by
John R. Fischer, Senior Reporter | July 05, 2023
Christus Health acquires Gerald Champion Regional Medical Center.
As of July 1, Christus Health, a Texas-based, Catholic not-for-profit healthcare system, has completed its acquisition of Gerald Champion Regional Medical Center, an independent, level III trauma hospital in South Central New Mexico.
The deal was first announced in May, with the 98-bed GCRMC, located in Alamogordo, signing a non-binding letter of intent. The provider has 28 clinics that offer primary and specialty care to 150,000 patients annually, as well as 33 different medical and surgical specialties, urgent care, wound care, cardiac cath lab, and interventional radiology. It admits 4,000 others and has 30,000 ER visits each year, and has approximately 160 providers and 1,000 staff members.
While GCRMC
told the Albuquerque Journal that the deal gives it “additional support to increase services in the community” and helps it financially, advocacy groups are concerned that Christus Health, as a religious provider, will limit access to reproductive, LGBTQ, and end-of-life care.
“GCRMC and its tremendous healthcare providers and staff deserve to continue providing and expanding first-rate care to individuals in Southern and Southeastern New Mexico in line with their medical expertise, not the ethical directives of a religious entity,” wrote the American Civil Liberties Union of New Mexico and Bold Futures in a letter to Jim Heckert, the CEO of Gerald Champion.
Based in Irving, Christus Health has over 600 community hospitals, urgent care centers, health insurance companies, and physician clinics in Texas, Louisiana, and New Mexico, as well as Chile, Colombia and Mexico. It has 50,000 associates and over 15,000 physicians.
The healthcare provider told the Albuquerque Journal that under it, GCRMC would continue providing the same services to patients.
“Gerald Champion will now be able to leverage the strength of the CHRISTUS network with additional investments in capital improvements, expanded recruitment and retention efforts, and growth in innovation and clinical capabilities,” said CHRISTUS Health executive vice president and chief strategy officer Paul Generale.
GCRMC evaluated 27 healthcare providers over 18 months before choosing to join Christus Health.
Christus Health recently
formed the largest cardiology group in East Texas through its acquisition of CardiaStream.
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