One of the most frequently asked questions by a buyer when looking at this area is; what type of medical care facilities are available?  After over a year of discussions with Smithville Regional Hospital, Seton Healthcare released the following press release on 7/1/11.  This is exciting news for the entire Bastrop County area.

 Seton press release: Smithville Regional Hospital acquisition

Friday, July 1, 2011 | Smithville Times

Seton Healthcare Family to Acquire
Smithville Regional Hospital, Effective July 1

Austin, Texas – (July 1, 2011) – To help it effectively deal with the challenges of meeting the needs of a growing Central Texas, Seton Healthcare Family today announced that the Smithville Regional Hospital is now officially part of Seton. The facility, located at 800 State Highway 71 East, about 45 miles souttheast of downtown Austin, will be called Seton Smithville Regional Hospital.

Note: see The Smithville Times story on the takeover

Charles J. Barnett, FACHE, Seton President/CEO, and Grady Hooper, CEO, Smithville Regional Hospital, announced that a final agreement has been reached, effective today. Seton will operate Seton Smithville Regional Hospital for the Smithville Hospital Authority as part of a 30-year lease, with an optional 20-year extension.

“The needs of the residents of Bastrop and surrounding counties served by Seton Smithville Regional Hospital coincide with the mission of Seton Healthcare Family,” Barnett said. “Residents require comprehensive advanced health care services available locally. As we’ve demonstrated in the Luling and Highland Lakes areas, Seton can improve the level of health care in a largely rural region – care for patients with complex needs, enhanced trauma services and care for the poor and vulnerable.”

Bastrop is the ninth-fastest-growing county in Texas and has been officially designated a “Federal Health Professional Shortage” area. Adding to Bastrop County’s health care challenges is that Medicaid and charity or self-pay admissions to area hospitals and emergency departments are expected to nearly double by 2020.

“Stand-alone hospitals face a unique and nearly insurmountable challenge,” Barnett said. “By partnering with Seton Healthcare Family, the Smithville hospital will meet those challenges. We are committed to recruiting more physicians, and strengthening the area’s safety net – and have a record of success in doing so.”

“Uniting the Smithville Regional Hospital and Seton is a great advantage for Bastrop County residents,” said Earl Walborg, chairman of the Board of Directors of the Smithville Hospital Authority. “It’s also beneficial for our employees to be part of a strong health care network.” There will be no significant changes in hospital day-to-day operations. Ceremonies to mark this transition will be held later in July.

About the Seton Healthcare Family

The Seton Healthcare Family is the leading provider of comprehensive, advanced health care services in Central Texas. As a growing center for medical research and education, Seton is increasing access to quality care – part of its mission to improve the health of all Central Texans, with special concern for the poor and the vulnerable. In Fiscal Year 2010, Seton provided $300 million in charity care.

Seton’s 24 clinical locations include five major medical centers, two community hospitals, two rural hospitals, an inpatient mental health hospital, three primary care clinics for the uninsured, and several strategically located health facilities that provide medical care for well patients. The system includes the only Level I Trauma Centers for adult and pediatric patients in the Austin area, the only heart transplant center in Central Texas, and the first two Designated Stroke Centers in Texas to receive a Gold Seal of Approval from The Joint Commission. Seton hospitals have earned four Magnet designations, the highest award for nursing excellence given by the American Nurses Credentialing Center.

In 2011, U.S. News & World Report named Seton Medical Center Austin and University Medical Center Brackenridge the top two hospitals in the region based on 2008 data.

Seton is a member of Ascension Health, the largest not-for-profit health network in the nation.

About Seton Smithville Regional Hospital

Seton Smithville Regional Hospital is a 36-bed licensed facility. The hospital offers comprehensive health care resources in Bastrop County and surrounding areas. Seton Smithville provides advanced inpatient and outpatient services, including a Level IV Trauma emergency room. Partners of the Seton Smithville Regional Hospital include Seton RiverBend Medical Group, Seton RiverBend Home Health, Seton Bastrop Physical Therapy and Fitness Center, Seton Bastrop Health Plaza and Towers Nursing Home.