SAN ANTONIO—Christus Santa Rosa Hospital-Alamo Heights, a short-stay surgical hospital, opened Jan. 16 after an open house and blessing ceremony on Jan. 13.

The $25 million, 36-bed hospital is a part of not-for-profit Christus Santa Rosa Health System. The project grew out of two existing outpatient buildings on Christus’ Alamo Heights campus, with one building now housing the inpatient short-stay hospital after a 7,000-square-foot addition was built, according to a Christus news release. The second building still contains outpatient services, including a surgery center and an imaging center. Physicians assisted with the design, which includes private rooms with “tranquil” views, an on-site cafe and large public spaces, according to the release. Patrick Carrier, president and CEO of the health system, said the decision to build the hospital was based on need and access. “While trends to build new hospitals in areas of suburban growth are valid, convenience for patients and physicians in established neighborhoods holds value as well,” he said in the release.

MIAMI—The Baptist Cardiac & Vascular Institute of Miami, part of Baptist Health South Florida, announced that it has entered into an affiliation agreement with Germany’s University of Heidelberg to exchange knowledge and information. Dr. Barry Katzen, the Baptist institute’s founder and medical director, said in a news release that the partnership will allow patients to have quicker access to new treatments. “Our institute has set the agenda in South Florida for cardiac and vascular procedures and treatment, but a lot of medical innovations are happening outside the United States,” Katzen said in the release. “In our regulatory environment, it takes three to four years for innovations to be approved here. Our doctors, by traveling to Heidelberg, will already have been involved in early stage technology.” Teams of interventional radiologists, clinical and interventional cardiologists, cardiothoracic surgeons, vascular surgeons, electrophysiologists and neuroradiologists will work together on care that includes wellness programs, endovascular and open surgical procedures for heart and circulatory problems.

JACKSON, Miss.—The leader of the Mississippi Hospital Association says his group won’t fight renewal of a tax his members pay to help fund Medicaid. The association protested in 2009 when then-Gov. Haley Barbour pushed for the hospital tax. Now, the association’s president and CEO, Sam Cameron, said the tax gives hospitals predictability in their expenses. “It’s no question that it has cost us some financial negative impact for some of the hospitals,” Cameron said. “But very honestly, without it, the funding of the Medicaid program would not be there.” For every dollar Mississippi puts into its Medicaid program, the federal government pays almost three, and some of the state’s portion comes from the hospital tax. Cameron said the tax is based on a formula so complicated that hospitals rely on consultants to crunch numbers and make sure everyone is paying what they are supposed to pay. The tax is set to expire June 30 unless lawmakers renew it this session. Officials say the hospital tax generates about $200 million a year, and that money is multiplied with the federal match. Gov. Phil Bryant, who took office Jan. 10, said he supports renewing the hospital tax because the state cannot afford to replace the money that would be lost without it. “I think (hospitals) understand with the cost of Medicaid and where we’re at in revenue and budgets, there just aren’t too many other places we can go for that particular revenue for Medicaid,” Bryant said, responding to reporters’ questions before he spoke at a hospital association luncheon.