By Darragh Doiron

The News staff writer

GROVES — Local businessman Steve Nguyen says he purchased Renaissance Hospital in Groves to “give back” to his community and country.

He and his wife, Eileen, have purchased the Groves hospital that has recently been threatened by bankruptcy and threat of closure. The company is called Nguyen Healthcare Holding, LLC.

The Nguyens conducted their first employee meeting on Friday, and said employees received them well.

“One lady said ‘This is the first time we ever saw the faces of the people who own it,’ ”Eileen Nguyen said.

The couple has been in the seafood and property business. They declined to note the hospital purchase price, but noted their “celebration” after signing papers in Houston on Friday was a McDonald’s meal in the rain on the drive home to Port Neches.

Mr. Nguyen said he came to America from Vietnam about 30 years ago, “lucky to have my skin.”

“So many people have helped me over the years. I’m trying to give back to the community and the country. I owe a lot for people helping me,” he said.

“Probably, we will stay in the hospital daily to work with administrators and the patients and the staff, to make sure everything is going right,” he said.

“The community needs this hospital and I want to make sure they have the quality healthcare they deserve,” Nguyen said in a Renaissance press release.

Mrs. Nguyen said the pair had heard many locals express a desire to keep a hospital open in Groves.

“We think a local involvement will be better for the community, instead of it just being part of a corporate piece. We can serve the needs of the hospital better than they can afar,” she said.

Dorraine Smith, business development director, said Mr. Nguyen became committed to buying the hospital on Feb. 27, when he saw a Renaissance Hospital employee carrying out her personal belongings with tears in her eyes. That was the day Renaissance Hospital Groves was told it would have to shut its doors and cease operations, according to Smith.

Nguyen said he was hurt by the scene and the experience helped motivate him to buy the hospital and support the loyal employees.

Smith called the couple “truly community oriented.”

They operated Seafood Enterprise Inc. and bought and sold land on West Port Arthur Road. Through Ryan T. Enterprise Inc. they own the former Super K mart building on Twin City Highway. Mr. Nguyen said he purchased it to develop a shopping center, but it has now become a Motiva warehouse.

S & E Healthcare Groves-Operations, LLC will be the managing entity. Smith reports that the Nguyens, in conjunction with their CEO Michael McEachern, are working to make a smooth transaction. The hospital name will remain the same.

Renaissance is licensed for 92 beds and employs about 200 people, making it one of the Groves’ largest employers.

Smith said the hospital opened as Doctor’s Hospital in 1954, was remodeled in 1976 and was rebuilt in 1984.

Dan DeLaGarza, owner of Renaissance Healthcare Systems, bought the hospital in September of 2004, acquiring it from Chapter 11 bankruptcy. Atlantic Health Group owned it for short period of time and in March of 2009, Louisiana Texas Healthcare management brought the company out of bankruptcy.

Smith said the hospital family will give back to the community from 2 to 4 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 14, with an event featuring Kosmic Pearl, a Janis Joplin tribute band.

ddoiron@panews.com