Stephens Memorial Hospital to host community forum to shape future of local healthcare
Stephens Memorial Hospital leaders will host a community planning forum on Thursday, June 18, as part of a long-term strategic planning program to evaluate future resource investments and service expansions.
As part of the multi-month initiative to strengthen the local healthcare infrastructure, the community forum will be from 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at Texas State Technical College’s Breckenridge campus, 415 N. Breckenridge Ave. The forum will be open to the public, and those planning to attend are asked to RSVP at www.OurHealthConnect.com/stephens-memorial-hospital.
The upcoming forum follows a community wide survey distributed to county, city and school officials, as well as local and area residents. The survey was designed to gauge public awareness of current services and identify opportunities for healthcare improvement and expansion.
The June 18 event will feature a briefing from SMH leaders as well as assessments from hospital industry leaders from HealthConnect, an Austin-based consulting group with experience in healthcare policy, hospital governance, and strategic business development, particularly focused on rural healthcare.
As part of the forum, moderators from HealthConnect will invite attendee input and facilitate focus group discussions on specific healthcare issues and hospital operations.
“Healthcare is always evolving, and like other industries, we adjust for market trends and market forces, but we are in a unique time where rural hospitals simultaneously are confronting significant threats and presented with new opportunities,” said Gena Speer, CEO of Stephens Memorial Hospital.
“We see this as the perfect time to engage the community as we look toward the future, plan for investments, and consider how best to keep services locally while doing so in a fiscally responsible way,” said Speer, a registered nurse with a master’s degree in nursing.
Hospital leadership emphasized that the strategic planning process is vital not only for patient care but also for the broader local economy.
“Our local economy depends heavily on accessible and reliable high-quality healthcare services. It’s critical for our schools, business owners, law enforcement, and others to have a great hospital that provides dependable care for day-to-day primary care, 24/7 emergency care, as well as specialty services to the extent possible,” said Tom Echols, DVM, Stephens Memorial Hospital District board president. “Hearing from the community and demonstrating our commitment to their needs is an important part of looking toward the future.”
