Freestanding ERs Granted Temporary Recognition by Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services After Decade-Long Campaign, Support From Texas Lawmakers

Business Wire

More Than 200 Facilities Across Texas Can Now Fully Care for Medicare, Medicaid Patients During COVID-19 Pandemic

HOUSTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- After weeks of advocating for freestanding emergency centers across Texas and the United States, which included support from U.S. Representative Jodey Arrington, U.S. Senator Ted Cruz and more than 10 other bipartisan Texas lawmakers, Rhonda Sandel, CEO of Texas Emergency Care Center, shared that the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) issued critical guidance allowing licensed, independent freestanding emergency centers in Texas and other states to temporarily provide care to Medicare and Medicaid patients during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“This temporary recognition will enable the emergency doctors, nurses and staff to be fully utilized during our current health crisis and care for the country’s most vulnerable community,” said Sandel, President of the National Association of Freestanding Emergency Centers (NAFEC). “After more than a decade of lobbying CMS for this recognition by the Texas Association of Freestanding Emergency Centers (TAFEC), NAFEC, myself, and committed government leaders, I consider this progress as we work to more fully support hospital ERs and focus on patient care. Thank you specifically to the Trump Administration, Representative Arrington and Senator Cruz and all the lawmakers who supported this effort.”

With more than 200 centers and 1,550 beds across Texas, freestanding ERs will now increase the capacity of the healthcare system to test for coronavirus and treat the outbreak, including: beds, pharmacies, supplies, personal protective equipment (PPE), ventilators and trained and experienced emergency medicine physicians and staff capable of treating all urgent and emergent medical conditions.

Since 2006 when Texas Emergency Care Center was founded, Sandel has advocated for both freestanding emergency centers and their patients by lobbying for regulations against underpayment and non-coverage of emergency treatment by private insurance companies and to enable Medicare and Medicaid patients to seek emergency care at freestanding ERs. Texas Emergency Care Center will now enroll temporarily as a Medicare/Medicaid-certified hospital to provide hospital services as part of the Emergency Declaration Blanket Waivers for Healthcare Providers.

“My hope is that this is a starting point for permanent CMS recognition so freestanding ERs are accepted as an integral part of our community’s healthcare safety net,” said Sandel.

About Rhonda Sandel, RN, Texas Emergency Care Center CEO

An active voice and industry advocate, Rhonda began her career in the healthcare industry over 25 years ago as a registered nurse. In 2006 she co-founded Texas Emergency Care Center, joining their team as CEO. As part of their vibrant practice, Texas Emergency Care Center began their own internal revenue cycle efforts, and Gryphon Healthcare was born. Rhonda is also an active, founding member and immediate-past president of the Texas Association for Free-Standing Emergency Centers (TAFEC) and the current president of the National Association of Free-Standing Emergency Centers (NAFEC).

As an industry leader and expert in healthcare operations and management, Rhonda is sought out by healthcare professionals and legal groups for consulting on practice development and management, ambulatory surgery centers, emergency room operations and management, and legal consulting. She has also been featured in USA Today, Fox Business and the Houston Business Journal.

About Texas Emergency Care Center

One of the first freestanding emergency rooms in Texas, Texas Emergency Care Center opened its doors in 2006 with the mission to provide the highest level of emergency medical care to each patient we treat. The physicians at Texas Emergency Care Center are residency-trained and board certified or board eligible in Emergency Medicine. Our 24/7 emergency rooms are located in the Greater Houston areas and are Joint Commission Accredited. For more information or to contact Texas Emergency Care Center, visit www.txercare.com and follow @TxErCareHouston on Twitter and @TxERCare on Facebook.