Members of the Greater Cleveland Chamber of Commerce received an update Thursday, June 4, on plans to reopen the former Texas Emergency Hospital during the organization’s monthly membership luncheon.
The luncheon focused on community health, with representatives from four healthcare organizations discussing medical services available in the area and the importance of access to care. The featured presentation was given by Paul McCutcheon and Jeff Livingston of Cleveland General Hospital, who are leading efforts to reopen the facility that closed in May 2025.
Since the hospital’s closure, McCutcheon and Livingston have been working toward restoring hospital services to the Cleveland area. They told Chamber members that the projected reopening date is July 6.
The hospital plans to initially offer emergency room services, a cardiac catheterization laboratory, radiology services and MRI capabilities. McCutcheon said the facility will also have an interventional cardiologist, orthopedic surgery services and a fully staffed emergency department.
“We’re waiting to see what kind of demand we will have and then we’ll cater the city’s needs and the county needs to what will answer that demand,” McCutcheon said.
Livingston said the immediate focus is reopening the facility and establishing critical healthcare services for the community.
“Our priorities on day one are to stop the bleeding and open the airways. Our first goal is to get it open, get it started,” Livingston said.
He said residents should understand that the hospital will continue to grow its services over time.
“You’re not going to walk into a Methodist Hospital or Memorial Hermann hospital, but we are going to do what we do and we will do it well,” Livingston said. “We are bringing in a bunch of new diagnostic equipment. We’re going to offer things like biopsies and other things that haven’t been done here in a while. We’re rebuilding the surgery department.”
Livingston said the team is committed to rebuilding healthcare services in Cleveland and providing residents with quality care closer to home.
Other speakers during the luncheon included Dr. Nimi Keating of Calvary Medical Clinic, Maggie Estrada, CEO of Health Center of Southeast Texas, and Dr. Marlo Brawner of Cleveland Pediatric Clinic.
Keating, the daughter of longtime Cleveland physician Dr. Joseph Goins, spoke about the importance of preventive healthcare and annual wellness visits. She encouraged residents to stay current on screenings, vaccinations and routine checkups, noting that many serious health conditions can develop without obvious symptoms.
Estrada provided an overview of the Health Center of Southeast Texas and its mission of providing affordable healthcare services throughout the region. The federally qualified health center operates seven locations and a mobile unit, with an eighth location planned to open in Roman Forest later this year.
Brawner discussed children’s health and encouraged parents and grandparents to help children spend more time outdoors, remain physically active and develop healthy eating habits that can reduce the risk of chronic health problems later in life.
First Liberty Title was announced as the winner of the Storefront of the Quarter.
First, I would like to congratulate all of the individuals recognized for their contributions to the City of Cleveland. It takes dedicated leaders, volunteers, business owners, and citizens working together to move a community forward. Cleveland is fortunate to have many people who genuinely care about this community.
However, there is an issue that can no longer be ignored. The perception of an INCESTUOUS CULTURE within the Greater Cleveland Chamber continues to damage its credibility. By INCESTUOUS, I mean a system where the same small circle of individuals repeatedly promote, recognize, reward, and elevate one another while others are overlooked. Whether intentional or not, that perception exists, and it is growing.
V.G., the Chamber’s mission should be to serve the entire communityānot to advance personal friendships. Yet the INCESTUOUS NATURE of these relationships is becoming increasingly difficult for citizens to ignore. When friends repeatedly promote friends, particularly individuals such as W.M., people begin to question whether decisions are being made for the good of Cleveland or for the benefit of an inner circle.
An INCESTUOUS organization eventually loses objectivity. Fresh ideas are shut out, new voices are ignored, and public trust erodes. The Chamber should be above even the appearance of this behavior. Cleveland deserves leadership that is transparent, fair, and focused on the community as a wholeānot leadership that appears captive to an incestuous network of personal relationships.
The Chamber has an opportunity to address these concerns, restore confidence, and demonstrate that meritānot membership in an inner circleādetermines who is recognized and promoted. Cleveland deserves nothing less.
Well, Queen Victoria is at it again. Another award, another recognition, another photo op for Wendy.
At this point, the pattern is impossible to miss.
Funny thingāyellow used to be my favorite color. But once you see it, you can’t unsee it. šš
No, No, No, a public library is not a business. It is a civic, non-profit institution funded by the public for the public good.
How is this justified!! Will we see all of the city’s services recognized for the services they provide? Are they not equally as important as the library. In fact, this city couldn’t function without some of them!
This is absolutely wonderful news for our community. Having a hospital nearby can make all the difference in a medical emergency, and I know that firsthand. When the previous hospital was open, the care my husband received helped prevent what could have been a devastating stroke. For that, I will always be grateful.
