CHRISTUS Santa Rosa Hospital – New Braunfels working towards Baby-Friendly Recognition

CHRISTUSSantaRosa_colorIn 2012, CHRISTUS Santa Rosa Hospital – New Braunfels (CSRH – NB) began working towards Baby-Friendly status, an international designation which takes many months of planning and preparation to attain.  Because of the commitment of Kathy Parkes, RN, IBCLC, and Deborah Ehrhardt, BA, IBCLC, Internationally Board Certified lactation consultants at CSRH – NB, and a group of physicians, registered nurses, administrators, WIC representatives, doulas, midwives, and dietitians, CSRH – NB has been accepted into the final designation phase of Baby-Friendly recognition and will have the opportunity to be assessed in 2015.

What is Baby-Friendly?  It is a quality improvement and recognition program for maternity facilities that have created an optimal environment for appropriate infant feeding and mother-baby bonding.  Baby-Friendly began in 1991 and is an international program co-administered by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) in conjunction with Baby-Friendly Hospital Initiative (BFHI) authorities in each country.  Globally, there are currently more than 22,000 Baby-Friendly facilities, which undergo re-certification every five years, and in the United States, there are just 203.  In Texas, there are seven facilities in the DFW area with the BFHI designation.  The Baby-Friendly committee at CSRH – NB is diligently working to be designated as the eighth Baby-Friendly facility in Texas and the first in the Greater San Antonio area.

All available research points to the overwhelming benefits of breastfeeding to the health of infants, mothers, families, society, and the environment.  The job of health care professionals is to provide as much information as possible for new parents to make an informed decision about feeding and nurturing their babies.

To attain the Baby-Friendly designation, a birth facility must:

  1. Implement the Ten Steps to Successful Breastfeeding;
  2. Invite a Baby-Friendly survey team to the facility once the Ten Steps are in place, and
  3. Undergo an extensive on-site survey to evaluate the knowledge and practice of staff and the experiences of mothers and babies.

The Ten Steps to Successful Breastfeeding include:

  1. Having a breastfeeding policy that is routinely communicated to all health care staff.
  2. Training all health care staff in the skills necessary to implement this policy.
  3. Informing all pregnant women about the benefits and management of breastfeeding.
  4. Helping mothers initiate breastfeeding within one hour of birth.
  5. Showing mothers how to breastfeed and how to maintain lactation even if they should be separated from their infants.
  6. Giving newborn breastfed infants no food or drink other than breast milk, unless medically indicated.
  7. Practicing rooming-in; allowing mothers and infants to remain together 24 hours a day.
  8. Encouraging unrestricted breastfeeding.
  9. Giving no pacifiers or artificial nipples to breastfeeding infants.
  10. Fostering the establishment of breastfeeding support groups and referring mothers to them on discharge from the Hospital.These Ten Steps have been demonstrated again and again by Associates at CSRH – NB to increase both initiation and duration of breastfeeding mothers.

“The Baby-Friendly committee at CHRISTUS Santa Rosa Hospital – New Braunfels has spent many months working towards achieving the Baby-Friendly recognition,” said Pat Carrier, President and CEO, CHRISTUS Santa Rosa Health System. “We are pleased to build on our legacy of proven health care as we pave the way for other facilities to also achieve this distinction. I applaud our Associates for their commitment to our mission of extending the healing ministry of Jesus Christ, to even the smallest patients we are privileged to serve.”

About CHRISTUS Santa Rosa Health System:
Founded in 1869 by the Sisters of Charity of the Incarnate Word of Houston and San Antonio, CHRISTUS Santa Rosa is a Catholic, faith-based, nonprofit health and wellness ministry dedicated to extending the healing ministry of Jesus Christ and providing the highest quality medical care and services available. As one of the top health care organizations in South-Central Texas, CHRISTUS Santa Rosa has five hospital campuses, with campuses located in the South Texas Medical Center, in New Braunfels, in Westover Hills, and a short-stay surgical hospital in Alamo Heights. Located downtown, the Children’s Hospital of San Antonio, formerly known as CHRISTUS Santa Rosa Children’s Hospital, is the first hospital in San Antonio solely dedicated to the care of children. CHRISTUS Santa Rosa Health System also owns a majority interest in CHRISTUS Santa Rosa Physicians Ambulatory Surgery Centers – San Antonio, LLC, a joint venture physician partnership which is comprised of two outpatient surgery centers in San Antonio with facilities in Stone Oak and the Medical Center.  Additionally, CHRISTUS Santa Rosa Health System owns a majority interest in the CHRISTUS Santa Rosa Physicians Ambulatory Surgery Center in New Braunfels, a joint venture physician partnership.  CHRISTUS Santa Rosa is the preferred health system of the San Antonio SPURS. For additional information on CHRISTUS Santa Rosa, visit www.christussantarosa.org. Find us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/christussantarosa and follow us on Twitter at http://twitter.com/CSRHS.

