Greater San Antonio Emergency Physicians (GSEP) has historical roots dating back to 1980, when Dr. Earl Smith, who passed the first board certification exam ever given for emergency medicine physicians, came to San Antonio. He began putting together the first all board-certified emergency medicine physician group in Texas, with its mission to provide the highest possible level of emergency care. Within several years, the group became a Professional Association called Southwest Texas Methodist Emergency Physicians, which initially had five physician members with 16,000 patient visits per year. Over the next ten years, patient volumes continually increased at the hospital, and the group still continued its practice of only adding residency-trained, board-certified emergency physicians to its ranks. Then in 1995, Methodist Hospital became Methodist Healthcare System through a merger, and three additional hospital emergency department physician groups were gradually merged in. Patient visits totaled in excess of 100,000 per year and the groups number of emergency physicians increased to 23. Over time, the group underwent several more name changes, eventually becoming what is now commonly referred to as GSEP. In February of 2011, GSEP consolidated its services to 4 of the previously held 7 MHS facilities. This allowed GSEP to be right-sized with all providers working the hours they have requested. With more time and energy we were able to dramatically improve our product - providing outstanding emergency care in a timely manner. December 2013, GSEP regained the contract for Emergency Department coverage services at Methodist Stone Oak Hospital, and September 2014 GSEP also took on the Emergency Medicine coverage services at the new site of Metropolitan Methodist Emergency Center. GSEP will care for over 200,000 patients this year. Our departments currently rank in the top 10 in at least one of the several categories of excellence that HCA recognizes and tracks. Patients coming to our EDs, on average, see one of our providers in less than 15 minutes.
