CHRISTUS Trinity Mother Frances Celebrates 10th Anniversary of Louis and Peaches Owen Heart Hospital

January 27, 2023

Tyler, Texas – Ten years ago, the Owen family offered up a challenge: Be the best heart hospital in the nation. A decade later, CHRISTUS Trinity Mother Frances Louis and Peaches Owen Heart Hospital celebrates their 10-year anniversary, having exceeded the challenge before them.

“The Louis and Peaches Owen Heart Hospital is not just a place, it is a ministry in every sense of the word,” said Clyde Sanford, MD, FACC, chair, Cardiovascular Institute, CHRISTUS Trinity Clinic Cardiology. “I think Louis and Peaches’ spirit is with us every day; and I’d like to think they see what we are doing and are smiling down on us.”

A celebration marking the anniversary highlighted the achievements of the Heart Hospital, which includes becoming the first hospital in the country to receive the American College of Cardiology National Distinction of Excellence – HeartCARE Center, as well as being the only accredited heart failure program in East Texas.

“We are on an ongoing pursuit of excellence, with the thought that when we think we have achieved excellence, we have really achieved complacency,” said Deb Chelette, vice president, cardiovascular services. “We owe it to our community to always be shooting for the next best thing and to be the best, so everyday we are aiming to get better and better.”

The Heart Hospital is one of two programs in the country that hold every accreditation from the American College of Cardiology and is a Society of Thoracic Surgeons three-star program, placing them in the top 20% of all heart surgery programs.

The Heart Hospital has consistently received top ratings for heart attack care by U.S. News and World report, and recently celebrated their 500th successful TAVR (transcatheter aortic valve replacement) procedure, a minimally invasive procedure to combat the effects of aortic valve stenosis.

“This procedure is a true lifesaver, providing an option for patients to improve their quality of life when their treatment options are limited,” said William F. Turner, Jr., M.D., cardiothoracic surgeon.

Those in attendance reminisced about the Owen family and their philanthropic charity towards CHRISTUS ministries.

They also remembered the challenge given to them.

“When we were building our team and this building was being built, I kept telling everyone that Mr. and Mrs. Owen challenged us to be the best heart hospital in the nation,” added Chelette. “So, we are always striving for the next best therapy, treatment or intervention to best support our community.”