I also want to congratulate everyone mentioned in the article. Thank you for your hard work, dedication, and commitment to making our city a better place for all of us. Your efforts are appreciated and do not go unnoticed.
“Lawd have mercy, Big Britches and Bigger Britches need to gone ‘head and sit down somewhere. Y’all loyalty to each other done got way outta hand! Every time I scroll, it’s another picture of you-know-who. Shoot, y’all got my eyes tired and my phone workin’ overtime. We get it… y’all besties for life!” š
It is beyond my comprehension why there continues to be such an effort to parade W.M. around as some extraordinary leader. No one disputes that she may be a good assistant librarian, but many educators and families cannot forget the damage that occurred during her time as a school board member.
For some employees, the consequences were life-changing. Salaries were cut by thousands of dollars. Dedicated educators were demoted, terminated, or forced to leave positions they loved. Careers were disrupted, financial stability was shaken, and families were impacted. These were not just personnel decisions on a spreadsheetāthese were real people whose lives were changed forever.
Many are still recovering from the fear, stress, and uncertainty created during that period. Some left education entirely. Others remain, carrying the scars of what they experienced.
That is why it feels so cruel to watch W.M. continually celebrated and promoted while the people who paid the price for those decisions are largely forgotten. Before handing out awards and photo opportunities, perhaps we should remember the educators, staff, and families who lived through those years and are still dealing with the consequences today.
Leadership is not measured by how often someone is recognized. It is measured by the impact their decisions have on the people they serve. For many, that impact was devastating.
There seems to be a pattern in who receives recognition from the Chamber and from VG. Beyond ribbon cuttings what tangible support does the Chamber provide to local businesses?
I’m also curious about how award recipients are selected. When the Chamber votes on business and individual awards, what is the process? From the outside, it appears that many of the recipients are connected to VG through family, friendships, or close associations. Transparency in the selection process would help address those perceptions.
For example, the Business of the Quarter designation has raised questions. In some cases, it seems more aligned with nonprofit recognition than business achievement. Additionally, VG’s mother received the “Best on the Block” award, and only a few businesses were recognized before that program ended.
Clear criteria, open nominations, and transparency regarding voting and selection would help build confidence that recognition is based on merit and contributions to the community rather than personal connections.
I absolutely want to celebrate our new hospital, our volunteers, and even our city library. Those accomplishments deserve recognition.
But please don’t ask me to celebrate the people who stood by while educators and staff were harassed, intimidated, deceived, bullied, demoted, terminated, forced to seek other employment, forced to uproot their families, or pushed onto FMLA because of the mental and emotional toll of their working conditions.
And let’s not forget those who remain, struggling every day and searching for a way out.
Educators and the professionals who serve our children should be supported, respected, and protected. Instead, many experienced the exact opposite.
The damage done to people’s careers, livelihoods, and families cannot simply be brushed aside. The consequences will be felt for years to come.
This is the legacy of decisions made by this school board. Some members played a direct role in creating an environment that caused harm rather than support. That damage is inexcusable, and the people affected by it should not be forgotten.
Yes, this is a pseudonym, because we know the retaliation by members of this group is REAL! They would not hesitate to jepordize future employment. That is how deep the hatred goes within their souls.
š±$50,000 Wasted!!!
If the public only knew what went on behind the scene in the district, I don’t even think VG would be giving WM so many awards. Well then again, she probably would because VG doesn’t seem to care about the district. She cares about promoting the people she likes. š¤£ You better stay on her good side or ā ļø.
Hereās the rumor surrounding the WM, the Bond Committee, and PBK.
PBK is an award-winning architecture, engineering and consulting practice that has been a leader in design solutions.
PBK pulled out because of WM’s behavior and confrontational approach. By then, the district had already paid approximately $50,000 for the work PBK had completed for the Bond Committee. So, in effect, WM’s actions cost the district about $50,000 and left the committee without the firm it had hired to help guide the process. All of this information is hidden from the public. Now, like I said these were only rumors, but you know how information spreads like wildfire in Cleveland. “Oh, what a tangled web we weave, when first we practice to deceive.”
Speaking of rumors, the night they decided to ditch McCanless in EXECUTIVE SESSION. I was told WM spilled the tea to __ and __ told someone else and on and on until the whole district knew. McCanless was like WTF. He was like, how do these people know??? She couldn’t wait to get McCanless out!! I thought EXECUTIVE SESSION was confidential! No professionalism. Don’t trustees sigh an oath or something? TRUSTees, so much for the trust part!