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With the hope of continuing to meet the increasing healthcare needs of the growing Rio Grande Valley population, South Texas Health System McAllen opened its current location in December 1985. Four decades later, the eight-story facility has become a nationally recognized cornerstone of healthcare in the region.

After spending more than 50 years in downtown McAllen as McAllen Municipal Hospital, McAllen General Hospital and McAllen Methodist Hospital, STHS McAllen moved to its current building off Expressway 83 to bring enhanced medical services to patients across the four-county region and their families.

Formerly known as McAllen Medical Center, the 441-bed facility was the first in McAllen and neighboring cities to offer open-heart surgery, one-day cardiac catheterization and magnetic resonance imaging, among other services.

Today, STHS McAllen stands as a beacon of healing and hope for patients across the Rio Grande Valley, offering comprehensive services like those offered in larger cities like San Antonio, Houston and Dallas.

“Over the last four decades, STHS McAllen has invested in advanced medical technology while building a dynamic, collaborative team of healthcare professionals to expand its services and enhance patient care,” says Emma Montes-Ewing, Chief Executive Officer, STHS McAllen. “With the unwavering commitment of the facility’s staff and leaders, STHS McAllen has evolved to become a comprehensive medical center offering a wide array of specialties including emergency medicine, intensive care, neurology, radiology and many surgical specialties.” 

Home to a Level I Trauma Center, Comprehensive Stroke Center, Level III Neonatal Intensive Care Unit and a robust surgical services department that now includes robotic-assisted surgery capabilities using the facility’s newly acquired da Vinci 5 robotic surgical system, STHS McAllen has provided quality, compassionate care to hundreds of thousands of patients.

“From its humble beginnings as a small municipal hospital, STHS McAllen has become the leading facility in the region, a highly specialized center that provides exceptional care for patients from Brownsville to Roma, including trauma and stroke care at the highest level,” says Syed K. Hussain, MD, a neurosurgeon affiliated with STHS McAllen’s Comprehensive Stroke Center. “Being a neurosurgeon and dealing with the types of cases I see, I’m proud to take care of these patients who used to have to leave the Rio Grande Valley for their healthcare needs.”

To commemorate 40 years of caring for generations at its current location, STHS McAllen hosted a special community celebration on Thursday, December 11 in the facility’s main parking lot.

The milestone event offered a look back on the 40 years of exceptional care provided at STHS McAllen, including three of the 21 all-star staff members who began their healthcare careers at McAllen General Hospital and helped open STHS McAllen’s current building. During the event, Alma Ruth Alvarez, Martha Cadriel and Olga Garcia each received the STHS McAllen All-Star Award for their enduring service to STHS McAllen and the Rio Grande Valley community.

“The resolute dedication to healthcare excellence of STHS McAllen’s 1,000-plus employees, including our longtime staff members across various departments, has been the backbone of the facility’s success and its impact in the Rio Grande Valley,” says Montes-Ewing. “Together, STHS McAllen will continue to be a cornerstone of healing and health for generations to come.”

For more information on the comprehensive services available at STHS McAllen, visit www.southtexashealthsystemmcallen.com.

About South Texas Health System

South Texas Health System is a multi-facility healthcare system serving patients throughout the Rio Grande Valley. The system includes four acute care facility campuses with specialties in pediatrics, heart and vascular services, maternity and women’s health and trauma services. Inpatient and outpatient treatment for behavioral health needs and addictive disorders is also provided through the system's South Texas Health System Behavioral facility. South Texas Health System is affiliated with the South Texas Clinical Partners ACO, Prominence Health Plan and Cornerstone Regional Hospital. The system operates an advanced Level I Trauma Center at South Texas Health System McAllen, the first children’s facility and pediatric ER at South Texas Health System Children’s, the region’s only freestanding heart hospital and specialized cardiac ER at South Texas Health System Heart and seven freestanding emergency rooms located in and around Weslaco, Mission, Edinburg, McAllen, Pharr and Alamo. For more information about the system and its comprehensive services, please visit www.southtexashealthsystem.com.