Methodist Healthcare pursuing southward expansion

Source: San Antonio Business Journal
Article link: Methodist-Healthcare-southward-expansion - San Antonio Business Journal (bizjournals.com)
Article title: Methodist Healthcare pursuing southward expansion
Author: W. Scott Bailey
Date: December 14, 2022

One of the region's largest providers is planting its flag near Brooks, with the potential for more investment to follow.

One of the region’s largest health care providers has its eye on expansion opportunities in a growing South San Antonio market and it’s already moving to plant a flag near one of the area’s more successful developments. Methodist Healthcare has acquired space in a retail center across from Brooks where it plans to open a new freestanding emergency center, Methodist ER | City Base. More southward expansion could follow. “We've had an interest in really taking a broader presence in the southern part of San Antonio and this was a natural fit for us,” senior vice president of strategy and development for Methodist Healthcare.

The health system, owned by Methodist Healthcare Ministries of South Texas Inc., a San Antonio nonprofit, and Nashville-based HCA Healthcare Inc. (NYSE: HCA), acquired the site from Physicians Premier in late November. Methodist plans to open the new emergency center, its 10th in the region, in early 2023. Methodist did not disclose an acquisition price or what it intends to invest in the new facility, but Webb believes it’s in an ideal spot. The ER will be affiliated with Methodist Hospital Metropolitan near downtown San Antonio. The full-service ER will house CT, x-ray and ultrasound equipment as well as lab and pharmacy services. Webb said the Brooks-area project could be a launching point for more freestanding emergency centers on the South Side. “We will absolutely continue to invest in the south,” he said. The growth that drew Methodist’s attention is not limited to San Antonio’s Southeast Side. There is increasing activity on the Southwest Side as well. “There are a number of new communities in the south that are currently being developed,” Webb said. “It's an area where we feel like we need to be a regional provider. In order to do that, we need to have access points.” Huge growth to the north and west has driven significant medical development to those parts of the city. Methodist, for example, plans to develop a roughly $150 million hospital in the Westover Hills area. While the growth to the south has not yet matched what’s happening in other parts of the city, it has captured Methodist officials’ attention. The health system’s longer-term southward pursuits could potentially include new ambulatory facilities at some point. “We feel like we've got some geographical opportunities in this market,” Webb said.