The Personal Touch - Titus Regional Medical Center

Titus Regional Medical Center exterior shpws beigh brick building with green trim on a sunny day, american and Texas flags flying from a flag pole

Patients served by large medical systems must sometimes face long waits or navigate confusing phone menus to reach someone to share a concern or have a question answered.

It’s a bit different for area residents served by Titus Regional Medical Center (TRMC) in Mt. Pleasant, Texas, where a patient with a question or concern just may be able to pick up the phone — and reach the system’s CEO directly.

The willingness to provide leadership’s personal contact information to those who request it is just one of the ways TRMC stays connected with the health needs of the community it serves across a largely rural area of East Texas.

TRMC takes a systematic approach to identifying needs and plans collaboratively with community groups and members to develop tailored approaches to addressing needs.

For its most recent 2022 Community Health Needs Assessment report (CHNA), TRMC incorporated data provided by partners including Titus County and The University of Texas at Tyler, which used questionnaires and other tools to glean insights into social determinants of health and the health status of Northeast Texas overall.

The resulting report provides a cogent picture of seven main areas of concern for community health needs:

  • Mental Health
  • Chronic Illness
  • High Emergency Department Utilization
  • Aging Population
  • Oncology
  • Healthy Living
  • Labor Market

The CHNA also lays out a description of the initiatives TRMC has underway or is planning to address each one. In dealing with chronic illness, for example, TRMC is working to improve the understanding and management of chronic disease, and beginning implementation of clinical integrated service lines.

Regarding emergency department overuse, TRMC notes that for clinically complex care, the ED is the least effective place to receive care and promises to work in collaboration with community organizations and not-for-profits to identify better alternatives.

Realistic and prescriptive, this care provider’s plan for improving the health of area residents demonstrates the value of listening to the voices of the community.

Resources on the Role of Hospitals