Ardent Health (NYSE: ARDT), a leading provider of healthcare in growing mid-sized urban communities across the U.S., today marked a milestone in its East Texas partnership as UT Health East Texas expanded specialty care into the new UT Tyler School of Medicine Building in Tyler – the first time patient services and physician training share a single hub in the region. The building now houses UT Health East Texas women’s health, pulmonary, orthopedic, imaging and surgical care alongside the region’s first medical school.

The expansion builds on the joint venture Ardent formed with The University of Texas System in 2018 to expand access to care and grow the local physician workforce in a region facing persistent health challenges. Northeast Texas, a 35-county area of roughly 1.6 million people, would rank among the least healthy states in the country if measured on its own, according to research led by UT Tyler.

As rural communities across the U.S. continue to face hospital closures and shrinking access to care, the partnership is working to build a different future for East Texas. Since the joint venture formed in 2018, Ardent has:

  • Invested more than $315 million in capital across UT Health East Texas, exceeding its original five-year commitment ahead of schedule.

  • Grown the employed and affiliated provider network to roughly 640 providers, a 116% increase.

  • Supported the expansion of graduate medical education from about 39 residents and fellowships in 2018 to more than 270 today and approval to grow to 323.

  • Strengthened financial and clinical performance, including multiple UT Health East Texas facilities earning “A” Safety Grades and Top Hospital recognition from The Leapfrog Group annually.

“At Ardent, we invest for the long term in the communities we serve, and we’re proud of what this partnership with The University of Texas System has built in East Texas – a stronger local workforce, more specialty care and a medical school training the next generation of physicians,” said Dave Caspers, president and CEO of Ardent Health. “It’s a powerful example of what’s possible when a community, a university and a health system pull in the same direction to make healthcare better.”

With nine hospitals, more than 90 clinics and the region’s only Level 1 trauma center, UT Health East Texas offers a range of clinical settings and specialties to help train East Texas physicians. UT Tyler’s School of Medicine, which welcomed its inaugural class in 2023, has consistently drawn students with deep local roots: 95% of its first class, 85% of its second and 90% of its third have ties to the region – a strong indicator it is producing physicians likely to practice locally.

“The opening of the School of Medicine Building is not only a defining moment for our students and faculty, but also for the East Texas communities we serve,” said UT Tyler President Julie V. Philley, MD. “The addition of clinical services within the building is a testament to the power of our partnership with Ardent Health through UT Health East Texas. By integrating education and patient care, we are creating new opportunities for learning, innovation and improved healthcare outcomes throughout the region.”

“When this partnership began, the vision was a healthier future for East Texas, and the School of Medicine Building brings it full circle,” said Donald Baker, president of UT Health East Texas and Ardent’s Lone Star Region. “Education and patient care now sit side by side, expanding care for patients and training the physicians that will care for this region tomorrow.”

About UT Health East Texas

UT Health East Texas provides care to thousands of patients each year through an extensive regional network that includes nine hospitals, more than 90 clinics, the Olympic Plaza Tower, 13 regional rehabilitation facilities, two freestanding emergency centers, regional home health services, an EMS fleet of more than 65 ambulances and four helicopters, and a comprehensive eight-trauma center care network, including the region’s only Level 1 trauma facility. As a partner with The University of Texas System, UT Health East Texas is uniquely positioned to provide patients with access to leading-edge research and clinical therapies while training and educating the next generation of physicians and other health professionals.

About Ardent Health

Ardent Health (NYSE: ARDT) is a leading provider of healthcare in growing mid-sized urban communities across the U.S. The Company delivers care through its subsidiaries, which include 30 acute care hospitals and more than 280 sites of care with over 2,000 employed and affiliated providers across six states. Anchored by a shared operating model and a commitment to investing in innovative services and technologies that improve quality, access and experience, Ardent is focused on delivering strong clinical outcomes and improving the health of the patients and communities it serves.

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