Patients turned away as medical center closes abruptly in Webster

WEBSTER, Texas (FOX 26) - Texas Gulf Coast Medical Group abruptly closed its Webster offices Monday, turning countless patients away without explanation.

A large sign in the lobby at 250 Blossom Street reads, “Due to unforeseen circumstances, Texas Gulf Coast Medical Group is closed today.”

A spokesman did not explain what those circumstances are, but said if Monday’s issues are resolved, they’ll do business as usual Tuesday.

Texas Gulf Coast Medical Group posted on Facebook that they are rescheduling patients who had appointments at their Webster location Monday, adding Texas Gulf Coast has three other locations that are continuing to operate as usual.

FOX 26 spoke with several patients as they left 250 Blossom Street, having been declined treatment Monday.

“They stopped me on the first floor—told me the third and fourth floor had some issues, and we couldn’t go up,” said Michael Pierce whose wife is a patient at Texas Gulf Coast.

“I just walked in and saw the sign that said the Gulf Coast Medical Group is closed,” said Dustin Riley who had to find another clinic to get treatment for his sick son.

“I said it’s empty out here today, and she said, yeah...something’s going on in the building,” said Rose Palmer who stopped by to pay a bill only to discover the business was closed. “She didn’t say, ‘Working on the building.’ She said, ‘Something’s going on in the building.”’

“The phones were not being answered—just a recording,” said Lillian Gonzales who was trying to get treatment for her sick daughter. “I called 5 times. I was getting upset, so I had to get off of work, come over here and find out what was going on.... I took a picture of the sign.... ‘Due to unforeseen circumstances, Texas Gulf Coast Medical Group is closed today.’ I asked them: are they gonna be open tomorrow? And they wouldn’t give me an answer.”

A check of the fourth floor at 250 Blossom Street showed darkened closed down doctor’s offices at Texas Gulf Coast Monday.

Doctor Ken Hollis with Metro Vein Centers works on the second floor and told FOX 26 he was unaware the business upstairs was closed until afternoon.

“Everything’s business as usual for us,” said Hollis. “We have no connection with Gulf Coast Group.”

A spokesman says, so far, employees have been told to come back to work as normal Tuesday. Some patients plan to do the same.

“I said I’ll check back in tomorrow, and that’s what I’ll do,” said Palmer.

Medistar Corp owns Texas Gulf Coast—the same corporation which owned Bay Area Regional Medical Center which sits right here next door, according to a spokesman. Bay Area Regional went bankrupt in May this year. The spokesman told FOX 26 Texas Gulf Coast is not filing for bankruptcy at this time.