Voters to decide on May 3 bond issue to fund new healthcare facility, expand services, and attract more physicians.
The Walker County Hospital District board of managers unanimously voted on Monday to consider and approve an Order calling a bond election to be held for the Walker County Hospital District of Walker County, Texas on May 3, 2025; making provision for the conduct of the election; and resolving other matters incident and related to such election.
The board also voted to authorize a Joint Election Agreement between the Walker County Hospital District, Riverside Special Utility District, Walker County Emergency Services District No. 3, and the City of Huntsville on Saturday, May 3, 2025.
All members of the board of managers were in attendance, and every one of them spoke in favor, giving their reasons as to the importance of the bond election happening now.
WCHD chairman Anne Woodard stated that this decision came after 16 months of extremely hard work and the advice of legal counsel and that now is the time to move forward. Speaking after the vote, Woodard thanked those who were in attendance. She said, “In February 2020, the District, which is the sole owner of the hospital and land, went into a joint agreement with CHC to provide services to operate our hospital.” She went on to state that this was a “wonderful decision because CHC has brought our hospital up in service and scores across the board, including both patient and physician satisfaction scores. Yes, we still have work to do, but the hospital staff and executive team works so hard for this hospital, you should be proud of CHC and the work they are committed to doing.”
Woodard went out to state “This bond is about MORE than just a new hospital. Our community is growing, and our healthcare needs will continue to grow. Our residents need additional physicians, both primary care and specialists, and our 46-year-old building and the limitations it has, make it very difficult to attract new physicians to our hospital. Our citizens deserve top-tier healthcare, which includes attracting those physicians, expanding vital medical services, having state-of-the-art emergency and surgical care, more maternity services, private patient rooms, AND a clear separation between community healthcare and correctional care. The people of Walker County have asked for those things, and we intend to provide those things.”
Patrick Shannon, CEO of Huntsville Memorial Hospital, thanked the board for their hard work and said the new hospital will also have a huge economic impact on the county. “When people are looking for a place to call home, education and healthcare are the top two things looked at.”
Shannon also shared there are more than 100 local citizens who have agreed to join a political action committee (PAC) to help get the word out about the vote. “We will begin having Town Hall meetings very soon. There are important elements that need to be shared first: educating voters as to the status of our current facility and the needs we have, how we are going to set up a new hospital and capture outward migration – those who are leaving our community to seek healthcare elsewhere. There will also be a lot of information we will be sharing with the public on taxation and what it will look like after HMH pays their portion of the rent, what it will look like after the levied tax, so there’s a lot more information to come that we will be getting out to the public.”
Dr. Lane Aiena, a member of the WCHD board of managers, stated, “I came into this very much on the fence in the middle, but through all the education provided and all the talks we have had, I can say from my heart that this is what Walker County deserves and this is what Walker County needs.” Aiena is also a board member of the Texas Academy of Family Physicians and serves as the Walker-Madison-Trinity County Medical Society President.
The first Town Hall meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, February 19, at 6 pm at the Walker County Storm Shelter. Currently, there are two Town Halls scheduled for March: Wednesday, March 12 at 6 pm at the Elkins Lake Clubhouse and Tuesday, March 25 in Riverside at Riverside Baptist Church. More meetings will be scheduled pending facility reservations.
Key Dates for the Walker County Hospital Bond Election
- Saturday, May 3, 2025 – Bond election day for Walker County voters.
- Wednesday, February 19, 2025, at 6 PM – First Town Hall meeting at the Walker County Storm Shelter.
- Wednesday, March 12, 2025, at 6 PM – Town Hall meeting at the Elkins Lake Clubhouse.
- Tuesday, March 25, 2025 – Town Hall meeting at Riverside Baptist Church.
- Additional meetings – More Town Halls may be scheduled based on venue availability.
About the Walker County Hospital District
The Walker County Hospital District (“District”) of Walker County, Texas is a political subdivision of the State of Texas.
The District was authorized by an Enabling Act by the Texas Legislature under Senate Bill No. 1020 of the 62nd Legislature on June 9, 1971. On November 4, 1975, an election was held in which a majority of the voters of the county approved the creation of the District. The District boundaries are the same as Walker County.
The Enabling Act provided for a five-member board of managers to conduct the business of the District. The term of office for each member of this board is two years. An election is held to replace members when their terms expire.
The Enabling Act also authorizes the board of managers to provide for the establishment of a hospital or hospital system within its boundaries, stating: “to furnish Hospital care to persons residing in the District by the purchase, construction, acquisition, repair or renovation of buildings and improvements and the equipping of same and the administration thereof for hospital purposes. Such District shall assume the full responsibility for providing hospital care for its needy inhabitants.”
The board of managers of the District is committed to working with the medical community to improve and expand health care right here in our community hospital and clinics.
For more information, visit https://www.wchd-tx.org.
