Since it’s founding in the mid 1950’s, Llano Memorial Hospital and its employees have been "dedicated to building healthy communities and providing quality healthcare close to home".
Llano Memorial Hospital began as a grassroots effort by four local physicians, Dr. Henry Hoerster, Dr. Dan Hoerster, Dr. Garland Dansby, Dr. George Gray, Eleanor Otto, a registered nurse, and many civic-minded citizens who felt that the citizens of Llano County needed and would support their own hospital. The end result was a petition request to Llano County Commissioners Court for a Hospital Bond election.
In April of 1956 with an overwhelming vote, Llano County voters said yes to a $125,000 hospital bond proposition. Land was secured from Mrs. Helen Buttery; a grant from provisions of the Hill-Burton Hospital Building Act was obtained; an architect and building superintendent were retained and construction soon got under way. In June of 1957, Llano County Commissioners Court formally named the new venture Llano Memorial Hospital and dedicated it to those who gave their lives for their country. In July of 1957, Llano Memorial Hospital opened its doors.
As Llano County continued to grow so did the healthcare needs of the community and by the late 1960’s, the hospital was faced with the need for expansion. In October of 1970 Commissioners Court pledged a maximum of $45,000 in time warrants to build a new patient wing, and in the summer of 1971, with the project completed the hospital proudly held an open house showcasing the new wing and equipment. Llano Memorial Hospital was now licensed to accommodate 30 bed patients and served patients from four counties – Llano, southern Burnet, San Saba and western Mason County.
The decade of the ‘90s were formative years, shaping Llano Memorial Hospital into the healthcare system we are today. Hospital administration and the medical staff recognized that if the hospital were to survive and grow as an overnight care giving facility, it would also have to broaden its ability to treat patients in outpatient/clinic settings for earlier assessment of their conditions. Technology and new medicines were changing the way healthcare was delivered nationally. In addition, Fredericksburg and Burnet were upgrading and replacing their hospital facilities. Hence the private physician clinics (in Llano, Kingsland, Marble Falls and San Saba) formerly operated by the Hoerster Physician Association, were purchased by Llano Memorial Hospital and set up as provider based rural health clinics, creating a cohesive healthcare delivery network. Twenty-four hour physician staffing of the emergency room was achieved utilizing the newly formed physician network, and the hospital assumed total management responsibility of Llano County EMS in efforts to streamline and upgrade emergency care. A new Obstetrics wing, with three labor and delivery rooms designed to make the entire childbirth experience more family-centered, was completed. We renovated our radiology department and upgraded key medical equipment
Both the Llano Memorial Hospital Auxiliary and the Llano Memorial Hospital Foundation were established in the '90s. The formation of the hospital auxiliary provided a volunteer base that works in support of hospital staff and helps to make patients and visitors feel welcome. The Foundation was formed with the express purpose of providing financial support to the hospital through annual and special fund-raisers, memorial gifts, contributions and bequests. Gifts from the Foundation have helped the hospital purchase new equipment, remodel patient rooms, as well as purchase remounts for EMS ambulances.
In 1998 Llano County Commissioners Court voted to create Llano County Hospital Authority, a non-taxing entity, and appointed the initial nine member Board of Directors. Subsequent to the formation of Llano County Hospital Authority came a name change to Llano Memorial Health Care System, Llano Memorial Hospital and Hoerster Clinics. The name change was a more accurate representation of the full range of services provided. After all, with rural health clinics, EMS, rehabilitation services, and hospice, we had become the nucleus for the communities health concerns as had been envisioned earlier in the decade.
Encouraged by the successful implementation of a rural health clinic model, our healthcare system has been able to attract more family practitioners, internists and a pediatrician bringing us to a total of 30 physicians and mid-level providers currently affiliated with the Hoerster Clinics and Llano Memorial Healthcare System. Physicians specializing in orthopedics, urology, podiatry and cardiology also offer their services to area residents both in the hospital and in the clinics.
We opened the Hoerster Lake Area Health Center in 2003 and now provide primary and specialty care as well as lab and x-ray services to residents of Horseshoe Bay and surrounding communities. We also completed a 1500 square foot expansion of our Emergency Department, which provides us with two additional treatment rooms, a private waiting area for our emergency department families as well as new clerical and clinical space. With the opening of the Lake Area Specialty Clinic located in the Frank V. King Professional Building at 201 Bay West Blvd., Horseshoe Bay in 2004, area residents have the opportunity to receive specialized healthcare services closer to their home. The Lake Area Specialty Clinic, a collaboration between the Lake Area Health Center Foundation and Llano Memorial Healthcare System, was initiated with the desire by both to enhance the specialty healthcare resources available locally. December 2004 saw the addition of a new rural health clinic in Mason, Texas which we operated until December of 2008. At that time the operations of the Mason Clinic were transferred to Frontera Health Care Network, with services being provided Scott & White physicians.
As we approach 53 years of service, our healthcare system provides illness, wellness and specialty care in the clinic setting, as well as complete hospital services - obstetric, surgical, laboratory, diagnostic imaging including CT and MRI, and nuclear medicine to residents and visitors of Llano and surrounding counties. We have also forged a dynamic relation with Scott & White Healthcare for the management of Llano Memorial Healthcare System and for the development of a state of the art 90 to 120-bed facility, the Lake of the Hills Regional Medical Center. This new regional medical center will be conveniently located at the junction of Hwys 281 and 71 in Marble Falls and will provide services there are not currently available in the area.
We look forward to the future of healthcare in our region. Our relationship with Scott and White offers resources and new opportunities for growth and service.
Kevin Leeper, CEO
