This opinion-editorial article first appeared in the Corpus Christi Caller Times: Closure of South Texas Emergency Medicine Residency a Great Loss
By Reuben Pedraza, MD, and Rick Snyder, MD
Christus Spohn Hospital recently announced its plan to close its emergency medicine residency program in June 2026. This came as a shock to the medical community. The statement from Christus cited consideration of the availability of resources as the reason for the unexpected closure.
The Nueces County Medical Society (NCMS) has met with representatives of both Christus Spohn and the Emergency Medicine Residency Program. After careful consideration, we urge Christus Spohn to reconsider the closing of the residency program. The Christus Health – Texas A&M Spohn Emergency Medicine Residency has trained young physicians since 2007. Many of these physicians have gone on to stay and practice right here in our community. This is not surprising as multiple studies have shown that resident physicians tend to stay and practice close to where they were trained.
The impact of the residency program also can be felt in our rural communities, where our resident physicians often serve a vital role in staffing emergency department shifts. Like many places, our community's lack of access to primary care has reached a critical point. As anyone who has tried to make a new patient appointment recently can tell you, it can be months before an appointment is available for a new patient. That is, assuming you have the resources to receive care. Many residents in our community are indigent or have limited resources, so emergency services are the only way to access needed health care.
The unfortunate truth is that access to primary care is likely to remain a problem in the community well into the future, and our emergency departments will continue to serve as the safety net for those in need. We feel it is crucial to continue to train emergency department physicians locally to help fulfill those needs.
We feel that the decision to close the residency program will have a detrimental and long-lasting impact on the entire Coastal Bend community. The physicians of the NCMS and the Texas Medical Association stand united in calling on CHRISTUS Spohn to reverse its decision. We also call on officials with the Nueces County Hospital District and local community leaders to provide greater oversight of these programs.
Dr. Pedraza is president of the Nueces County Medical Society. Dr. Snyder is president of the Texas Medical Association.
Last Updated On
October 24, 2023
Originally Published On
October 24, 2023