 

Humana opens health & well-being centers

Humana green logoAttaining good health has become much more convenient for San Antonio-area residents with the opening of a Humana Health & Well-Being Center at two San Antonio Walmart locations – one at 1200 S.E. Military Drive and the other at 6703 Leslie Road.

Visitors to the centers can take advantage of a variety of health education resources. To help people continue to learn, the Humana Health & Well-Being Centers feature seminars and educational sessions that aim to keep brains and bodies fit, regardless of age. Community members can learn tips on monitoring diabetes, the importance of eye health, how to keep allergies under control and other topics that provide tools and information to make effective decisions about health and well-being.  Seminars run the gamut from healthy food and nutrition to lifestyle topics, such as how to keep the kitchen organized or how to use a tablet computer. A calendar of daily demonstrations is available free at each of the center locations.

The Health and Well-Being Centers offer adults of all ages a place to socialize and learn about ways to achieve lifelong well-being. Socially-connected adults are three times as likely to report very good or excellent health. Additional research supports that people with a strong social network have less stress and typically feel a greater sense of self-esteem. As a result, they take better care of themselves by adopting a healthy lifestyle. Among various activities available to local residents, the centers host live social events such as crafting for a cause, crafts for kids, planting 101, family fun, home budgeting and organization.

Walking programs provide the opportunity to join instructor-led groups to learn proper walking and stretching techniques while socializing with each other. The centers host a group of walkers, every Tuesday and Thursday, at 9 a.m. at Military Dr. and every Monday and Friday at 9 a.m. at Leslie Road, who walk inside the store. Participants even receive pedometers after they complete their first walk, helping them track their steps and calories burned.

Humana members can even speak in private with a customer service representative live through video chat via a computer. As an added bonus, some associates are bilingual in English and Spanish, allowing the centers to efficiently serve residents of Hispanic and Latino origin, who make up roughly two-thirds of the San Antonio population.

In addition, “The doctor will see you now” takes on a new, high-tech meaning at the Humana Health & Well-Being Center with its telemedicine suite. Patients who visit the center use the latest audio and video technology to speak directly to a Concentra physician who evaluates, diagnoses and treats their medical condition (prescriptions can be phoned in to the pharmacy at the Walmart location or to a pharmacy of the patient’s choice). Patients are assisted by an on-site medical professional during their visit. Telemedicine has been touted as a way to improve access to health care and is currently used in 34 percent of U.S. health centers.

Consults available include nurse visits such as health screenings and immunizations and urgent care services for such health issues as ear/eye infections, sore throats and sinus infections, allergies, stomach ailments, rashes and pain such as to a knee or lower back. Point of care tests for flu, strep or mono, administration of steroid, allergy or antibiotic shots and specimen collection and interpretation of tests sent to a laboratory can also be accomplished.

Visits would not include treating trauma beyond minor sprains and strains, conducting physical examinations or evaluating wound care or medical procedures of any kind (elective, excisions, foreign body removal, etc.).

These facilities serve as an excellent alternative for San Antonio residents – as well as all adults – to connect with each other and improve their overall health and well-being.

Unprecedented expansion plans unveiled for Methodist Hospital and Methodist Children’s Hospital

Methodist50thLOGOmethodist childrens hospital logoProject to include two new patient towers, expansion of adult and children’s emergency departments, neonatal ICU expansion and parking garage addition 

Methodist Hospital today announced its largest construction project in its history, which will expand the footprint of the Methodist Hospital campus by 445,000 square feet. Cost for the expansion will exceed $200 million and includes renovations and expansions for Methodist Hospital and Methodist Children’s Hospital, a campus of Methodist Hospital. Construction begins in 2014 and will continue through 2017.

