Utility Line Construction Begins
Marble Falls, TX - (May 5, 2009) The City of Marble Falls has broken ground on a utility project that when finished, will allow Scott & White to begin construction on the much-anticipated Lake of the Hills Regional Medical Center, the coming bigger sister of Llano Memorial Hospital.

Under a management agreement signed a year ago with Scott & White, Llano Memorial's future will be guaranteed for at least 10 years after Scott & White assumes ownership of Llano Memorial Healthcare System.  The acquisition is tied to the trigger events that will precede  construction of Lake of the Hills.

Officials from the city, the Llano County Hospital Authority, Scott & White, the LOHRMC Steering Committee, and local dignitaries attended a groundbreaking ceremony at the pumping station at Gateway Park in Marble Falls, Monday. 

The utility project is expected to be completed early next year; within 30 days, construction will begin on a medical office complex with construction on an 80 to 120 bed Level II trauma center at a cost of $ 1 million per bed to follow thereafter.

Construction of the six-mile long utility project to the hospital site at the intersection of SH 71 and US 281 will be the last major triggering point before Scott & White begins constrction. 

Two of the other major triggering events were accomplished in late March when Scott & White put 22 acres of land at the site under contract and received 18 acres of donated land to complete the 40-acre campus Scott & White has envisioned. 

The Lake of the Hills hospital facility is scheduled to take 18-24 months to complete and will offer a comprehensive care center, comprehensive cardiac care facilities, advanced surgical, laboratory and imaging centers.


Scott & White Manages LMHS

LLANO, Texas – (April 2, 2008) Scott & White began this week operating the Llano Memorial Healthcare System, which includes the 30-bed Llano Memorial Hospital and related facilities, under a recently signed management agreement. Kevin Leeper, LMHS chief executive officer, has joined the Scott & White staff and will continue as the administrator for the system.

"This area of the Texas Hill Country has seen significant growth the last several years, and the needs of the area residents have grown and changed along with it," said Leeper. "As early as 2001 the Llano County Hospital Authority Board was considering ways to meet the ever-increasing health care needs of our communities and enhancing the level of care available locally. The Scott & White management agreement will strengthen and ensure the stability and continuation of the Llano hospital and our clinic services."

Leeper said that with the formation of the Lake of the Hills Regional Medical Center organization almost three years ago year, the health care system made the commitment to meet those needs. In February, Scott & White signed a management agreement to operate the LMHS for at least the next ten years. That signing culminated a year-long negotiating and planning process that will bring a new hospital and regional medical center to the Hill Country.

"Llano Memorial is a vital part of the Hill Country community," said Dr. Glen Couchman, chief medical officer and chief operating officer for Scott & White regional operations. "Scott & White is joining the dedicated group of primary care and specialty care physicians already in the area to provide for the needs of the residents in this region." Added Leeper:  "The resources of Scott & White will allow us to continue to provide excellent medical care as we move forward provide additional specialty services."

Llano Memorial Hospital has been continuously operated since the 1950s, providing acute care and emergency medicine services for Llano County and Hill Country residents. The hospital was founded by local physicians and citizens to meet the needs of their communities. Over the past fifty years the hospital has expanded to keep up with the challenges of growth for the area. The need for rural health care was met in the 1990s when the hospital became the Llano Memorial Healthcare System with a chain of clinics in area communities.

In addition to the three hospitals owned and operated by Scott & White, the system also operates the 55-bed Coryell Memorial Hospital in Gatesville, Texas, under a management agreement.

In April 2007, Scott & White officials joined a regional cooperative of community entities in announcing their intention to jointly build, own and operate a new acute care hospital with Lake of the Hills Regional Medical Center in the Marble Falls area. In February a series of agreements was signed to bring the regional medical center into reality, including land and water arrangements.

The Lake of the Hills Regional Medical center will be built on 40 acres located at the intersection of U.S. 281 and State Highway 71, just south of Marble Falls. At the heart of the medical complex will be an 80 to 120-bed, full-service, acute-care hospital and medical office building, with an estimated cost of $140 million. Construction will begin once water lines are extended to the site.

More information about the Lake of the Hills Regional Medical Center project is available at www.lohrmc.org

About Scott & White:  Scott & White is a not-for-profit, three-hospital health care system established in 1897. Recognized among the nation’s 100 Top Hospitals, Scott & White is the principal teaching facility affiliated with the Texas A&M Health Science Center College of Medicine. Along with its flagship hospital and clinic facility in Temple, Texas, Scott & White also includes its Continuing Care Hospital on Temple’s West Campus and the 72-bed acute care hospital at the University Medical Campus in Round Rock. With more than 650 physicians and scientists, Scott & White has become one of the nation’s largest multi-specialty group practice systems. Scott & White accepts most major insurance plans.

Hoerster Physicians Join Scott & White Clinic
 

Llano, TX - (March 31, 2009) The 22-doctor Hoerster group medical practice will become part of Scott & White Clinic on April 1, 2008.

"We are excited to become part of a health care organization with the rich history and reputation as one of the premier health care providers in the country,"  said Dr. David Hoerster, president of the medical group and senior medical advisor for the Llano Memorial Healthcare System. 

"We want all of our patients to know that we are not leaving them. The only thing is they will now get access to Scott & White resources through us. That means direct access to the largest multi-specialty group practice in Texas."

