Over 200 ambulances with patients have already arrived at Methodist Celina since the hospital’s doors opened, and life-saving care has been provided to those via ambulance and by walk-in, he said. Methodist Celina served its first patient March 17 and has since seen a high volume of patients, including those with heart attacks, strokes and injuries from accidents.
“I’m really confident [those patients are] alive today purely because of the services that we’re offering and the proximity of those services,” Hunter said.
At a glance
Methodist Celina Medical Center is a 240,000-square-foot facility equipped with 51 total beds, including 16 in the emergency department. The hospital has space to expand to 100 beds, according to hospital officials.
Hospital officials set out to address an emergency care desert as access to health care in the area was a challenge with the limited hospital options, he said. Since opening, Hunter said the need for services, particularly in the intensive care unit, have been higher than anticipated.
Marking a milestone
Since opening in March, Celina Methodist has completed various surgeries or treatments for the first time, with several of these occurring during the first week of operations, hospital officials said. This includes:
- First robotic surgery completed in Celina with the da Vinci surgical system
- First heart attack treated
- First removal of a pulmonary embolism
- First repair of a fractured hip
- First dialysis treatment
- First stroke treated
- First endoscopy
- First utilization of advanced imaging technology
Hospital officials are already working toward new programs and services.
Women’s and children’s services are expected to open this fall, Hunter said. The hospital was intentionally opened without obstetrics services to flesh out safety and other processes, he said.
Other growth plans include the surgery space in the hospital and bringing on specialists to the hospital’s professional offices, he said. Another primary care clinic in the professional offices is expected to open this summer.
Celina Methodist has built out about half to two-thirds of its 40 acres of land, Hunter said.
“If Celina and Prosper ... continue to grow like they have over the last five years, we’ll be [starting projects] sooner rather than later,” he said.