MH Expansion Site Plan

“With a 50-year track record of as the most preferred hospital in the region, it’s important to continue to meet the needs of our community, our employees, and our physicians,” said Gay Nord, chief executive officer of Methodist Hospital and Methodist Children’s Hospital. “Our landmark expansion includes upgrades to substantial areas and services across Methodist Hospital and Methodist Children’s Hospital to include the addition of two new patient towers, expansion of women’s services and neonatal ICU, and expansion of emergency services as well as surgical services.”

“We’ve built a reputation for providing exceptional health care to the people of San Antonio and South Texas,” she continued. “Now it’s time for us to embark on the largest construction project our organization has ever undertaken.”

Highlights of the project include:

Methodist Hospital

  • Expansion of the Methodist Hospital Central Tower with a new entrance making the campus even more convenient for women having babies at Methodist Hospital. More women deliver babies at Methodist Hospital than any other hospital in San Antonio.
  • Expansion of the adult emergency department to 48 treatment rooms.
  • Expansion of the sub-level surgical pre-operating and post-operating areas and an additional nine story parking garage, partially underground, which will allow easy patient access from the parking garage to surgical suites.

Methodist Children’s Hospital

  • Expansion of Methodist Children’s Hospital Emergency Department to 40 beds. Methodist Children’s Hospital has the busiest children’s emergency department in the nation.
  • Addition of a six story patient care tower and new entrance for Methodist Children’s Hospital.
  • Expansion of Methodist Children’s Hospital’s Newborn Intensive Care Unit (NICU), resulting in 94 beds. The hospital currently has one of the largest NICUs in the region.

More than 90 percent of the patient rooms will be all private rooms, for the comfort and convenience of patients and their families.

MH-Central-Tower-Renderings

MHS-Children's-Hospital-Renderings-final

“Congratulations to Methodist Hospital for its vision in recognizing the changing health care needs of our community and for their continued efforts to meet the challenges of our growing region,” said Ron Nirenberg, City Council representative from District 8. “This investment in our city is not only an economic generator, but also a commitment to excellence in health care for the benefit of San Antonio and South Texas families.” The expansion will increase jobs on the Methodist Hospital campus by eight percent.

Methodist Hospital opened in 1963 as the pioneer facility in the now world-renowned South Texas Medical Center with 175 beds and a staff of 272. Today, the hospital has 882 beds and employs 3,538 staff members with total annual salaries of $186 million.

Methodist Children’s Hospital opened in 1998 as the only hospital in the region built exclusively for children. It is the most preferred children’s hospital in the region and the largest provider of pediatric health care south of Dallas and west of Houston, serving children throughout south, central and west Texas.

Methodist Children’s Hospital recognized as Healthcare Organization of the Month by Studer Group

methodist childrens hospital logoLeaders of Methodist Children’s Hospital, a campus of Methodist Hospital, were honored today by the Studer Group as Evidence-Based Leadership Health Care Organization of the Month for June. The award was presented during the Studer Group’s Excellence in Nursing Institute being held in downtown San Antonio.

The Studer Group is a national organization focused on helping health care organizations achieve, sustain, and accelerate exceptional clinical and operational outcomes. Studer works with over 850 health care organizations in the U.S. and chooses one exceptional organization each month to demonstrate how their tactics and strategies are working across the country.

 

Studer Award photo

Methodist Children’s Hospital was recognized for working diligently within the Studer Model of Excellence to improve and sustain patient satisfaction and overall patient experience. Beginning their journey to excellence in 2007 with a baseline patient satisfaction score at the 53rd percentile, Methodist Children’s Hospital reached the 97th percentile in 2009 and has sustained “best in class” performance, closing 2012 at the 97th percentile again.

“When I arrived here in 2006, I became very focused on improving the patient experience. This award speaks to the extraordinary passion, action focus and accountability of the leadership team,” said J. Mark McLoone, FACHE, chief executive officer. McLoone credits the Children’s Hospital leadership team that includes Ann Winn, RN, FACHE, NEA-BC, chief nursing officer, and Raymond Stefko, MD, who currently serves as chief of staff.

