Rep. Jackson Lee honored for her years of service ensuring all Houstonian’s have access to high-quality care.
Houston’s first hospital celebrated generations of community-based care
Houston, Texas – Today, St. Joseph Medical Center in Houston hosted a 135th anniversary celebration and pavilion dedication ceremony honoring Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee (D-TX). The ceremony will be named the Sheila Jackson Lee Pavilion on June 1, 2022. The events included remarks from hospital leadership and Rep. Jackson Lee, as well as an exhibition of memorabilia and photographs throughout the hospital’s history.
St. Joseph Medical Center first opened its doors to serve the community on June 1, 1887 and has provided high-quality care to generations of Houstonians ever since as the city’s first hospital. St. Joseph Medical Center dedicated the main pavilion building on the hospital’s campus to Rep. Jackson Lee in honor of her decades of service to Texans and the region.
Congresswoman Jackson Lee is a long-time advocate for access to healthcare for the residents of the 18th Congressional District, the city of Houston, Harris County, the state of Texas and the nation. Her most notable efforts include her work to pass, preserve and protect healthcare access provided by the Affordable Care Act, to her work during the pandemic to bring testing and later vaccination clinics to underserved communities throughout the city of Houston and Harris County. She has advocated on behalf of St. Joseph Medical Center on a range of issues that includes the designation of the hospital as essential due to it being the only facility serving downtown Houston.
State Rep. Ron Reynolds, Harris County Trustees Eva Loredo and Pretta VanDible Stallworth, along with representatives from Commissioner Rodney Ellis and Commissioner Adrian Garcia’s office also participated in the celebration.
“I am truly honored by this recognition and promise to continue working consistently for the people of Houston and Texas,” said Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee.
“Steward is honored to take this opportunity to celebrate and reflect on St. Joseph Medical Center’s incredible legacy in the Houston community and we thank Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee for joining us today and for her years of advocacy to ensure equitable access to quality care” said Ralph de la Torre, Chairman and CEO, Steward Health Care. “At Steward, providing patient-centered care is at the heart of everything we do and the staff of St. Joseph Medical Center—from nurses and doctors to technicians and cleaning staff—have been putting that into action for generations. We look forward to building upon this cherished tradition for years to come.”
“We are so proud to carry on St. Joseph Medical Center’s long history of providing high-quality care to the people of Houston,” said Scott Flowers, interim President, St. Joseph Medical Center. “We have been at the forefront of keeping Houstonians safe and healthy since 1887, from Hurricane Harvey to the COVID-19 Pandemic and the general ups and downs of life. We’re grateful to Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee for her steadfast support and the entire community for standing by our side through it all.”
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About St. Joseph Medical Center
Since the doors of Houston’s first hospital opened on June 1, 1887, St. Joseph Medical Center has offered compassionate health care to generations of Houstonians. From providing Houston’s first emergency care facility to Houston’s first OB department (delivering one in every three Houstonians), to Houston’s first teaching hospital, St. Joseph Medical Center has advanced patient care through technology, research, and the experience of caring and dedicated physicians, nurses, and staff.
About Steward Health Care System
Nearly a decade ago, Steward Health Care System emerged as a different kind of health care company designed to usher in a new era of wellness. One that provides our patients better, more proactive care at a sustainable cost, our providers unrivaled coordination of care, and our communities greater prosperity and stability.
As the country’s largest physician-led, tax paying, integrated health care system, our doctors can be certain that we share their interests and those of their patients. Together we are on a mission to revolutionize the way health care is delivered - creating healthier lives, thriving communities and a better world.
Steward is among the nation’s largest and most successful accountable care organizations (ACO), with more than 5,500 providers and 43,000 health care professionals who care for 12.3 million patients a year through a closely integrated network of hospitals, multispecialty medical groups, urgent care centers, skilled nursing facilities and behavioral health centers.
Based in Dallas, Steward currently operates 40 hospitals across Arizona, Arkansas, Florida, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Texas and Utah.