Wise Health System’s board of directors announced the company is considering joining forces with Medical City Healthcare, a division of HCA Healthcare.
HCA is one of the region’s largest providers and has been continuously expanding across Texas. While Medical City Healthcare is based in Dallas, Wise Health System is located in Decatur — the seat of Wise County.
Last year, HCA announced plans to build five more hospitals, adding on to the 47 care sites it currently operates around the state.
An announcement was made Tuesday when Wise Health System board members said that their decision to discuss business with HCA was based on the company’s high-quality health care and reputation.
In a statement, Carey Williams, chairman of the Wise Health System board, said, “The board unanimously supports exploring an affiliation with Medical City Healthcare so we may continue offering first-class care in our area.”
Wise Health System was formerly the Decatur Community Hospital, which the Decatur Hospital Authority opened in 1974.
President and CEO of Wise Health System, Jason Wren, said that for the last five decades, the company has successfully fulfilled its original vision but that it is time for a change.
“Continuing to fulfill that vision requires us to regularly evaluate what’s best for our hospital and the patients we serve. I believe exploring a future alliance with Medical City Healthcare is the absolute best way to continue providing the best delivery of health services and carry our mission forward. It’s about our patients and their families, our community, and our employees — not the name on the door,” stated Wren.
As the two healthcare systems discuss a possible collaboration, which may eventually lead to a transitionary period of a few months, Wise Health System stressed that its patients will have access to uninterrupted care.
“The governing board of Wise Health System believes strongly that pursuing this path of collaboration is a crucial, proactive measure to ensure we are well-positioned to continue our mission of providing compassionate and innovative care to our community and patients with transparency and excellence for years to come,” said Williams.
According to Wise County Judge J.D. Clark, the acquisition might be just what the county needs to keep up with its rapid population growth, “ensur[ing] that we’ve still got a great hometown hospital system here that people can go to and feel good about.”