San Antonio, TX (February 1, 2021) – In December 2020, Methodist Healthcare expanded its emergency care services by adding two new neighborhood freestanding emergency rooms (FSERs). Last month, a third facility opened on the northeast side of town. As a department of Methodist Hospital Northeast, Methodist ER Nacogdoches delivers greater convenience and easier access to acute medical care, as well as nearby COVID-19 assessments.

“After successfully opening Methodist ER Converse in 2019, Methodist Hospital Northeast is excited to provide more families in our community access to convenient and trustworthy emergency care,” said Michael Beaver, chief executive officer of Methodist Hospital Northeast. “Our community deserves to feel safe and confident in the emergency care you receive, and it is our responsibility to provide you with the necessary resources and high-quality care. It is our privilege to bring you this level of emergency care close to your home.”

Identifying the gap between urgent care centers and FSERs will help patients understand where to go for their medical needs depending on the urgency. Urgent care facilities work under set hours of operation and treat minor injuries and illnesses. Often times, they are staffed with physician assistants and nursing assistants rather than doctors and RNs extensively trained in emergency care. Urgent cares typically lack advanced imaging equipment, such as CT scans, x-rays, and ultrasound technology, limiting their capabilities.

Freestanding emergency rooms offer comprehensive and immediate care 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Board-certified physicians and emergency-trained nurses are readily available to treat serious, sometimes life-threatening emergency medical conditions including chest pain, respiratory distress, abdominal pain, broken bones or dislocated joints, serious infections, injuries, stroke symptoms, and more. FSERs operate the same as a hospital emergency department, offering advanced technology and equipment to support a variety of emergency medical conditions. Since they are not directly connected to a main campus hospital, they cannot admit critically ill patients or perform surgery; however, patients can seamlessly be transferred to a Methodist Healthcare hospital, if necessary.

Methodist Healthcare continues to expand its reach with the opening of additional freestanding emergency rooms in 2021. The facilities are located at:

  • Legacy Trails, 9211 Potranco Road (NOW OPEN!)
  • De Zavala Rd., 12805 W. I-10 (NOW OPEN!)
  • Nacogdoches Rd., 13434 Nacogdoches Road (NOW OPEN!)
  • Helotes, 12285 Bandera Road (Opening early 2021)
  • Kitty Hawk Rd., 7898 Kitty Hawk Road (Opening early 2021)