3 min read February 2024 — Invest: spoke with Grant Wicklund, CEO of CHRISTUS Santa Rosa Health System, to discuss the institution’s focus on healthcare for children and seniors, with an emphasis on innovation and accessibility. “I look forward to how technology can continue to enhance our practices,” he said.
What is your vision for CHRISTUS Santa Rosa Health System in San Antonio?
Our market includes six hospitals and nearly 30 physician practices, five surgery centers, four freestanding emergency departments and ambulatory outreach care that stretches from San Antonio to San Marcos. My goal is to make sure we are able to take care of the people of San Antonio. We don’t focus on any one kind of medicine or socioeconomic group and, as a result, we provide more healthcare services to the community than some of the larger institutions in the city. We want to take care of people in the right setting with the right care to meet their needs.
Healthcare is also becoming far more ambulatory, which is why we have so many outreach facilities in the region. In that way, we are always striving to provide first-class quality care where people need it. We also receive no public funds and subsist off the generosity of foundations that support our work. We are a good steward of resources to continue this great care. Santa Rosa is one of the best financially managed nonprofit healthcare institutions in the United States, and I intend to keep it that way.
What are some of the most prominent trends emerging from the healthcare industry today?
Technology is playing a far more significant role in our ability to deliver healthcare in a number of different settings. Physicians are more accessible online so patients can receive care at a nominal cost. During the pandemic, we saw an obvious spike in online appointments, and even today, over 20% of patients still prefer meeting their physician remotely.
Urgent care has also proliferated throughout the market, which has more or less replaced the model of the traditional family doctor. Patients aged 40 and younger tend to not have that family physician and have found a preference for the on-demand nature of the urgent care model. This is a generation that is more about convenience and will go wherever is closest for them.
What are the emergent healthcare needs in San Antonio?
We are more deeply focused on care for children because the need has grown exponentially over the years. We have a dedicated children’s hospital, which allows us to provide that 100% focus. It’s vital in terms of what we provide the community. As the population continues to age, we’re also providing more services to the elderly. Robotics has actually become a major factor in our youth and senior care, from treating fractures to assisting with open heart surgery. It provides a less intrusive process that can mitigate complications and shorten healing time. I look forward to how technology can continue to enhance our practices, from three dimensional renderings to implementing AI. It will transform medicine for patients young and old.
What is your outlook over the next two to three years?
The outlook for San Antonio is fantastic. In a way, this part of the country has only just been discovered in terms of a robust economy and vibrant quality of life. We have a well-educated, diverse, and hardworking labor force in this region. That’s helpful in terms of healthcare, manufacturing, technology and really the overall forecast of San Antonio. There are so many great opportunities for education and research here that will advance a number of industries. Our workforce is a hungry one and they tend to stay around San Antonio to find opportunities. That is positive for the stability of the city and region.
CHRISTUS Santa Rosa was founded here over 100 years ago and was the first healthcare delivery model in South and Central Texas, and we want to carry on that history and legacy with pride and innovation. We are mission- and vision-driven, and we aren’t held to the whimsy of shareholders. We want to take good care of people and manifest our mission every step of the way. We want to be a valued member of the San Antonio community.
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