“Building upon a foundation of a respectful work environment for our team members, and with consistently strong scores in the family’s evaluation of physician communication, the family-focused team of doctors, nurses, ancillary, support and other staff all work together to assure an optimal patient and family experience,” McLoone added. “The entire children’s hospital team has made these results achievable and sustainable.”

The accomplishments of Methodist Children’s Hospital extend to their Emergency Department (ED) which remains a shining example of the hospital’s overall success. The ED’s patient volume exceeded 73,000 visits in 2012, up from 66,000 in 2011. It is one of the busiest “just for children” emergency departments in the nation. Despite this very high patient volume, the Methodist Children’s Hospital ED has ranked No. 1 for patient experience among all emergency departments in its peer group for four quarters during the last two years.

Methodist Children’s Hospital is a relatively young children’s hospital. Opening 15 years ago in 1998, Methodist Children’s Hospital has grown extraordinarily and is now the largest provider of pediatric health services in the seventh largest city in the United States. “Emphasizing the importance of the patient experience in such a market has contributed to the hospital’s growth as families increasingly choose Methodist Children’s Hospital for the care of their children,” McLoone added.

“The leadership team at Methodist Children’s Hospital has hardwired nurse leader rounding and we focus our time on action items. We focus on identifying solutions in real time. We don’t wait several weeks to get our survey results, we take action on what’s happening in the hospital right now,” said Winn.

“When we identify a gap in services, we respond quickly. Leadership rounding has been effective in helping us identify gaps and resolve any issues before the patient leaves the hospital. As a pediatric hospital, we’re in a unique position because the child is our patient but the parents and family are the ones defining and interpreting the patient experience,” Winn added.

“The journey to achieving and sustaining outstanding patient experiences has been gratifying for employees and medical staff at every level of the organization. We are proud of the positive difference we have made in our community. On behalf of the staff and physicians at Methodist Children’s Hospital, we are deeply honored to be chosen as Studer Group’s Evidence-Based Leadership Healthcare Organization of the Month,” concluded McLoone.

About Methodist Children’s Hospital
Methodist Children’s Hospital opened in 1998 as the first children’s hospital in South Texas designed and built from the ground up to meet the needs of children and their families. The hospital has the area’s largest pediatric emergency department with 32 treatment rooms and more than 73,000 visits last year alone. Methodist Children’s Hospital is among the nation’s largest providers of marrow and stem cell transplants. A new hybrid operating room opened recently that gives surgeons the equipment needed to perform complex heart surgeries. The hospital maintains two Methodist AirCare™ helicopters to transport newborns, children and pregnant women from all part of South Texas to Methodist Children’s Hospital so they can receive a higher level of care that may be needed in a medical crisis. Methodist Children’s Hospital maintains children’s specialty clinics to ensure children receive the outpatient care they need for complex illnesses in a single location. To learn more, visit www.MHSChildrens.com.

About Studer Group
Studer Group® works with over 850 healthcare organizations in the U.S. and beyond, teaching them how to achieve, sustain, and accelerate exceptional clinical, operational, and financial outcomes. We work to bring structure and focus to organizations through the creation of cultures of accountability and help set them up to be able to execute quickly. And with the rapid changes occurring in our industry due to the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act ushering in the pay-for-performance era, this ability has never been more critical.

As the metrics our industry publicly reports get expanded—and as reimbursement is increasingly tied to these results—organizations are forced to get progressively better at providing top quality care with fewer dollars. We help organizations install an execution framework called Evidence-Based LeadershipSM (EBL) that aligns their goals, actions, and processes. This framework creates the foundation that enables them to transform the way they provide care in this era of rapid change.

Wesolowski Recognized as Grassroots Champion

methodist hcs logo

The American Hospital Association, in partnership with the Texas Hospital Association awarded Jaime Wesolowski, president and chief executive officer of Methodist Healthcare System in San Antonio, with the American Hospital Association Grassroots Champions Award.  As a 2013 Grassroots Champion, Wesolowski is being recognized for his exceptional leadership in generating grassroots and community activity in support of a hospital’s mission.

The American Hospital Association Grassroots Champions Award was created to recognize those hospital leaders who most effectively educate elected officials on how major issues affect the hospital’s vital role in the community, who have done an exemplary job in broadening the base of community support for the hospital, and is a tireless advocate for the hospital and its patients.

