Laredo Medical Center is Vital to the Laredo-Webb County Region
3/28/2024
Delivers essential medical services and broad impact to the larger community
Over the course of 2023, Laredo Medical Center helped people get well and live healthier at more than 315,000 patient encounters across its hospital and growing network of Laredo Physician Associates provider clinics and other outpatient sites of care.
At more than 53,000 emergency department visits each year, lifesaving medically necessary care is provided for all patients regardless of their ability to pay. Last year, Laredo Medical Center provided more than $312 million in charity and uncompensated care for the community’s most vulnerable and the hospital has resources to help them secure medications and medical support devices.
“We are proud of our legacy of caring for the community and we look forward to doing this for generations to come. I am grateful for our outstanding caregiving team and medical staff who show their passionate commitment with each patient we have the privilege to serve,” said Jorge Leal, FACHE, CEO of Laredo Medical Center. “Change is constant and we’re excited about it. Growth and excellence in patient care can only come from change, and how we respond and adapt to that change makes all the difference.”
Other support for social determinants of health in the community includes financial donations for charitable organizations, such as United Way of Laredo, Casa Misericordia and Mercy Ministries of Laredo, and acts of service, such as the Jars of Love drive collecting 1,800 jars of peanut and other nut butters for the South Texas Food Bank.
Laredo Medical Center applies its resources to medical services, facilities and technologies that patients want to access close to home. These include work to strengthen primary care by growing to eight providers in five convenient locations, and utilizing a new monitoring program for patients with chronic conditions such as hypertension, heart failure and type 2 diabetes to support earlier interventions and better patient outcomes.
The hospital’s surgical services have grown with the addition of a second robotic-assisted surgical system to provide patients with shorter recovery times for complex procedures. Additionally, Laredo Medical Center welcomed back the Open Heart Program, and the renovation of two cardiac catheterization (cath) labs is enhancing heart care and providing the capability for the hospital to offer electrophysiology services to treat arrhythmias and other abnormal heart rhythms.
Civic resources and services are supported by Laredo Medical Center’s tax payments of approximately $29.6 million and the payroll of more than $111 million ripples across the local economy as employees buy goods and services.
Workforce development remains a priority and strong relationships with local nursing programs and the hospital’s primary care residency programs have graduated 47 resident physicians in family medicine and internal medicine since 2021, with 48 resident physicians currently enrolled. Investments are being made to help team members achieve their personal and professional goals through assistance with student loan repayments, as well as tuition reimbursement.
Leal continued, “The vital care we provide is only one part of the broad impact we have that adds up to more than $460 million last year. We recognize that our services are essential to this community and we are committed to doing all we can to provide quality health care and make Laredo and Webb County a healthier, better community for all.”
To help the community live healthier, Laredo Medical Center offers a free e-newsletter with a monthly dose of health and wellness inspiration sent directly to your inbox. Sign up at https://www.laredomedical.com/enewsletter-sign-up.
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