Methodist Healthcare Ministries funds new residency

$831,043 grant helps create emergency medicine program

SAN ANTONIO (July 29, 2013) — Methodist Healthcare Ministries of South Texas Inc. has partnered with The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio to support the university’s inaugural emergency medicine residency program.

A four-year, $831,043 grant from Methodist Healthcare Ministries commenced this month as the first 10 residents started their orientation in the Department of Emergency Medicine in the School of Medicine. They are expected to graduate in the summer of 2016.

William L. Henrich, M.D., MACP, president of the UT Health Science Center, said Methodist Healthcare Ministries has worked with the Health Science Center since 1996 to build a stronger and healthier community.

In the last 10 years, Methodist Healthcare Ministries has given more than $14 million to support UT System initiatives designed to improve the health and well-being of South Texas residents.

“By participating in this ground-breaking venture, Methodist Healthcare Ministries is helping to improve the quality and accessibility of emergency care in South Texas. These physicians will attain exceptional knowledge, procedural ability and superb clinical judgment,” Dr. Henrich said.

Kevin C. Moriarty, president and chief executive officer of Methodist Healthcare Ministries, said this new residency program aligns perfectly with MHM’s dedication to providing medical and health-related human services to low-income families and the uninsured throughout the region.

“We are excited to team up with the Health Science Center in this long-range project that will help to alleviate the grave shortage of emergency medicine physicians throughout South Texas,” Moriarty said. “By working together, we can help save lives.”

South Texas has the country’s second lowest number of board-certified emergency physicians with 5.5 physicians per 100,000 residents. Rural hospitals in this area are especially underserved with only 2.3 emergency physicians per 100,000 residents.

Dr. Henrich said, “Board-certified emergency medicine physicians are not projected to meet minimum workforce standards in our region until 2050, which is why the new civilian emergency medicine residency is crucial.

“Studies show that 80 percent of graduates from an emergency medicine training program settle within 75 miles of their residency location. Because of our support from Methodist Healthcare Ministries, we will be able to significantly reduce the emergency medicine physician shortage in this region of Texas.”

Bruce Adams, M.D., chair of the Department of Emergency Medicine, said the new residency program is particularly important because the demand on emergency rooms in the region is increasing rapidly and is twice the national growth rate.

“The number of patient visits has increased about one third in the last decade,” he said. “Establishing an emergency medicine residency program will dramatically improve the quality and accessibility of emergency and acute health care for the South Texas region. We are very fortunate that Methodist Healthcare Ministries is helping the university make lives better.”

The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, one of the country’s leading health sciences universities, ranks in the top 3 percent of all institutions worldwide receiving National Institutes of Health funding. The university’s schools of medicine, nursing, dentistry, health professions and graduate biomedical sciences have produced more than 29,000 graduates. The $736 million operating budget supports eight campuses in San Antonio, Laredo, Harlingen and Edinburg. For more information on the many ways “We make lives better®,” visit www.uthscsa.edu.

Methodist Healthcare Ministries is a private, faith-based, not-for-profit organization dedicated to providing medical, dental, and health-related human services to low-income families and the uninsured in South Texas. The mission also includes MHM’s one-half ownership of the Methodist Healthcare System – the largest healthcare system in South Texas. This creates a unique avenue to ensure that the Methodist Healthcare System continues to be a benefit to the community by providing quality care to all and charitable care when needed, and it provides revenue to MHM for its programs.



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