Ribbon-Cutting Celebrates Official Unveiling Of New Seton Medical Center Harker Heights

PLANO, Texas, June 7, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Officials from LHP Hospital Group, Inc. and the Seton Family of Hospitals will today celebrate the public unveiling of the first new hospital in more than 35 years in Bell County, TX -- the Seton Medical Center Harker Heights.  The ceremony, which will include Mayors from the Central Texas region, State Representatives, and other civic leaders, will include a ribbon-cutting ceremony and serve as a prelude to a Grand Celebration for the community at large from 11 am – 3 pm on Saturday, June 9th.

(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20120607/CL20967LOGO )

The hospital is expected to open officially and begin accepting patients on June 18, 2012.

"The development of this new medical center is a true grass-roots success story, as local physicians sensed the pressing need for choice and excellence in healthcare and approached LHP and Seton about building this wonderful new facility we are celebrating today," said Dan Moen, LHP Hospital Group's CEO.  "We are confident that Central Texas residents will benefit from this new healthcare asset, and look forward to providing leading healthcare services to them for decades to come."

"This joint venture between LHP and the Seton Family of Hospitals provides an excellent healthcare option for one of the country's fastest-growing markets – and does so in a manner consistent with the values that have defined Seton's approach for decades," added Jesus Garza, President and Interim CEO of Seton Healthcare Family.  "We are delighted to partner with LHP on this project, and to be on the ground in Harker Heights, Killeen, Temple and neighboring communities to improve healthcare in the area."

The LHP and Seton joint venture will benefit the community on many levels. Projected to create close to 2,000 new jobs by 2022, the three-story hospital is expected to have a total economic impact of $1.5 billion over a ten-year period. Matt Maxfield, who has 24 years of healthcare experience, serves as the hospital's CEO.

The 192,400-square-foot facility is located at 850 W. Central Expressway and includes 83 beds, all private patient rooms, electronic medical records, helipad and a 60,000-square-foot medical pavilion adjacent to the Medical Center.  The hospital has been built to readily accommodate growth in the coming years.

Dr. Charles Day, MD, President, Killeen Investment Partners, concluded, "This great day for Bell County and the surrounding region would not have been possible without the determination and focus of a group of local physicians who approached LHP about building a hospital to provide choice while remaining independent.  This led to the formation of a physician steering committee that worked for over a year in planning every aspect of the hospital from the architectural drawings to the physician recruitment plan to the medical staff by-laws requiring that all physicians be board certified or board eligible.  We are delighted with the outcome, and look forward to formally opening our doors later this month." 

About LHP Hospital Group, Inc.

LHP Hospital Group, Inc. (LHP) is a privately held company established to provide essential capital and expertise to not-for-profit hospitals and hospital systems. In cooperation with local hospitals, LHP forms joint ventures to acquire, own, operate and manage acute care facilities in small cities and select urban markets throughout the United States. Headquartered in Plano, Texas, LHP is owned by affiliates of the private equity firm CCMP Capital Advisors, LLC and the CPP Investment Board as well as certain members of management and the board of directors. For more information, please go to www.lhphospitalgroup.com.

About the Seton Family of Hospitals

The Seton Family of Hospitals is a division of the Seton Healthcare Family, the leading provider of comprehensive, advanced health care services in Central Texas. As part of its mission to improve the health of the communities it serves, with special concern for the poor and the vulnerable, Seton plays an increasingly important role in preparing the region's next generation of clinicians. In Fiscal Year 2010, Seton provided $300 million in charity care.

Seton's 38 clinical locations include five major medical centers, two community hospitals, three rural hospitals, an inpatient mental health hospital, three primary care clinics for the uninsured, and several strategically located health facilities that provide medical care for well patients. The system includes the only Level I Trauma Centers for adult and pediatric patients in the Austin area, the only heart transplant center in Central Texas, and the first two Designated Stroke Centers in Texas to receive a Gold Seal of Approval from The Joint Commission. Seton hospitals have earned four Magnet designations, the highest award for nursing excellence given by the American Nurses Credentialing Center.

Seton is a member of Ascension Health, the largest not-for-profit health network in the nation.

SOURCE LHP Hospital Group, Inc.