New and innovative services develop over last five years at Methodist Stone Oak Hospital

Methodist stone oak hospitalSince opening in March 2009, Methodist Stone Oak Hospital has grown significantly to carry out its mission of serving humanity to honor God by providing exceptional and cost-effective health care accessible to all. Methodist Stone Oak Hospital celebrated its five-year anniversary with a day-long celebration with its outstanding team of physicians, nurses and support staff. The hospital was designed as a “hospital of the future,” offering the community a wide range of medical services that are both high-tech and high-touch.

Patients and guests will immediately recognize many special features upon arriving at Methodist Stone Oak Hospital. All patients and guests can receive free valet parking and the hospital has 140 private rooms. The facility features many modern amenities including a program that allows patients to make their own meal choices from a restaurant-style menu.

The emergency department features a quick check-in process for patients. A computerized kiosk allows patients to check-in efficiently, scan their identification and insurance cards and provide basic information about the type of symptoms they are experiencing. In addition, the hospital has partnered with Methodist Children’s Hospital, a campus of Methodist Hospital, to provide pediatric emergency services to better serve families in the Stone Oak area.

Methodist Stone OakDSC_8491 SIn 2013, Methodist Stone Oak Hospital had a record year for delivering the most babies in its five-year history. The obstetrical team welcomed more than 1,400 newborns into the world. The Methodist Stone Oak Fertility Surgery Center opened this year to help families grow. One in eight couples will struggle with infertility issues and the new center is dedicated to helping couples overcome medical issues that may prevent successful pregnancies. Call 210-575-0355 for a free physician referral and find a doctor specializing in fertility treatment.

The hospital’s surgical team has established an outstanding reputation for services including neurosurgery, orthopedics, heart surgery, robotic and many other minimally invasive procedures. Methodist Stone Oak Hospital recently expanded to add a Hybrid Operating Room that allows surgeons to perform highly complex cardiovascular procedures in a single room. The hospital’s robotic surgery program is a member of the Texas Institute for Robotic Surgery, which requires high quality standards and outcomes among the surgical team.

The hospital has established an outpatient infusion center in early 2013 to provide patients undergoing cancer treatment with a convenient treatment facility closer to home. In addition, a dedicated inpatient oncology unit opened last year with a highly experienced team of oncology certified registered nurses. In addition, the hospital has added a Breast Health Navigator to the oncology team. The navigator is a registered nurse who assists patients diagnosed with breast cancer to find resources, overcome barriers and coordinate care. To reach the nurse navigator at Methodist Stone Oak Hospital, please send an email to Laura.Lopez4@mhshealth.com.

Methodist Stone Oak Hospital received the Women’s Choice Award for being named a “Best Hospital for Patient Experience in Heart Care” in 2013. This past February, the hospital began hosting a WomenHeart support group focused on providing inspiration to women living with heart disease and those seeking ways to improve their heart health. The group meets at the hospital at 1139 E. Sonterra Blvd., Classroom One on the first floor, from 6-7 p.m. Upcoming meetings and topics include:

May 29                        Link Between High Blood Pressure and Stroke

June 26                        Get Your Heart Pumping: Exercise – Yoga to Cardio!

August 28                    How Does Anger Affect Your Heart? Learn Anger Management Skills

September 25             CPR Skills: How to Save a Life

October 30                  Don’t Let Stress Control You! Learn Stress Management Skills

All are welcome to attend. Please contact cfreemanLoveMuch@gmail.com to learn more.

Another feature the hospital recently introduced is the Patient Portal. Inpatients, outpatients and emergency department patients seen on or after March 27 can securely access information about their medical records, lab test results, allergies, discharge summary and more. This new feature is being piloted at Methodist Stone Oak Hospital and patients are encouraged to access the site from Methodist Stone Oak Hospital’s webpage. To log in, you’ll need a Medical Record Number (MRN) that will be provided to you upon admission and then you can view your health information online. The Patient Portal is just another example of how Methodist Stone Oak Hospital is advancing patient care is unique ways that are both high-tech and high-touch.

Methodist Hospital and Northeast Methodist Hospital Awarded “A” Grade by Hospital Safety Score

Methodist50thLOGOTwo hospitals within the Methodist Healthcare System were honored with an “A” grade in the Fall 2013 update to the Hospital Safety Score, which rates how well hospitals protect patients from accidents, errors, injuries and infections. The Hospital Safety Score is compiled under the guidance of the nation’s leading experts on patient safety and is administered by The Leapfrog Group (Leapfrog), an independent industry watchdog. The first and only hospital safety rating to be analyzed in the peer-reviewed Journal of Patient Safety, the Score is designed to give the public information they can use to protect themselves and their families.

