Healthcare and biosciences play an important role in San Antonio’s growing economy with one out of every six residents working in these fields, according to the official City of San Antonio website. In the areas of patient care, research and development of innovative technology, the manufacture of medical equipment, and education, San Antonio is on the cutting edge of keeping its citizens and the world healthy. According to the San Antonio Economic Development Foundation, in 2013 the healthcare and biosciences industry produced over $30 billion dollars in economic impact for the San Antonio area. The industry employs about 160,000 people, and accounts for over $7.5 billion in local wages and salaries.
Healthcare
The jewel in San Antonio’s healthcare industry is the South Texas Medical Center (STMC). Located on the northwest side of San Antonio, the 900-acre campus is home to 45 separate medically related entities including 12 hospitals and five specialty institutions which together provide over 4,200 hospital beds. Around 30,000 people are employed at the STMC, making it the second largest employer in San Antonio, and the total budget of all facilities located there is around $3.5 billion. Facilities at the STMC include the Texas Cancer Clinic and University Hospital. Methodist Hospital is the largest hospital in San Antonio and employs over 10,000 people including over 2600 physicians and specialists. Methodist Hospital’s Texas Transplant Institute is one of the top facilities for both adult and children’s organ transplants, and is a leader in the rapidly evolving area of stem cell transplantation.
Military Healthcare
Along with the city’s many public and private hospitals, San Antonio is also home to an extensive network of U.S military healthcare facilities. All U.S military medical education and training takes place at various locations around the city, and San Antonio is home to the only Department of Defense-run burn center, as well as two level-1 trauma centers. The San Antonio Military Medical Center, located at Fort Sam Houston, is the Army’s largest in-patient hospital.
Research
San Antonio is also a leader in medical and biosciences research. The Cancer Therapy & Research Center (CTRC) is internationally recognized for its clinical trials, with fifteen of the most recently FDA approved cancer drugs either being developed or tested at the facility; the CTRC deals with over 140,000 patients each year. The Spinal and Thoracic Treatment and Research Center (STTAR) at the Children’s Hospital of San Antonio is dedicated to the research and treatment of thoracic and spinal conditions in children; STTAR developed the revolutionary vertical expandable prosthetic titanium rib, a life-saving device now used extensively in the U.S. and in 26 countries around the world. Other world-class research facilities in San Antonio include the Texas Neurosciences Institute, the University of Texas Health Science Center, and the Greehey Children’s Cancer Research Institute. As for private biotech companies, Dublin-based medical technology giant Medtronic has its large Diabetes Therapy Management and Education Center located in San Antonio; the facility, considered one of the best in the country, employs 1,400 people. Other biotech companies with a significant presence in San Antonio include Becton, Dickenson and Company; Biomedical Development Corporation; and EO2 Concepts.
San Antonio is on the cutting edge of the healthcare and biosciences industry. Whether you are a healthcare professional, researcher, biotech development specialist, or patient, you will find what you are looking for in the Alamo City.