Betty Dillard bdillard@bizpress.net
Texas Health Physicians, Target to offer walk-in health care Texas Health Physicians Group, Texas Health Resources’ not-for-profit physician organization based in Arlington, is partnering with Target to provide patient access to health care services in eight Dallas-Fort Worth area retail locations. “This collaboration advances Texas Health’s strategy to expand access to convenient, quality primary care close to where people live and work,” said Dr. Shawn Parsley, the group’s president. The local clinics are the retailer’s first in Texas, in addition to more than 70 locations in Florida, Illinois, Maryland, Minnesota, North Carolina and Virginia. The clinics provide walk-in medical care for minor illnesses and injuries, skin treatments, vaccinations, tests and screenings for patients 18 months and older. Patients visiting a Target Clinic who do not have a primary care physician will be given a list of local physicians. Texas Health-affiliated emergency medicine physicians will supervise the nurse practitioners providing care at the Target Clinic locations. The eight local clinics are: Target Allen North, 150 E. Stacy Road; Target Denton, 1801 S. Loop 288; Target Flower Mound, 5959 Long Prairie Road; Target Frisco, 3201 Preston Road; Target Frisco North, 4885 Eldorado Parkway; Target Hurst, 1400 Precinct Line Road; Target Plano West, 2200 Dallas Parkway; and Target Watauga, 8000 Denton Highway.
TEXAS HEALTH SOUTHWEST STARTS WORK ON OFFICE BUILDING Construction started Sept. 18 on a $40 million expansion of Texas Health Harris Methodist Hospital Southwest Fort Worth. The expansion, across the street from the hospital’s main campus at 6100 Harris Parkway, will add the second of two medical office buildings to the campus. The $40 million, five-story facility will feature an endoscopy and outpatient surgery center including an observation deck between operating rooms for families and other visitors. Also planned are three floors of physician office space for future growth and a five-story parking garage. The project construction firm is Dallas-based Skiles Group. HKS Architects is project architect. The projected opening date is fall 2015. Texas Health Harris Methodist Hospital Southwest Fort Worth is a 220-bed acute care, full-service facility. Its services include surgical and imaging services, a 24-hour emergency department, orthopedics and sports therapy, adult critical care and a Level III neonatal intensive care unit. – A. Lee Graham
TARRANT COUNTY APPOINTS NEW PUBLIC HEALTH DIRECTOR Veerinder Taneja is Tarrant County’s new public health director, succeeding Lou Brewer, who retired in May after 14 years of service. Taneja has more than 13 years of public health experience. He previously was deputy health officer and acting director of the Wayne County Health Department in Michigan. He earned his medical degree from Manipal Academy of Higher Education in India and his master’s degree in public health from Eastern Kentucky University.
CONIFER HEALTH SOLUTIONS ACQUIRES SPI HEALTHCARE Conifer Health Solutions, a Frisco-based provider of technology-enabled health care performance improvement services, has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire SPi Healthcare, an Illinois provider of revenue cycle management, health information management and software solutions for independent and provider-owned physician practices. The transaction, valued at $235 million, is expected to be complete in the fourth quarter of 2014. John O’Donnell, SPi’s chief executive officer, will join Conifer’s senior management team reporting to Stephen M. Moody, president and CEO. SPi Healthcare is a wholly owned subsidiary of SPi Global. Conifer supports more than 19 million patient interactions, manages more than $25 billion in patient revenue and $17 billion in medically managed spending, and provides technology and health management services to support care management for more than four million people annually.
CHILDREN’S MEDICAL CENTER EXPANDS, GETS NEW NAME Once a standalone pediatric medical center, Children’s Medical Center Dallas has launched a new brand identity and name while it expands its network of care into North Texas. The system is now named Children’s Health System of Texas. It includes a clinically integrated network featuring the flagship hospital Children’s Health Children’s Medical Center Dallas, Children’s Health Children’s Medical Center Plano (previously known as Children’s Medical Center at Legacy), Children’s Specialty Center Southlake, and 18 primary care medical practices, previously known as MyChildren’s and now renamed Children’s Health Pediatric Group. Children’s Health also will focus on delivering health and wellness services through community and faith-based organizations as well as through strategic alliances. Children’s Health is also starting a multi-media advertising and marketing campaign built around a theme of “By Your Side.”
SENIOR LIVING COMMUNITY TO BE BUILT IN ALLEN Mesquite-based Christian Care Centers Inc. broke ground Sept. 26 on a 72,000-square-foot, two-story senior center on property adjoining Greenville Oaks Church of Christ, near Highway 5 and Bethany Drive in Allen. Designed by REES Architects, the new senior community will have 32 assisted living units and 36 memory care units. The property also will include 22 independent living cottages, to be completed under separate contract. Adolfson & Peterson Construction has been working in a preconstruction capacity with Christian Care Centers and REES since November 2013. Completion is scheduled for August 2015. Christian Care Centers will operate the facility.
CHEFS AUCTION BENEFIT RAISES $250,000 FOR MARCH OF DIMES The 2014 Signature Chefs Auction Fort Worth on Sept. 18 at River Ranch raised $250,000 for March of Dimes. The event, which attracted 400 guests, featured a record 22 tasting stations and a big board and live auction. Honorary chairman was Dan Lowrance, event chairman was Winjie Tang Miao and lead chef was Molly McCook of Ellerbe Fine Foods. All proceeds benefit March of Dimes and its mission to improve the health of babies by preventing birth defects, premature birth and infant mortality. FORT WORTH COMPANY HELPS PATIENTS FIGHTING CANCER Apex Capital, a factoring company in Fort Worth, presented Cancer Care Services of Fort Worth with 33 RonWear-Port-able Clothing jackets for patients undergoing chemotherapy. The fundraiser was inspired by Apex employee Dilek Debose, who is undergoing treatment for acute lymphoblastic leukemia. A group of Apex employees initially bought a jacket for Debose when she began chemo treatments, and after receiving rave reviews, the company launched a fundraiser to buy more of the jackets for local residents undergoing cancer treatments. For information, visit www.ronwear.com.
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