Baptist Health System is opening a new emergency department in the South Texas Medical Center, one of three comprehensive stroke care hospitals, tasked with treating a high volume of stroke patients.
The emergency department at St. Luke’s Baptist Hospital has needed upgrading for some time, according to the hospital’s CEO Vicki Gulczewski. It’s one of three hospitals in San Antonio designated as a Level I Comprehensive Stroke Center, meaning it can handle the most complex stroke cases and provide specialized care around-the-clock.
But St. Luke’s emergency entrance was uphill, small and difficult to navigate, both for ambulance drivers and people dropping off patients, Gulczewski said.
The hospital competes with University Hospital and Methodist Hospital, which are also designated as comprehensive stroke centers, according to the Texas Department of Health and Human Services.
That level of rapid care is crucial for patients experiencing ischemic strokes, when blood flow to the brain is blocked, explained Dr. Fadi Al-Saiegh, a comprehensive stroke medical director at St. Luke’s.
“Any delay will have a negative impact on that patient’s ultimate outcome,” he said. “If they come in with a stroke and they’re not appropriately triaged immediately to where they need to go, that patient will either not survive or have permanent disability. With fast care, they have a great chance of recovering and walking out of the hospital. That makes a huge difference.”
St. Luke’s has seen an increasing volume of stroke patients over the years, often taking transfers from rural surrounding counties without advanced stroke care services.
Bexar County and South Texas residents face higher prevalence of chronic disease that put them at greater risk for stroke, like high blood pressure, diabetes and cardiovascular disease.
“In addition to like treating complex patients and being open the whole time and getting all those referrals, we also have research trials,” Al-Saiegh added, “to be able to offer the patients the most cutting-edge techniques, the most advanced procedures for the best possible outcome.”
The new 11,000 square-foot emergency department is twice the size as the old one. It will have 10 rooms, two triage spaces and a dedicated area for patients waiting on results — all upgrades to increase capacity and efficiency compared to the current space, Gulczewski said.
Located toward the front of the hospital on Floyd Drive, it will also feature a smoother drop-off site for ambulances and others dropping off people experiencing emergencies.
Construction crews have been working on the new emergency department for 18 months. The hospital is holding an official grand opening on May 13, and it will officially open to patients starting on May 18.
St. Luke’s is one of six full-scale community hospitals in San Antonio operated by Baptist Health System, which is owned by Dallas-based healthcare giant Tenet Healthcare.
