Press Releases

Jacksonville, Texas (April 15, 2024) —  After 50 years working as a nurse and other positions at the hospital, UT Health Jacksonville’s Quality and Patient Safety Director Debbie McCaslin said it’s easy to think she has seen it all, but she is proved wrong every time. 

“You never see it all in a job like this,” she said recalling her storied nursing career, which started when the hospital was named Nan Travis Memorial Hospital. “That’s what’s good about this job — every day is different, so whatever problem presents itself is what you work on that day.” 

Tyler, Texas (March 27, 2024) —  UT Health East Texas will discontinue Long-Term Acute Care (LTAC) services next month as the health system responds to the community’s changing healthcare needs and a growing demand for inpatient acute care beds in Tyler. 

The LTAC, which has 18 patient beds, serves patients experiencing chronic, acute illnesses requiring an estimated length of stay of 25 days with complex medical treatment.  

Quitman and Tyler, Texas (February 29, 2024) — UT Health East Texas announced today that two of its hospitals, UT Health Quitman and UT Health Tyler, have been recognized for outstanding quality and employee satisfaction by its parent company, Ardent Health Services.

Tyler, Texas (February 15, 2024) — UT Health East Texas, a leading regional healthcare provider, today announced it has completed the acquisition of five urgent care clinics in the region from QuickVisit Urgent Care in Carthage, Henderson, Jacksonville, Kilgore and Mabank, in addition to fully acquiring the operations of UT Health East Texas Urgent Care in Canton from its partner Premier Health.

Tyler, Texas (January 31, 2024) — UT Health East Texas plans to offer the region’s first adult extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) program for patients with severe forms of heart and/or lung failure. As an advanced pulmonary and cardiac treatment, ECMO is used for critically ill patients to alleviate the stress on these vital organs, allowing restorative time for recovery to a state of normal function.

Tyler, Texas (January 24, 2024) — Karyn Gordon, a freshman at Winona High School, remembers going to her pediatrician’s office and being comforted by the paintings and art on the walls. Now, it’s her own artwork that will provide such comfort to pediatric patients at UT Health Tyler as part of a donation Winona High School theater students made to the hospital on Wednesday. 

Henderson, Texas (November 6, 2023) —  UT Health Henderson earned an “A” Hospital Safety Grade from The Leapfrog Group, a national nonprofit watchdog that sets standards for excellence in patient care. Leapfrog assigns an “A,” “B,” “C,” “D” or “F” grade to general hospitals across the country based on over 30 national performance measures reflecting errors, accidents, injuries and infections, as well as the systems hospitals have in place to prevent harm.

Tyler, Texas (November 3, 2023) — The University of Texas at Tyler Health Science Center has been awarded on Newsweek’s list of America’s Best-In-State Hospitals 2024. This prestigious award is presented by Newsweek and Statista Inc., the world-leading statistics portal and industry ranking provider. Clinical care at the health science center is provided under the banner of UT Health North Campus Tyler.

Tyler, Texas (November 1, 2023) —  Rachel Carney, RN, a nurse in the renal/urology unit at UT Health Tyler, has been recognized by Ardent Health Services with the 2023 Nurse of the Year Award. 

Presented annually by UT Health Tyler’s parent company, the award recognizes an outstanding nurse for their compassion, skill and willingness to go the extra mile in caring for others.  

Tyler, Texas (Oct. 26, 2023) —  High blood pressure is a problem for a large percentage of East Texans, but that soon may be changing thanks to a study led by two physicians with the UT Health East Texas Heart and Vascular Institute. Dr. Frank Navetta and Dr. Robert Smith are researching a new procedure that may lower blood pressure even if it is resistant to medication. They already have performed this outpatient procedure, the first in East Texas, with positive results that will continue to be monitored.