One Mission, Ten Years

Population in the Highland Lakes has been growing by more than four percent a year and that's expected to continue at least through 2020, making it one of the areas of Texas and the nation experiencing dramatic change.

"This community has grown in leaps and bounds," comments Denise Watson, Seton Highland Lakes Director of Homecare, Hospice and the hospital's related specialty clinics. "When I moved here 20 years ago, I was the youngest person by far on our block. Now we see a lot younger population. The whole community has grown significantly. Lots of large companies have come in along with young families. We've built new high schools and new housing developments.

"I've been pleasantly surprised by how our community welcomes the growth," adds Denise, who has served on the Chamber of Commerce Board for several years. "We have more people who live here and work here instead of driving to Austin. But we still have a small town, family feel in the community and I think it makes a difference with growth."

The Seton Family of Hospitals joined the Hill Country community ten years ago by acquiring Highland Lakes Medical Center in Burnet, making it the first member of the Seton Family outside Travis County.

Over it's decade of service, Seton Highland Lakes Health System has expanded it's care as the population has grown. "We've been able to provide care to a wider area and to serve a more diverse population. We now care for patients including children and geriatrics. Seton Highland Lakes responded by providing service for those groups. We now have a 64-slice CT, a leading state-of-the-art imaging technology and the region's only digital mammogram at our Women's Center at Seton Marble Falls Healthcare Center. We have upgraded our services by expanding the emergency department, and adding the region's first and only intensive care unit."

Denise believes the hospital's most important contributions to the community include investment in technology and recruitment of new physicians.

"We listened to the community which asked for more physicians and more specialists to work here in the Highland Lakes," she adds. "We have responded to that with more primary care physicians and more specialists, who now have the tools they need to provide state-of-the-art care for most patients. We have added a gynecologist who also provides urgynecology and we are adding a urologist, pulmonologist and an orthopedic surgeon within the next few months, making sure we are staying ahead of the needs of the community by providing services here at home."

Care Lives Here

Over the past 10 years, Seton Highland Lakes has expanded it's reach dramatically. At the hospital, the number of inpatient surgeries has increased by 108 percent, outpatient surgeries by more than 10 percent, hospital discharges by 26 percent and emergency room visits by 83 percent.

The hospital offers technologically advanced acute care, now including an intensive care unit and emergency care center staffed 24 hours a day, seven days a week by Board certified emergency physicians.

Even more notable is the significant growth in other outpatient services, which have almost tripled, likely as a result of easier community access to Seton's four regional healthcare centers located in Marble Falls, Burnet, Bertram and Lampasas. The Lampasas clinic at 1205 Central Expressway just opened this month.

"Marble Falls has really grown quite a bit and Lampasas, too," says Denise. "We see patients from six or seven counties around us, including parts of Hays, Blanco, Llano, San Saba and Lampasas Counties.

"For example, the digital mammogram in the Women's Center in Marble Falls makes it the first for miles around to provide this care for women in our region. We just want to make sure we stay ahead of the needs of the community by providing services for people near their homes."

Medical services are provided throughout the region at the following locations:

Seton Highland Lakes Hospital
3201 S Water St, Burnet
(512) 715-3000

Seton Marble Falls Healthcare Center
700 N. Highway 281
(830) 693-2600

Seton Burnet Healthcare Center
200 County Road 340-A
(512) 715-3110

Seton Bertram Healthcare Center
160 N. Lampasas St.
(512) 355-9233

Seton Lampasas Healthcare Center
1205 Central Texas Expressway
(512)556-5362

Seton Highland Lakes Ten Year Timeline

1998
Seton Family of Hospitals purchased the former Burnet County Hospital.

2002 - 2008
Opened clinics in Burnet, Marble Falls, Bertram and Lampasas and established Medical Group that includes 17 providers with specialty services.

2003
Hospital expansion included state-of-the-art Emergency Care Center with physician coverage 24/7.

Seton Care-a-Van began providing healthcare to underserved and uninsured children in the Highland Lakes.

2005
Seton Emergency Care Center received Trauma IV Designation.

2006
Seton Highland Lakes awarded the Texas Nurse Associations Nurse Friendly designation.

2007
Started Hospitalist program with Board Certified Internal Medicine Physicians providing the hospital portion of patient care.

Added 64 Slice CT.

Established Infusion Therapy Unit.

Opened the only ICU in the Highland Lakes.

Seton Marble Falls Womens Center opened with the only Digital Mammography in the Highland Lakes area.

Seton Highland Lakes Family Commitment

"Seton Highland Lakes is serious about it's commitment to community and here to stay," says Denise. We have invested in our community and become a part of it. We not only work here, but we live here. We have at least a handful of employees involved in every community event."

"In a region that still has homecoming parades and dances on the square, we still have all of those hometown, old fashioned kind of events, but with a growth that is making us more progressive. It's the best of both worlds. Here at Seton Highland Lakes, we've reached out and the community has embraced us."

Find out more about Seton Highland Lakes Hospital services at www.Seton.net/shl.