The Texas Association of Freestanding Emergency Centers

A registered emergency room nurse who earned her associate's degree in nursing (ASN) in 2005, Jeanne Shipp began founding multiple freestanding emergency rooms throughout Texas in 2014. A member of local and national professional organizations, Jeanne Shipp is part of the Texas Association of Freestanding Emergency Centers (TAFEC).

TAFEC promotes the importance of freestanding emergency centers throughout the community. These facilities, unaffiliated with a hospital, focus entirely on emergency care and only operate with a license from the state. To ensure the highest quality care, physicians and staff maintain an equally-rigorous knowledge of current medical trends compared to a traditional hospital and ensure an ER physician is on staff.

The TAFEC advocates for freestanding emergency centers for the public and legislators. It explains that patients receive care more quickly than at a hospital emergency room, 24 hours a day, with lower costs and fewer fees. The organization lobbies for pro-patient laws that increase healthcare access and ease their locations’ operations. The organization not only welcomes active medical personnel but local, like-minded volunteers.