health, Environment and Culture committee and identifying potential options to assist residents who may be impacted by this closure and need medical care and employment close to their homes.”
The 325-bed medical facility will close on May 1.
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