A Major Medical Partnership in East Texas

TYLER – Ardent Health Services and The University of Texas Health Science Center at Tyler have announced a newly formed 10-hospital health system . It is being created by the purchase of East Texas Medical Center Regional Healthcare System, which will be named UT Health East Texas. The Ut System board of regents approved the partnership at Thursday’s meeting. UT Health East Texas will include the 502-bed East Texas Medical Center in Tyler, UT Health Northeast hospital and clinics, and the UT Health Northeast MD Anderson Cancer Center. Also included are eight regional hospitals, more than 50 clinic locations and an EMS fleet of more than 45 ambulances and four helicopters. The sale is projected to close March 1.

The new entity names in East Texas include:
• UT Health Tyler (formerly ETMC Tyler)
• UT Health North Campus Tyler (formerly UT Health Northeast)
• UT Health Athens (formerly ETMC Athens)
• UT Health Carthage (formerly ETMC Carthage)
• UT Health Henderson (formerly ETMC Henderson)
• UT Health Jacksonville (formerly ETMC Jacksonville)
• UT Health Pittsburg (formerly ETMC Pittsburg)
• UT Health Quitman (formerly ETMC Quitman)
• UT Health Specialty Hospital (formerly ETMC Specialty Hospital)
• UT Health Behavioral Health Center (formerly ETMC Behavioral Health Center)
• UT Health East Texas Physicians (formerly ETMC Physicians First)
• UT Health East Texas EMS & UT Health East Texas Air 1 (formerly ETMC EMS & ETMC Air 1)

As partners, UT Health Science Center Tyler and Ardent Health Services have appointed healthcare industry veteran Moody Chisholm to lead UT Health East Texas. As president and CEO of UT Health East Texas, Chisholm will be based in Tyler where he will oversee system operations and work closely with the governing board to leverage clinical services and resources to expand medical education and community health initiatives throughout the region. Additionally, Eric Roach has been named chief financial officer for the system.

Chisholm most recently served as regional vice president for Salt Lake City, Utah-based Intermountain Healthcare’s central region, which includes five hospitals. He was previously CEO of St. Vincent’s Healthcare in Jacksonville, Florida. Prior to that, he spent 24 years with Universal Health Services where he held a variety of leadership roles including division vice president. Chisholm holds bachelor’s degrees in economics and business administration from Appalachian State University, and received his MBA from Nova Southeastern University.

Roach also brings more than 20 years of healthcare leadership experience. He most recently served as vice president of finance for Community Health Systems in Franklin, Tennessee, where he oversaw the financial operations of 31 facilities and more than 600 employed physicians throughout the southeast. He previously held a similar role at Health Management Associates, where he managed financial operations for 13 facilities, and served as CFO for 154-bed Regional Hospital of Jackson in Jackson, Tennessee.

Ardent and UT System will invest more than $125 million in the system over five years. The UT System will retain ownership of the UT Health Science Center campus and facilities, thereby reducing the need for additional capital investment from the partnership. Ardent will manage day-to-day operations and governance will be shared through a newly formed board of directors.