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The Arch Report

April 5, 2021Doug Peters, President & CEO of the Abilene Chamber of Commerce

Every community has attributes that help to define it. In seeking a place to live or to locate and operate a business, people and business decision-makers seek a low cost of living/operating; access to affordable, accessible quality healthcare; good schools and lifelong learning opportunities; a business friendly atmosphere and cultural opportunities that provide uniqueness to the area. All of these factors are component parts of a high quality of place. A high quality of place helps to attract the people who contribute to our workforce and our economy, helping our economy to grow.

In October of last year, we heard from Hendrick Health System, now known as Hendrick Health – one of our largest employers and stakeholders in the community – that they would add capacity and access through the strategic acquisition Abilene Regional Medical Center, now Hendrick Medical Center South (HMCS) and Brownwood Regional Medical Center, now Hendrick Medical Center Brownwood (HMCB).

With a need to increase service and capacity in the region, this acquisition allowed Hendrick to act to tackle the critical health challenges facing rural communities and to ensure Abilene maintains its position as a regional center within West Texas.

This thoughtful and careful acquisition allowed our community to increase its workforce and become and unify efforts to become a regional medical hub. To date, Hendrick Health has added 321 new jobs, totaled more than $6 million in capital investment, and has been able to maintain affordability while increasing its access footprint.

This was an important step for our community and Hendrick pledged at the time of the acquisition to ensure transparency among stakeholders, community members and the State of Texas. Learn more about how Hendrick is responding to the needs of our community and what it means HERE.

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