Laredo Medical Center is a Cornerstone of Laredo-Webb County
4/6/2023
LAREDO, TX (April 4, 2023) – I write today with gratitude for the skilled and compassionate physicians, nurses and other team members of Laredo Medical Center who support the health and well-being of our patients. Last year, patients received medical care at more than 299,600 interactions with our hospital and clinics.
Our team delivered quality care at more than 52,400 emergency department visits, more than 13,900 inpatient admissions and more than 11,300 surgeries.
Over 219,000 patients received care across our Laredo Physician Associates clinics, our two Laredo CareClinics, Laredo Medical Center-North Central ER, LMC North, LMC South, A.R. Sanchez Cancer Center, Cardiac Rehabilitation Center, Outpatient Rehabilitation Center, Infusion Center, Sleep Center, Wound Center and Zapata Family Medical Clinic. We also delivered joy to families as more than 3,000 babies were born, including the delivery of our first set of quadruplets who are growing strong every day.
Beyond clinical care, Laredo Medical Center is cornerstone of the economic health of the Laredo-Webb County region as a major employer and tax-payer and through resources used to strengthen the medical services available close to home. These include capital projects totaling more than $5.1 million for the reopening of our open heart program, expansion of our Cardiac Rehabilitation Center, and in acquiring surgical and diagnostic instruments for orthopedic and neurosurgery. Access has been enhanced with the opening of two primary care clinics in north and south Laredo – and the recruitment of three family medicine specialists means more primary care is here locally.
Last year, Laredo Medical Center provided over $289.7 million in charity and uncompensated care for the community’s most vulnerable. And $21.2 million paid in property, sales and gross receipt taxes helps support civic resources and services.
We are pleased to provide donations and work with local charitable and community organizations such as United Way of Laredo, offering financial support to 22 local non-profit agencies; South Texas Food Bank, alleviating hunger in South Texas; Casa Misericordia, providing shelter and other services for victims of domestic violence; and Mercy Ministries of Laredo, providing primary healthcare services to the neediest residents of Webb County.
Our payroll of more than $111.5 million ripples across the local economy as employees buy goods and services, making the economy healthier as well. Enhanced benefits help team members achieve their personal and professional goals, including assistance with student loan repayments, reimbursement of licensure and certification expenses, as well as tuition reimbursement. We appreciate our team and are creating pathways for their success.
And to ensure a strong healthcare workforce in the future, Laredo Medical Center is developing the next generation of doctors through the region’s only primary care residency programs for family medicine and internal medicine. Launched in 2018, the graduate medical education programs have graduated 32 resident physicians – three of whom have stayed in Laredo to practice family medicine and six are onboard as hospitalists at our hospital.
Each of these initiatives and investments helps make Laredo Medical Center healthier. We are honored to help and extremely proud of our hospital’s $435.5 million community impact in 2022.
About the Author:
Jorge Leal is the chief executive officer of Laredo Medical Center.
Back