“Our caregivers work together to provide care in the safest manner. The ‘A’ scores earned by these two hospitals represent our staff’s diligence in making safety a top priority in patient care,” said Ken Davis, MD, Chief Medical Officer, Methodist Healthcare.

“As patients begin to take a more active role in selecting where to receive health care, it has never been more important to focus on hospital safety and transparency. The ‘A’ hospitals, including Methodist Hospital and its campus at Northeast Methodist Hospital, are helping us to raise the standards of health care nationwide,” said Leah Binder, president and CEO of Leapfrog. “We offer our congratulations and hope the hospital will continue to strive for an ever-increasing level of excellence in patient safety.”

To see Methodist Healthcare’s scores as they compare nationally and locally, and to find safety tips for patients and their loved ones, visit the Hospital Safety Score website at www.hospitalsafetyscore.org. Local hospitals’ scores are also available on the free mobile app, available at www.hospitalsafetyscore.org.

Calculated under the guidance of Leapfrog’s Blue Ribbon Expert Panel, the Hospital Safety Score uses 28 measures of publicly available hospital safety data to produce a single “A,” “B,” “C,” “D,” or “F” score representing a hospital’s overall capacity to keep patients safe from preventable harm. More than 2,500 general U.S. hospitals were assigned scores this fall. A full analysis of the data and methodology used is available on the Hospital Safety Score website.

About Methodist Healthcare of 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.

About The Leapfrog Group
The Leapfrog Group (www.leapfroggroup.org) is a national nonprofit organization using the collective leverage of large purchasers of health care to initiate breakthrough improvements in the safety, quality and affordability of health care for Americans. The flagship Leapfrog Hospital Survey allows purchasers to structure their contracts and purchasing to reward the highest performing hospitals. The Leapfrog Group was founded in November 2000 with support from the Business Roundtable and national funders and is now independently operated with support from its purchaser and other members.

Methodist Hospital celebrates 50th anniversary

Methodist50thLOGOMethodist Hospital celebrated its 50th anniversary with ceremonies honoring its employees, physicians and volunteers while community leaders recognized the pioneering role the hospital has played in the development of the South Texas Medical Center.

Methodist Hospital was chartered in 1955 as an independent hospital. The hospital began with 175 beds and 272 employees and has grown to 882 beds and more than 3,500 employees.

In 1995, it became the flagship facility of the Methodist Healthcare System. Today Methodist Healthcare 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.

During the ceremony, Bexar County Judge Nelson Wolff recalled the origins of the hospital in 1954 when business strategists led by the San Antonio Chamber of Commerce and the Bexar County Medical Society learned the city was lacking in hospital beds and would not be able to handle a mass casualty situation or epidemic.  The Southwest Conference of the Methodist Church was approached to administer the hospital with ties to the church and an agreement was reached in 1955.

Within five years, land was donated and enough money was secured through donations and government grants to build a hospital using civil defense guidelines.  The hospital received national attention as the world’s first nuclear disaster-proof hospital with two floors underground to be used as a fallout shelter.

“It was important to these visionaries to find land for not just a single hospital, but for an entire medical complex,” said Judge Wolff.  “Our community will forever be indebted to the vision and bravery demonstrated by these individuals who stepped out in faith to build a thriving and successful medical complex.”  Today the biomedical field is the city’s leading employer and economic driver.  One of every five San Antonio employees works in the bioscience and health care industry.

“I’m in awe of the legacy of those leaders who came before me, those who had a vision for a Methodist hospital surrounded by enough land for development of a thriving medical center,” said Jaime Wesolowski, president and CEO of Methodist Healthcare System.

“We saw the visionary spirit again 20 years ago when leaders of the hospital decided that in the rapidly changing health care landscape, a single hospital might not fare very well,” continued Wesolowski.  “As a result, when Methodist Hospital became part of the Methodist Healthcare system, a family of hospitals was born, co-owned by HCA and a newly founded non-profit, Methodist Healthcare Ministries.  The Ministries shares our mission of Serving Humanity to Honor God. Receiving half the profits of MHS, Methodist Healthcare Ministries has become the largest non-profit source for community health care in San Antonio and South Texas directed to low income, under served clients ineligible for any medical assistance program.”  The Ministries contributed $72 million to providing 800,000 client encounters in 2012.

During the ceremonies, the longest tenured employees were introduced along with pioneering physicians and long-time members of the Blue Bird volunteer auxiliary.  These employees were Ian Shawcross, 46 years of service; Nancy Burrell, R.N., 43 years, Norbert Cantu, 43 years, Janie Ochoa, 42 years, and Oralia Martinez, 42 years. Also recognized were James Pridgen, M.D., who performed the first surgery at the hospital.  Charter members of the Blue Bird auxiliary receiving recognition were Karen Paterson, Connie Benson, Maxine Haas and Barbara Ringen. All have been serving since 1963 and remain active today.

