FirstChoice Cooperative began in the summer of 1995 under the name East Texas Regional Cooperative with five hospitals. Due to interest from other healthcare providers beyond the East Texas region, municipalities, educational institutions and community businesses, FirstChoice expanded its reach across the nation. Members now include hospitals, healthcare facilities, MSO clinics, rural clinics, home health agencies, reference labs, emergency medical services, community businesses, municipalities and educational institutions. Due to this growth, we changed our name to FirstChoice Cooperative in 1997. FirstChoice Management Services was formed in November 1998 to manage the daily activities of the Cooperative.