“We depend upon strong voices like yours to help tell the story of hospitals as cornerstones of the communities they serve,” said Rich Umbdenstock, AHA president and CEO.  “This award is a small token of our appreciation for your hard work and dedication to improving health and health care in America.”

THA selected Wesolowski for his consistent, strong leadership that continues to impact industry leaders and professionals beyond his own hospital.

“Jaime is a unique voice among senior health care executives in Texas with a clear ability to engage and influence other health care leaders on the most important industry issues,” said Dan Stultz, M.D., FACHE, FACP, THA president/ CEO. “His leadership is exemplary of the kind of role Texas hospital executives are having to improve the health care system in an age of change.”

The award is presented annually to one individual from each state with winners being chosen by the state association. The 2013 honorees were recognized at a special Breakfast of Grassroots Champions at the AHA Annual Membership Meeting on Tuesday, April 30, 2013.  Wesolowskiis one of 52 individuals honored this year.

AMHospAssn logo

About the AHA
The AHA is a not-for-profit association of health care provider organizations and individuals that are committed to the health improvement of their communities. The AHA is the national advocate for its members, which includes 5,000 hospitals, health care systems, networks, other providers of care and 42,000 individual members. Founded in 1898, the AHA provides education for health care leaders and is a source of information on health care issues and trends. For more information, visit the AHA Web site at www.aha.org.

TXHospAssn logo

About the Texas Hospital Association
Founded in 1930, the Texas Hospital Association is the leadership organization and principal advocate for the state’s hospitals and health care systems. Based in Austin, THA enhances its members’ abilities to improve accessibility, quality and cost-effectiveness of health care for all Texans. One of the largest hospital associations in the country, THA represents more than 85 percent of the state’s acute-care hospitals and health care systems, which employ some 369,000 health care professionals statewide. Learn more about THA at www.tha.org or follow THA on Twitter @texashospitals.

About Methodist Healthcare
Methodist Healthcare System – San Antonio is the largest provider of health care in South and Central Texas with 26 facilities including nine hospitals serving 90,000 inpatients and 390,000 outpatients annually. The Methodist Healthcare team is comprised of 8,000 employees, making Methodist Healthcare the second largest private employer in San Antonio. In 2012, Methodist Healthcare was one of only two hospitals in Texas recognized by the Texas Medical Foundation with a Gold Award for Quality. Methodist Healthcare has won the National Research Foundation’s Consumer Choice Award for 13 consecutive years, more times than any other health care provider in Texas. For the past four years, Methodist Healthcare has received “Best Hospital” Gold Award by the San Antonio Express-News’ Readers’ Choice Awards. With more than 2,700 credentialed physicians, Methodist Healthcare provides the largest array of medical services in the region including neurosurgery, cardiovascular services, oncology and women’s services. Visit www.SAHealth.com to learn more.

Methodist Healthcare Names Gabriel Marrufo as Chief Financial Officer at Methodist Stone Oak Hospital

Methodist stone oak hospitalMethodist Healthcare has named Gabriel Marrufo as chief financial officer at Methodist Stone Oak Hospital, a campus of Methodist Hospital.

Marrufo previously served as vice president, planning and business development at Las Palmas del Sol Healthcare in El Paso, Texas, where he was responsible for driving key strategic growth opportunities within the El Paso market. His 16-year career at HCA began at Las Palmas del Sol in 1997. He served as staff accountant and was promoted to accounting manager and then controller.

In 2011, he was selected as one of three candidates within HCA to participate in the CEO Executive Development Program.

A native of El Paso, he and his wife, Carol, have two sons, Vincent and Hayden.

Methodist Healthcare System – San Antonio
Methodist Healthcare System – San Antonio is the largest provider of health care in South and Central Texas with 26 facilities including nine hospitals serving 90,000 inpatients and 390,000 outpatients annually. The Methodist Healthcare team is comprised of 8,000 employees, making Methodist Healthcare the second largest private employer in San Antonio. In 2012, Methodist Healthcare was one of only two hospitals in Texas recognized by the Texas Medical Foundation with a Gold Award for Quality. Methodist Healthcare has won the National Research Foundation’s Consumer Choice Award for 13 consecutive years, more times than any other health care provider in Texas. For the past four years, Methodist Healthcare has received “Best Hospital” Gold Award by the San Antonio Express-News’ Readers’ Choice Awards. With more than 2,700 credentialed physicians, Methodist Healthcare provides the largest array of medical services in the region including neurosurgery, cardiovascular services, oncology and women’s services. Visit www.SAHealth.com to learn more.

