HOSPITAL Woodland Heights Medical Center is an award-winning 146-bed facility in Lufkin, a regional commercial and economic hub located less than 100 miles northeast of the Houston metro area. HealthGrades ranks Woodland Heights in the nation’s top five percent for clinical excellence. Recognized for its continued excellence in cardiac care, Woodland Heights is a five star rated hospital for the treatment of heart failure. Additionally, Woodland Heights is credited for outstanding pulmonary and gastrointestinal programs. These two service areas are individually ranked in the nation’s top five percent and named best in region for pulmonary and gastrointestinal care. Specialty care is a strength of Woodland Heights. Woodland Heights provides a broad range of resources and programs to meet the needs of a service area of more than 200,000. An Open Heart Surgery Center of Excellence, Digital Bi-plane Cardiac Cath Labs, Sleep Disorders Laboratory, Wound Healing Center, The Women's Center (Labor & Delivery Services), Imaging Services - MRI/MRA, Special Procedures, Spiral CT, Digital Ultrasound, Inpatient and Outpatient Rehabilitation, Outlying Primary Care Clinics and an Ambulatory Surgery Center are among the resources Woodland Heights brings to the people of east Texas. COMMUNITY Consider Lufkin’s lucky predicament—its permanent resident population of about 36,000 positions it solidly as a “home-town” kind of community with friendly neighborhoods, lots of small community events, and other benefits of the simple life. At the same time, however, its status as a commercial and economic hub for a 60-mile radius with a population approaching 250,000 means that the typical day-time population of the city is about 100,000! Consequently, one can find a much wider range of amenities and services than typical in a “home-town” setting, such as fine dining, a surprisingly large zoo (complete with hippo, giraffes, big cats and lots of other “big city” inhabitants), 21 cinema screens, two country clubs, etc. SCHOOLS Lufkin boasts two very strong school systems (LISD and Hudson ISD), and is home to the largest number of National Merit Scholars per capita in the Lone Star state! Modern facilities, quality administration and community commitment have positioned local students to receive an excellent primary and secondary education. A number of private schools, including St. Patrick and St. Cyprian schools, provide a variety of alternative settings and round out the educational opportunities.