On Feb. 8, Scott & White officials and community leaders from the region capped a year long negotiation and planning process by signing agreements that will bring a new regional medical center to the Hill Country. A key component of the plan was for the group practice to join Scott & White.

"Scott & White was started by physicians. We have a proud history of being a physician-led organization and we are now 22 physicians stronger," said Dr. Alfred Knight, president and CEO of Scott & White. 

"The Hoerster physicians have provided high-quality care for the Llano Memorial Healthcare System and Hill Country for decades," said Dr. Glen Couchman, chief medical officer and chief operating officer for Scott & White regional operations. "They will continue to play a vital role in the future of the area." 

LOHRMC Receives Title To Site

MARBLE FALLS – (July 30, 2007) Lake of the Hills Regional Medical Center on Monday officially took ownership of the site for a new 120-bed acute care hospital to be built with Scott & White.

The 18-acre tract near the intersection of Highways 71 and 281 south of Marble Falls was donated by Sam Martin and Armand and Molly Biglari, the developers of the Crossroads Medical Campus. The 18-acre tract is valued at $2.7 million.

The property transfer took place Monday at the Marble Falls City Hall where the Biglari’s, Martin and Lake of the Hills President Wayne Anderson signed documents making the transaction official.

"Receiving ownership of this site is a major step toward making the hospital a reality," Anderson said. "This project would not be possible without the hard work and vision of the developers who have made this vital investment in the future of the Highland Lakes region. Their contribution will benefit the citizens of our area for generations to come."

In April, Temple-based Scott & White announced its participation in the hospital project. The non-profit hospital will be the centerpiece of the Crossroads Medical Campus that will include medical official space and health-related facilities.

"We are eager for this important project to move forward," said Marble Falls Mayor Raymond Whitman. "I’m pleased to see this progress being made thanks to the hard work and dedication of everyone involved."

Speaking on behalf of the developers, Sam Martin said, "We recognized from the beginning that having convenient access to first class medical care was one of the greatest needs for this area. And now, all of the pieces are falling into place to ensure the success of this project."

Anderson said that he and representatives of Scott & White have been working constantly since the April announcement on planning for the new hospital. "There are literally thousands of details and decisions that we are working through before we can break ground for construction," Anderson said. "We are making significant progress every day."

Scott & White Partner With LMHS On New Hospital Project

MARBLE FALLS, Texas - (April 30, 2007) Officials from Lake of the Hills Regional Medical Center and Temple-based Scott & White on Monday announced their intention to jointly own and operate a 120-bed acute care hospital near Marble Falls.

The organizations have entered into an exclusive Memorandum of Understanding and negotiations about the specifics of a new facility are under way."We are excited to expand our services into the fast-growing Highland Lakes region," said Scott & White President and CEO Dr. Alfred Knight. "We are particularly pleased to work with the many talented physicians already in this area, to provide enhanced specialty services for patients and families right here, limiting the need to travel."

Discussions with Lake of the Hills are taking place as Scott & White prepares to open two new hospitals in the coming months - its 50-bed Continuing Care Hospital at Temple's West Campus, and a 72-bed hospital at the University Medical Campus in Round Rock.

Lake of the Hills, with a targeted completion date in 2012, would offer a full range of services to the rapidly expanding Highland Lakes area of Texas. The non-profit hospital will offer complete medical and surgical services, as well as all the specialty care that local residents need, including OB/GYN, orthopedics, geriatrics, neurology, oncology, urology, full cardiology care and other specialties.

With the Burnet County growth rate at nearly 26 percent over the past six years, Marble Falls Mayor Raymond Whitman said regional leaders have long had a goal of bringing a first-class full service hospital to the community.

"Today, we are taking a major step toward accomplishing that goal," Whitman said. "We are very pleased to welcome Scott & White to Marble Falls."

Lake of the Hills Regional Medical Center will be the centerpiece of the Crossroads Regional Medical Campus located at the northwest corner of Highways 281 and 71, just south of Marble Falls. The campus will include medical office buildings, long-term care facilities, assisted living facilities and other health care services.

"After more than a year of discussions with scores of hospital organizations, Lake of the Hills is extremely excited and proud to join an institution with Scott & White's outstanding reputation for quality health care," said Wayne Anderson, board president of the Lake of the Hills Regional Medical Center, the non-profit corporation created by the Llano County Hospital Authority board to pursue construction of a new hospital. Anderson has led the search for a partner in the project.

As the parties continue discussions, they also will form a new non-profit corporation to own and operate the hospital, with Scott & White holding a majority interest.

Llano County Hospital Authority, through the Llano Memorial Healthcare System (LMHS), operates the 30-bed Llano Memorial Hospital and a network of Hoerster Clinics serving a five-county region. Scott & White has committed to work with Hoerster Clinics and LMHS as the transition moves forward. A redevelopment plan for the Llano hospital is part of that pledge.

"This partnership with Scott & White will strengthen and ensure the stability and continuation of the Llano hospital and our clinic services," said Kevin Leeper, CEO of Llano Memorial Healthcare System. Lake of the Hills Regional Medical Center will contribute the land for the hospital site, which it received as a donation from the developers of Crossroads Regional Medical Campus, Armand and Molly Biglari and Sam Martin.