History
Over seventy years of innovation, dedication and continuing community support have propelled Good Shepherd Medical Center to the forefront of health care delivery in East Texas. From its beginning in 1935 as the 47-bed Gregg Memorial Hospital to its present position as a licensed 425-bed regional referral center for specialized care in cardiology, neurology, pulmonology, urology, gastroenterology, rehabilitation and emergency services, Good Shepherd Medical Center has always strived to give our best to each and every patient.
The Medical Center was originally organized in 1959 when it assumed the operations of Gregg Memorial Hospital from the Gregg County Commissioners Court. The Medical Center was originally affiliated with the Episcopal Diocese of Texas, which had the responsibility of appointing the Medical Center’s Board. In 1976, the Medical Center Board became self-perpetuating when the Diocese asked to be released from its obligations. In 1981, the hospital became known as Good Shepherd Medical Center.
The hospital’s first expansion program was completed in 1951, raising the capacity of the facility to 80 beds. A second construction program completed in 1959 raised the capacity to 145 beds. And, in January 1972, a major construction program was completed in which the original 1935 hospital building was demolished and replaced with a four-story building containing modern equipment and constructed on a foundation capable of carrying three additional floors. The new building contained 255 beds.
In 1981, an 80-bed addition was completed which expanded the Medical Center’s capacity to 335 beds used primarily for general medical and surgery. And, in 2002 the East Tower was constructed, which included a new comprehensive Heart Center, a new Day Surgery suite, an expanded 40-bed Emergency Department, and new nursing units which include 76 monitored beds, three monitored VIP Shepherd Suites, and a 26-bed Inpatient Rehabilitation Facility among the 135-bed private rooms.
Good Shepherd has continued to enhance technology and respond to the growing health care needs of East Texas and opened the area’s first neonatal ICU (”NICU”) in 2004. The NICU is able to provide specialized care for premature babies 26 weeks gestation (sometimes as early as 24 and 25) and older and full-term babies born with special needs. In 2008, the capacity of the NICU was doubled to 13 beds, in order to address the ongoing need to keep families together at this important early stage of life. Good Shepherd Medical Center’s Level III NICU has expanded to 31 beds to meet the special needs of high risk infants.
In addition, Good Shepherd Medical Center operates as a Level II Trauma Center and provides the highest level of trauma care for Gregg County and the surrounding counties. Medical Center trauma care providers participate in the Regional Advisory Council, which focuses on injury prevention, pre-hospital care, and hospital care of the trauma patient in a 17-county area. In addition, the Medical Center participates in a statewide trauma registry, which records and reports data and trends in the care of this patient population.
In 2005, Good Shepherd acquired a 25-bed hospital located in Linden, Texas. Good Shepherd Medical Center-Linden is enrolled in the Medicare program as a Critical Access Hospital and provides hospital and related services to Linden and surrounding communities.
And, in 2007, Good Shepherd Medical Center-Marshall joined the Health System. Good Shepherd Medical Center – Marshall, a 149-bed facility with an intensive care unit, inpatient rehabilitative, skilled nursing care services, and a 24-hour Level III Trauma Center, is the only hospital located in Harrison and Marion Counties. Good Shepherd Medical Center – Marshall is accredited by the Joint Commission, a member of the American Hospital Association and a Partner Member of the VHA, Inc and VHA Texas, Inc.
To show commitment to improvement of the community’s health, in 2008 Good Shepherd opened the Institute for Healthy Living, a 75,000-square-foot medically-integrated wellness center that houses cardiac rehabilitation, physical therapy, sports medicine, outpatient therapy and speech therapy, among other retail services, such as a fully equipped fitness center and a medical spa.
Good Shepherd Medical Center has earned national recognition for its quality services from multiple sources. For consecutive years from 2003 to 2007, the Medical Center received the Distinguished Hospital Award for Clinical ExcellenceTM from HealthGrades®, which placed Good Shepherd among the top 5 percent of all acute-care hospitals in the country in terms of overall clinical excellence across a broad array of services. In 2007, HealthGrades® named Good Shepherd Medical Center among America’s 50 Best Hospitals, one of only two hospitals in Texas to receive this distinction. And, in 2009, Good Shepherd was recognized for clinical excellence in Spine Surgery, Orthopaedic Surgery, Coronary Intervention and General Surgery. Good Shepherd was designated a UnitedHealth Premium cardiac specialty center in 2010. Quality Awards from CareChex in 2011 ranked Good Shepherd in the top 10% in the nation in 12 clinical categories. National Research Corporation (NRC) recognized Good Shepherd Medical Center in Longview as one of the nation’s top hospitals with the 2012/2013 Consumer Choice Award.
As Gregg County’s largest employer, Good Shepherd has a significant economic impact on East Texas with more than 2,400 employees. This impact takes on greater importance as the level of charity care continues to rise. In 2011, Good Shepherd provided more than $241 million of uncompensated care. There is no local, state or federal tax support for this care. Good Shepherd continues to meet an ever-increasing demand for medical services as Medicare/Medicaid reimbursements continue to decrease.
The mission of Good Shepherd has always been to provide quality, compassionate and comprehensive healthcare services to every patient. Through its evolution from a small, county hospital to a major regional referral center, Good Shepherd Medical Center is poised to meet future challenges and is positioned to remain the healthcare leader for East Texas well into the next century.