Methodist Healthcare Names Candie Starr, MHA, BS (MT) as Chief Operating Officer at Methodist Stone Oak Hospital

180x150-MethodistSOHospMethodist Healthcare has named Candie Starr, MHA, BS(MT), as chief operating officer and ethics and compliance officer at Methodist Stone Oak Hospital.

Since 2007, Starr has served as corporate director with Lifepoint Hospitals in Brentwood, Tennessee, providing ancillary operational leadership across 57 hospitals in 20 states.

In 2005, she served as director of the laboratory, occupational health clinic and health and wellness at HCA Mainland Medical Center in Texas City, Texas. From 1995 to 2005, she held a variety of management positions at HCA Oak Hill Hospital in Brooksville, Florida.

Candie_Starr1Starr has served on the Joint Commission’s Board of Advisors, HealthTrust Purchasing Group Advisory Boards, the board of the United Way, and on the boards of several community blood banks.

A member of the American College of Healthcare Executives and the Clinical Laboratory Management Association, Starr has a master’s degree in healthcare administration from American Intercontinental University and a bachelor’s degree in clinical laboratory science from West Liberty University.

Starr and her husband, Jim, have two daughters, Rachael and Ashley, both attending Middle Tennessee University.

CommuniCare Lottery Winners, One Year Later

Communicare_logo side in colorOne year ago this week, ten employees of CommuniCare Health Centers bought a group of lottery tickets together. Little did they know that by the end of that week, they would be discussing how to split their $16 million prize. A year later, simply because of the love of their jobs, nine of the ten women are still working at CommuniCare and contributing to their community (one of them has since retired).

When the group learned of their winnings, there were many mixed feelings. “Aside from the excitement and happiness of winning the lottery, the weeks and months that followed were also a stressful and scary time of uncertainty and a certain amount of pressure and obligation and even guilt was felt by all of us,” said one of the winners.

communicare center picDespite the prize, they pledged not to leave CommuniCare. Continuing to work together allowed them to maintain a bond that helped each of them move forward, and make smart decisions. The winner added, “We leaned on each other for support, and encouraged each other to make smart decisions with our money. We shared our feelings and experiences, we all celebrated accomplishments like finally being able to move out of an apartment and own a home for the first time, the pride of being able to send a son to college, the ability to care for elderly, ailing parents, finally being able to own a car that isn’t always breaking down.” Many of the winners have also made charitable contributions to the community and also to CommuniCare.

The winners have maintained their privacy throughout the year to protect themselves and their families. They were happy to see things calm down during the months that followed. “Life has essentially returned to normal for all of us, but the ten of us share a special bond that will be there for the rest of our lives.”

Now that a year has passed, the winners have continued to enjoy the great organization they work for, “For the ten lucky ladies of CommuniCare, our worry load is a little lighter these days, but for the most part we are back to doing what we do best, serving our community as part of the premier primary health care system of choice.”

About CommuniCare Health Centers:
CommuniCare Health Centers (CCHC) having served San Antonio for over 40 years now, is a full-service primary healthcare system offering Family Medicine, Pediatric Care, Women’s Health and OB/GYN care, Podiatry, Dental and Behavioral Health Services and After Hours Urgent Care to residents in Bexar and Hays counties. In 2012, CCHC delivered more than 150,000 visits at two health centers in San Antonio and two in Hays County. In the fall of 2012, CCHC opened its newest health care facility on the Northwest side of San Antonio. As a non-profit community health center, it serves those with Medicaid, Medicare, Private Insurance and those that do not have insurance, charging on a sliding-fee scale based on annual household income and family size.  For more information on CommuniCare Health Centers please visit http://www.communicaresatx.com.

Comerica presents Small Business Series: Health Care Reform and the Small Business Owner

180x150-ComericaBankComerica Bank presents a Small Business Series and announces a session on “The Impact of Health Care Reform on Business Owners,” on Thursday, March 28, 2013 from 4:30 to 5:30 p.m.

