Laredo Medical Center Celebrates 128-year Tradition of Caring in 2022

1/26/2023

In 2022, Laredo Medical Center celebrated a 128-year tradition of caring in the Laredo-Webb County region with continued growth in services, and a commitment to quality patient care.

While the year continued to offer many challenges due to Covid-19, our caregivers were steadfast and focused in their mission to help patients and their families with life’s health needs, whether for the birth of a child, an unplanned medical emergency, or at the end of life.

“In the face of change and challenge, I am grateful that our outstanding caregiving team and medical staff have a passionate commitment to turn roadblocks into opportunities,” said Jorge Leal, FACHE, CEO, of Laredo Medical Center. “Growth and excellence in patient care can only come from change, and how we respond and adapt to that change makes all the difference.”

Laredo Medical Center understands the importance of providing trusted quality healthcare to those we serve. Working with medical staff and a local board of physicians and community leaders, the hospital continuously reviews how to best meet the healthcare needs of the community. Laredo Medical Center’s administration team regularly reviews the utilization of hospital services and the region’s demographics to determine which services are most needed.

Our commitment to excellence has been demonstrated through:

• accreditation - treatment for obstructive sleep apnea, snoring and other sleep disorders is available through Laredo Center Center’s Sleep Center, which recently was reaccredited by the American Academy of Sleep Medicine. The designation ensures that the hospital offers high quality, patient-centered care by adhering to AASM Standards for Accreditation; and
• strong performance - when supervised recovery from illness or surgery is needed for a loved one, families can count on the Laredo Medical Center Skilled Nursing Unit (SNU), which earned a high-performing rating and Best Nursing Home status for 2022-23 by U.S. News & World Report for the sixth consecutive year.

Additionally, quality of care at Laredo Medical Center has been recognized by:

• The Joint Commission with the Gold Seal of Approval© for Advanced Certification for Primary Stroke Centers, demonstrating it is accredited and meets The Joint Commission’s highest standards of care, as well as an accredited laboratory;
• American College of Cardiology as an accredited Chest Pain Center v6 with Primary Percutaneous Coronary Interventions;
• Texas Department of State Health Services as an Advanced Level III Trauma facility and designations as a Level III Neonatal Intensive Care Unit and as a Level II specialty care maternal facility, associated with the TexasAIM state program for maternal safety;
• Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery Accreditation and Quality Improvement Program for our bariatric program; and
• American College of Radiology for CT, MRI and Mammography in each of our diagnostic imaging centers.

Primary care continues to thrive in the community. In three years, Laredo Medical Center affiliate Primary Care Associates of Laredo has grown from 1 family medicine physician in 2018 to seven family medicine physicians presently.

Primary Care Associates of Laredo has clinics all around town. In north Laredo, Dr. Richard Bang, Dr. Christopher Tchou and Dr. Jesus Aguirre-Burgos can be found at 7210 McPherson Road, Suite 220.

In south Laredo at 4151 Jaime Zapata Highway, Dr. Miguel Villarino is located in Suite 205, and a second clinic has opened for Dr. Yanick Ekortarh, Suite 101-B.

On January 11, a grand opening for our newest clinic was celebrated to house Dr. Cory Fernandes and Dr. Jacob Kallsen at 1119 Fenwick Drive, Suite 204.

Furthermore, the hospital continues to enhance its services to a growing community, as evidenced through its primary care residency programs which have graduated 32 resident physicians since 2021. A group of 48 resident physicians is currently enrolled between family medicine and internal medicine.

The hospital has also enhanced its Heart and Vascular services with the reopening of the Open Heart program, led by Dr. Arthur Santos who has over 20 years of experience in cardiovascular and thoracic surgery – and with the support of an experienced cardiovascular thoracic team, they are offering quality care and services to the Laredo-Webb County region exclusively at Laredo Medical Center.

Other significant investments:

• opening of a new Cardiac Rehabilitation Center that serves patients recovering from a heart attack, bypass surgery, stent replacement or other cardiac illnesses to help them achieve optimum heart health;
• expansion of Laredo Medical Center’s surgical services by adding our second robotic-assisted surgical system that often provides better outcomes during the recovery process for complex operations;
• new technology to provide enhanced patient safety during labor and delivery via an artificial intelligence-based maternal-fetal early warning system called PeriWatch Vigilance which helps clinicians quickly identify any concerning developments for faster intervention;
• renovation of the hospital’s interior aesthetics, including flooring, lighting, furniture, wall art and fixtures to offer a new look and feel that is welcoming to patients and visitors, as well as beneficial to the healing process. Work will consist of four major areas, including first floor main lobby and entrance; first floor inpatient/outpatient registration; second floor operating room waiting; and common areas in the surgery waiting room.

“We enjoy being a part of the Laredo community today, as we have been for 128 years. Everything we do is because we want to continue to be a resource to support our family, friends and neighbors with the world-class medical services they need,” said Leal.

For more information, call (956) 796-3223.

Laredo Medical Center is Laredo’s largest hospital—a 326-bed licensed, acute care hospital offering a full range of inpatient and outpatient services.

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