Orange to get new medical campus

NexCore Group and CHRISTUS Southeast Texas Health System recently announced plans to begin the initial development phase of the Gisela Houseman Medical Campus (GHMC). Phase I will be a two-story, 55,000-square-foot medical office building (MOB) in Orange.

NexCore reports that the mini-medical campus will fill the community need for health care services following the closure of Baptist Hospital Orange. The medical campus is located with ingress and egress from Interstate10 and State Highway 62, and will reportedly be designed to maximize campus connectivity, patient satisfaction and provider efficiency.

The plan is to break ground on the medical facility this month, with Phase I of the project comprising a majority first-floor lease to CHRISTUS Southeast Texas Health System for a 24/7 emergency hospital and key outpatient and diagnostic services. The remaining space will be leased to independent physicians, including Dr. Marty Rutledge of Orange Medical Surgical Associates. Phase I will be constructed on a 5.5-acre piece of the 20-acre parcel.

“NexCore is excited to provide quality and convenience to the citizens of Orange and surrounding communities through this critical health care development,” Todd Varney, NexCore’s Chief Development Officer, remarked. “The Gisela Houseman Medical Campus will become the epicenter of health care in Orange and provide an essential and convenient mini-campus venue for physicians to practice medicine and minimize the need to patients to travel 30 minutes or more for care.

“Together, NexCore, CHRISTUS Southeast Texas Health System, Ms. Houseman, Dr. Rutledge and the City and County of Orange are able to gift access to much needed healthcare services to the community. The land was contributed by Ms. Gisela Houseman. The campus is large enough to provide future growth. The Orange Economic Development Corporation has committed to bring infrastructure to the site and the County and City of Orange has also committed to a reduction in property taxes that will directly benefit the medical tenants through reducing their occupancy costs. Everyone has come together for the good of this community this holiday season.”

Planned services and amenities at the new medical facility include an emergency department/emergency hospital, imaging and diagnostic services, lab, primary care and specialty care clinics, collaboration/community education areas, and facilities support. A grand opening is anticipated in Spring 2023.