Hosted by Novella Allen and Comerica Bank, the topic will be presented by S. Lee Stevenson Jr. of Stevenson and Ricker Attorney at Law. Stevenson has practiced law for 34 years and represented individuals, small, medium and large businesses as well as large national corporate clients.

Stevenson continues to represent banks and other lenders, has handled both litigation and transaction matters and has experience in both state and federal court.

Stevenson has developed a line of legal form document assembly products that are now available to individuals and consumers on his website legalformsfortexas.com, and he is the author of a major Texas legal formbook called Stevenson’s Texas Legal Practice Forms 2d. The book is a four volume treatise available to attorneys in print.

Health Care Reform and the Small Business Owner will be held at Comerica Bank N Loop 410 office between San Pedro and Blanco Rd., located at 615 NW Loop 410. Refreshments will be served. Guests may RSVP to Novie Allen at (210) 277-3416 or nrallen@comerica.com

Baptist Heart and Rhythm Center Defines the New Beat of Heart Health in San Antonio and South Texas

BHS logo-281aCenter is First to Offer Stereotaxis Robotic Navigation to Heart Patients  

The Baptist Heart and Rhythm Center is the first in San Antonio to offer Stereotaxis Robotic Navigation System to heart patients in the South Texas area. The system, which offers 10 times less risk for major complications during procedure, is used to correct heart arrhythmia.

Previously, heart patients had to travel to Austin, Dallas or Houston for this type of procedure. Baptist’s team of physicians, who are the only ones in the area trained in the use of Stereotaxis, which is an improved method of catheter ablation that makes complex procedures safer.

View a video about Stereotaxis and the Baptist Heat and Rhythm Center

Heart arrhythmia involves an issue with the rate and rhythm of the heartbeat. Many heart rhythm disorders can be cured by a minimally invasive procedure known as catheter ablation. Standard catheter ablation of arrhythmias requires stiff catheters with a limited range of motion that makes navigating in the heart challenging and sometimes dangerous.

Stereotaxis Robotic Navigation System is a trusted, low-risk technology that has been in use since 2003. The system creates a weak magnetic field around a patient that is manipulated by an integrated computer and 3D mapping system to drive flexible, magnetic-tipped catheters within the heart with extreme precision. The amount of pressure on heart tissue during the procedure is as light as four to five paperclips resting in the palm of a hand. The technology’s one millimeter precision gives surgeons greater control and better stability than can be achieved by hand and enables them to place catheters with remarkable accuracy — accuracy equivalent to less than the thickness of a penny. The amount of radiation that patients and doctors are normally exposed to during standard catheter ablation procedures is also greatly reduced with Stereotaxis.

“We are committed to the care of our patients. With the Stereotaxis technology in place, we are building a new level of dedication and trust for focused, safer heart rhythm care in San Antonio and South Texas that helps patients return quickly to a normal and active life,” said Dr. Stephen Scott Reich, MD, FHRS clinical cardiac electrophysiologist.

To learn more about Stereotaxis and the Baptist Heat and Rhythm Center call 210-297-7005 or visit BaptistHealthSystem.com.

About Baptist Health System

Baptist Health System is a trusted provider of health care in San Antonio and South Texas. The System includes five acute-care hospitals (Baptist Medical Center, Mission Trail Baptist Hospital, North Central Baptist Hospital, Northeast Baptist Hospital, and St. Luke’s Baptist Hospital) which offer 1,674 licensed beds. All five hospitals have earned Accredited Chest Pain Center designation, as well as Primary Stroke Center Certification. Medicare has designated each as Texas’ only Medicare Value Based Care Centers.

The system also includes Baptist Regional Children’s Center, Baptist Breast Center, Baptist Cancer Center, HealthLink wellness and fitness center and physical rehabilitation centers. Other entities include Baptist M&S Imaging Centers, community health and wellness programs, ambulatory services, medical office buildings and School of Health Professions. Baptist Health System supports the work of Faith Family Clinics, Baptist Emergency Hospitals, San Antonio AirLIFE air medical transport and other health-related services and affiliations. The system is part of Vanguard Health Systems, based out of Nashville, Tennessee.