CHRISTUS Health

We’re honored to be nationally recognized by CHIME as a top-performing health system for digital excellence and innovation. This award celebrates our commitment to making care more connected, accessible, and patient-centered across every community we serve. From standardizing our electronic health records through Epic to advancing AI for early detection and intervention, we’re investing in tools that help our caregivers deliver the compassionate, high-quality care you expect from CHRISTUS. Learn more about this recognition at https://lnkd.in/gXVb_uFe

Today, we join with communities across the country in recognizing National Rural Health Day, an opportunity to celebrate the dedication, resilience, and compassion that define rural healthcare. Across the communities we serve, we provide access to high-quality, compassionate care right where they live. From emergency services and maternity care to advanced imaging, surgical services, athletic training support, neurological care and rehabilitation, our rural facilities play a vital role in reducing barriers and bringing essential services close to home.

Kelley Miller knew something was wrong when she woke up with heavy pressure on her chest. Thinking it was indigestion, she took some medication. But it wasn’t until she started experiencing nausea along with intense pain across her body that she drove to our ER, suspecting a heart attack. Doctors confirmed her suspicion, and she was transferred to our CHRISTUS Highland Cath Lab, where, along with her nurses, she believed she would receive the best care. Upon arrival, Kelley was met by an exceptional care team, including Interventional Cardiologist Dr. Paul Davis and Cardiothoracic Surgeon Dr. Timothy Danish. A heart catheterization revealed that Kelley’s heart attack was not the result of coronary artery disease— plaque buildup that contributes to 75 percent of cardiac events in men and 47 percent in women. Instead, Kelley was diagnosed with spontaneous coronary artery dissection, or "SCAD," a rare but serious condition that occurs when a tear develops in the coronary artery wall. Often misdiagnosed as a typical heart attack, SCAD is nearly six times more common in women and can lead to unnecessary stents. Because her dissected artery would heal on its own, Kelley did not require a stent, and after spending several days in the hospital to have her troponin levels monitored, she returned home. Today, she’s grateful to our entire staff and the exemplary care she received, giving special thanks to nurses Dana, Debra, Macy, Lyndsey, Sarah, and Mikayla. She reminds others that not all heart attacks are caused by traditional factors and urges others not to delay in getting checked out if they suspect they may be having one.

In a shared commitment to advancing care for children and families across our communities, associates from CHRISTUS Children’s, the System Office, and Chile, along with representatives from UC CHRISTUS and Pontificia Universidad Católica, visited the CHRISTUS Children’s campus to learn more about our growing pediatric and maternal care services and to explore opportunities for future collaboration. This integrated approach helps us continue to grow, learn, and serve as we further our mission.

We were proud to have many CHRISTUS Health Associates and leaders take part in the 2025 National Association of Latino Healthcare Executives (NALHE) Conference in San Antonio! NALHE’s mission, to promote health equity for multicultural Latino communities by increasing representation in healthcare and supporting inclusive policies, aligns closely with our own commitment to advancing every aspect of care. Together, we celebrated and strengthened our shared vision for a future where every voice and every community is represented in healthcare leadership.

More than 5,000 walkers came together at Northeast Lakeview College for the 2025 San Antonio Heart & Stroke Walk, raising more than $830,000 to fuel lifesaving research, education, and advocacy. Led by Derrick Cuenca, CEO of CHRISTUS Santa Rosa – Westover Hills and this year’s event chair, the walk also highlighted the American Heart Association’s Nation of Lifesavers™ initiative, empowering more people to step up, learn CPR, and save lives. 🫀💪

Today, we salute the CHRISTUS Associates, physicians, and volunteers who have served their country as part of the Armed Forces. We honor their strength, bravery, courage, and commitment to caring for our communities through their past service and the care they provide now. Happy Veterans Day🇺🇸!

We are proud to feature James Adam Williams, a member of CHRISTUS Health US Family Health Plan since 2021 and a retired 1SG in the Medical Corps, who served from 1982 to 2003. Williams shares his photo with Levy Blanchard's headstone in the American Cemetery in Normandy as a profound tribute to the lasting legacy of courage and sacrifice of all the brave United States service members, women, and their families who have made the ultimate sacrifice in protecting American freedoms. "They've given their all. I am overcome with humbleness and gratitude for those who've walked before and after me that will remain in my heart until my last jump." This Veterans Day, we thank and salute Williams, Blanchard, and all who have and continue to serve our great nation.

We are proud to announce that vascular surgeons Dr. Wesley Jones and Dr. Mitchell George have enrolled the first patient in the STRIKE-PE post-market approval study in collaboration with CHRISTUS Mother Frances Research! This study is designed to evaluate the long-term safety and outcomes of treating pulmonary embolism using the Penumbra Indigo Aspiration System, a minimally invasive technology that removes blood clots to restore blood flow and improve patient outcomes. By working closely with our research team, Dr. George, Dr. Jones and our vascular team are advancing real-world clinical evidence and helping to shape the future of treatment for pulmonary embolism.

Football in Haughton just got bigger and better, thanks to Dallas Cowboys quarterback and Haughton alumnus, Dak Prescott, who made a special donation to the school for a new scoreboard and weight room. CHRISTUS Health is a proud partner and provider of athletic training services for Haughton, and our trainer, Charlie Wardlaw, was there to celebrate the occasion as future stars of Haughton will play on Prescott Field.