A new procedure room was among additions recently completed at Christus Trinity Mother Frances HealthPark in Lindale.

1. Christus Trinity Mother Frances executive Lindsey Bradley to retire

 

Spurred by a rapid increase in patients, Christus Trinity Mother Frances HealthPark- Lindale has constructed an addition and is in the process of bringing on board more heath providers and physical therapists.

“Our patient volumes have been climbing substantially for the last two years. We have exhausted the amount of space we had. The expansion was to follow the growth in the community,” Adam Thurmon, clinic manager, said.

The population in the Lindale area is ballooning and people are attracted to the Lindale Independent School District, Thurmon said.

The number of patients seen at the health park has risen from 13,700 in fiscal 2014 to 21,000 in 2016, data shows.

“Expectations are the patient volume will far outpace in 2017 the volume in 2016,” said Will Knous, public information officer for the Christus Trinity Mother Frances Health System.

To accommodate the increasing number of patients, the facility added about 10,000 square feet. It enlarged its medical clinic by 7,000 square feet and increased space for physical therapy by 3,000 square feet.

Construction, which started last June, was finished in December.

“The expansion is going to allow us to improve the quality of our care,” Thurmon said. “Our physicians have been overworked for awhile trying to keep up with their current patient volumes as well as new patients. The time it takes to get an appointment is going to drop dramatically.”

The medical clinic added 17 exam rooms to the 24 that it already had. The clinic also added five new offices, a procedure room, four additional storage and utility rooms, an additional break room, a physician and nurse workspace.

The clinic plans to add five new providers – physicians, physician assistants and nurse practitioners. Most will come on board by late spring and some next summer.

The physical therapy room, which is one large room with different workstations, was enlarged. The physical therapy practice is adding equipment, including exercise tables and resistance machines.

The HeathPark is adding two additional physical therapists, two physical therapy assistants and an office assistant.

It also is considering expanding the number and kind of specialists who come to the medical clinic, according to Thurmon.

It already has a wide range of specialists in cardiology, orthopedics, sleep medicine, podiatry and other areas. It has a cardiac rehabilitation center, an ultra sound technician, a mobile MRI and Ross Breast Center staff for mammograms. The HealthPark has an urgent care facility open seven days a week and a full-time fitness center open 24 hours a day.

 

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