CHI St. Luke's Health-Memorial has signed a non-binding letter of intent to take over ownership of Altus Emergency Center in Lufkin, Texas, according to a news release.
Over the next 30 days, the Lufkin-based hospital said it plans to conduct due diligence as it prepares to open the CHI St. Luke's Health-Memorial Emergency Center on Jan. 1, 2017.
"As the trend in healthcare moves outside the traditional hospital walls, we aim to bring quality care to the communities we serve. This includes exploring new possibilities and innovative ways to deliver excellent care," CHI St. Luke's Health-Memorial COO and Lufkin President Shawn Barnett said in a statement.
The new center will become the only freestanding ER in East Texas accepting Medicare and Medicaid.
CHI St. Luke's Health said it is not considering any layoffs, and all Altus employees will transition to become Memorial employees.