About
Jonny F. Hipp, ScD, FACHE
Administrator/Chief Executive Officer
Nueces County Hospital District
The Nueces County Hospital District (NCHD) was established by and is governed and operated pursuant to Texas Constitution, Article 9, Section 4 and Texas Health & Safety Code, Chapters 61, 281, 285, and other applicable laws of the State of Texas. In 1967, Nueces County voters created NCHD.
NCHD is governed by a seven-member Board of Managers appointed by the Nueces County Commissioners Court to serve staggered three-year terms.
In 1944, Nueces County and the City of Corpus Christi jointly constructed Memorial Hospital on an 18.447-acre tract of land deeded to the county and city by the Baptist Foundation of Texas in 1942. The county and city jointly operated Memorial Hospital which was expanded in 1946 and 1952 to provide additional services and beds.
In 1964, a second hospital building was built on the eastern side of the hospital property complex and the entire complex was renamed Memorial Medical Center (MMC). In 1967 ownership of MMC was transferred from the county and city to NCHD as required by law. In 1975, 1982, 1989, and 1993 MMC was expanded, renovated, and/or re-equipped.
In 1996, NCHD, with the approval of the Commissioners Court, leased MMC, including its neighbor care centers and medical office buildings, to CHRISTUS Spohn Health System Corporation (CHRISTUS Spohn), a regional non-profit health care system. MMC was then renamed CHRISTUS Spohn Hospital Corpus Christi-Memorial. In addition to the lease, NCHD contracted with CHRISTUS Spohn to provide health care services to the indigent residents of Nueces County. Under that agreement, the actual delivery of indigent health care was carried out by CHRISTUS Spohn but eligibility for indigent care services remained the responsibility of NCHD. Together, these lease and indigent care agreements redefined NCHD’s mission and future role in addressing the health care needs for the indigent and underserved residents of Nueces County.
In 2012, NCHD, with the approval of the Commissioners Court, entered into a new agreement with CHRISTUS Spohn allowing them to continue their work and partnership with the NCHD. In addition, the Texas Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC) also designated NCHD as the Anchor Entity for the Regional Healthcare Partnership Region 4, formed by HHSC under the HHSC statewide Medicaid Section 1115 Demonstration Waiver Program (Medicaid Waiver Program). Under the Medicaid Waiver Program, additional regional health care professionals who provide indigent health care in Region 4 are able to receive supplemental funds from HHSC.
In 2014, NCHD, with the approval of the Commissioners Court, entered into a Letter of Intent (LOI) with CHRISTUS Spohn that includes construction of a new 44,000-square-foot ambulatory health center on the CHRISTUS Spohn Hospital Corpus Christi-Memorial campus, and eventual removal of the hospital complex buildings located on that campus at 2606 Hospital Boulevard in Corpus Christi, TX 78405. As a part of the LOI, CHRISTUS Spohn agreed to relocate the current Level II Trauma Center and two medical residency training programs from the Memorial campus to its Shoreline Boulevard hospital campus at 600 Elizabeth Street in Corpus Christi, TX 78404. CHRISTUS Spohn also agreed to continue its provision of health care services to the indigent and needy residents of Nueces County and certain limited psychiatric services. Eligibility determination for indigent care services continues to be the responsibility of NCHD.