Trinity hospital officially opens

Trinity dignitaries, the hospital board and members of MidCoast Health Systems cut the ribbon on MidCoast Medical Center Trinity. Photos by Tony Farkas

By Tony Farkas
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TRINITY — After almost seven years, a full-service hospital has returned to Trinity, a feat that may actually be unprecedented in the state of Texas.

On Wednesday, Trinity dignitaries, the hospital board and members of MidCoast Health Systems cut the ribbon on MidCoast Medical Center Trinity.

Hospital Administrator Kent Waters said it was a long-overdue momentous occasion.

Hospital Board President Randy Karnes said this process has been going on since East Texas Medical Center closed up shop in August of 2017.

The board began looking for a partner since then, and it wasn’t until Halloween 2021 when a contract was signed with MidCoast. Karnes said they interviewed 29 different health care entities to replace ETMC.

In the meantime, the board kept a staff of three people to keep the facility in pristine condition, making sure it would not deteriorate to make it more marketable.

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“It’s incredible,” Karnes said. “We were able to find a partner to be able to do this. Everything was stacked against us.”

He said the state inspector had said that while she has inspected many new facilities prior to their opening, she has never inspected one for it to be reopened.

MidCoast CEO Brett Kirkham said the Trinity facility held a special place in his heart, as he was the hospital administrator with ETMC. He thanked the board and the staff for their work and diligence, and thanked State Rep. Trent Ashby and U.S. Rep. Pete Sessions for their work in keeping rural health care viable and in East Texas.

Ashby said that while he could not say reopening a facility was unprecedented, no one in the state offices could find an example of a closed hospital being reopened.

“This is a fantastic deal,” he said.

Ashby said the state needs to do a better job of taking care of rural Texans.

Sessions also lauded the reopening, saying through his East Texas Coordinator Melinda Kartye, ““I am excited for the reopening of Mid Coast Medical Center Trinity. Residents of East Texas will have access to quality health care services in close proximity. The hospital will also create new jobs that will have a meaningful impact on this well-deserving community. Today’s grand opening marks a significant economic and wellness advancement for Trinity.”