Celebrating one year providing South Texas with expanded access to rehab care
One year ago, Methodist Rehabilitation Hospital Texsan opened its doors with a clear purpose: to expand access to high quality rehabilitation care for patients across South Texas. Today, the hospital celebrates its first anniversary, having already served more than 820 patients and established itself as a trusted center for healing, strength, and independence.
“For years, there weren’t enough rehab beds in San Antonio, and our emergency rooms were full,” said Court LeMaistre, CEO of Methodist Rehabilitation Hospital Texsan. “This hospital gave us [Methodist Healthcare] the capacity to take in more patients, decompress those ERs, and help people from across South and Central Texas get the care they need closer to home.”
Methodist Rehabilitation Hospital Texsan was formed by combining three established rehabilitation programs, including the former San Antonio Rehab Hospital, into one state of the art facility. The result has been not just expanded space, but a blending of expertise and culture. Patients now benefit from hotel like surroundings, advanced equipment, and care teams with decades of combined experience.
The hospital's reach extends across a 200,000 square mile region, drawing patients from as far as El Paso and the Rio Grande Valley. On average, patients spend approximately two weeks in the hospital, working with an assigned therapy team consisting of physical and occupational therapists who accompany them throughout their entire stay. This continuity helps therapists recognize each patient's progress, challenges, and "normal," ensuring more personalized treatment and accountability.
The feedback has been overwhelmingly positive. Patients frequently express gratitude for the compassionate staff, the healing environment, and the confidence they gain to continue recovery at home. Staff members, too, describe a strong sense of pride and purpose, noting that the move into Texsan allowed them to create a new, united culture focused on excellence and patient first care.
Looking ahead, leaders are focused on building specialty programs in neurorehabilitation and amputee care, two urgent areas of need in South Texas. With diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and stroke affecting thousands of families in the region, the hospital is prepared to deliver highly specialized, world class care for patients facing complex rehabilitation journeys.
“Our vision is to be more than just a general inpatient rehab facility,” said Aron Sandquist, administration director for Methodist Rehabilitation Hospital Texsan. “We want to be recognized as the center for the most challenging cases — from neuro to amputees to transplant patients — and to do it better than anyone else. That’s what it means to be world class.”
As Methodist Rehabilitation Hospital Texsan enters its second year, the team remains focused on restoring strength, confidence, and independence to every patient who comes through its doors.