Hospital officials also opened a time capsule buried in 1988, the hospital’s 25th anniversary.  After the ceremony, the hospital honored physicians, staff and volunteers at a luncheon that featured memorabilia from the time capsule, hospital archives, and a cake designed as a replica of the original hospital building.

Archived footage of the ceremony can be viewed on http://www.livestream.com/nowcastsa and on the Methodist Healthcare YouTube channel: SAHealth210.

#MethodistHospital and Methodist Children’s Hospital appoint Chief Medical Officer

Methodist logoMethodist Childrens logoJane Appleby, MD, FACP, has been appointed chief medical officer for Methodist Hospital and Methodist Children’s Hospital, a campus of Methodist Hospital. Dr. Appleby has been in practice as an internal medicine doctor for over twenty years and is board certified in internal medicine and in hospice and palliative medicine. During this time, she has established herself as a leader in the San Antonio medical community and an innovator in the area of hospital quality.

She holds a bachelor of arts from the University of Texas at Austin and earned a doctor of medicine from the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, where she also completed her internship and residency in internal medicine.

Jane Appleby, MDDr. Appleby has held the role of chief quality officer for Methodist Healthcare over the past five years, leading efforts that resulted in unprecedented improvements in quality metrics. She has also served in various elected physician leadership roles over her tenure with Methodist Healthcare, lending her expertise in quality and care delivery systems.

As chief medical officer, Dr. Appleby will have responsibility for overseeing the medical affairs of Methodist Hospital and Methodist Children’s Hospital as well as championing the patient care delivery system.

“Dr. Appleby is a well-respected physician leader with tremendous talent and vision who is known for creating partnerships between hospital executives, physicians, nurses and other members of the hospital care team to elevate care delivery systems and promote the highest quality of care for patients,” states Gay Nord, chief executive officer  of Methodist Hospital and Methodist Children’s Hospital. “I know her extraordinary talents and leadership skills will be an asset to Methodist Hospital and Methodist Children’s Hospital and will greatly benefit patients and physicians in this region,” added Nord.

Dr. Appleby has served on many regional and state boards and committees primarily dedicated to improving clinical quality and safety. Dr. Appleby has also authored or contributed to journal articles, chapters and books.

About Methodist Hospital
Chartered in 1955, Methodist Hospital is the pioneer facility of the now world-renowned South Texas Medical Center. Opened in 1963, Methodist Hospital has grown to be the flagship facility of the Methodist Healthcare System, San Antonio’s largest and most preferred health care provider. Methodist Hospital maintains its excellent reputation with a commitment to the hospital’s value statement that defines quality as meeting the customer’s needs by exceeding their expectations. Methodist Hospital offers a broad range of specialties and is the region’s most preferred hospital for obstetrics, neurosurgery, robotic surgery, cardiac care and back and neck surgeries. Methodist Hospital is accredited by the Joint Commission in stroke care and is designated as an accredited Chest Pain Center.

About Methodist Children’s Hospital
Methodist Children’s Hospital, a campus of Methodist 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 parts 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.

Wesolowski Recognized as Grassroots Champion

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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.

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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.

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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.

Construction Milestone Celebrated with “Topping Out” Ceremony for North Central Baptist Hospital

baptist hcs logoExpansion to Meet the Stone Oaks area’s growing need for women’s services.

A major construction milestone has been reached at North Central Baptist Hospital. On Monday, March 18th the last steel beam was hoisted into place on the hospital structure. A “Topping Out” ceremony commemorated the day for hospital employees, physicians, construction team and community leaders. All in attendance had the opportunity to sign the final steel beam before it was raised into place.

Beam3 Beam

The additional hospital floors will increase medical and surgical unit capacity with spacious, beautifully-appointed patient rooms. It also will expand the already comprehensive labor and delivery, postpartum and anti-partum beds, obstetrics pre-op area, nursery and neonatal care unit (NICU) beds and outpatient areas. Specifics include the new 60-bed NICU which will offer private rooms, including around 11 rooms that will be available for parents who wish to spend the night with their babies in intensive care. Expectant parents can continue to rely on the fact that North Central operates the highest level NICU in the Stone Oak area, for an extra measure of care if needed.

“As the first hospital system to invest in the Stone Oak area in the early 1990s, we are excited to continue to grow with this community and accommodate the needs with our facility expansions,” said Graham Reeve, President and CEO of Baptist Health System. “This means our physicians will have additional access to modern, state-of-the-art facilities to practice in and ultimately provide the best patient care for you and your loved ones.”

This investment has been made to meet the Stone Oak area’s growing need for patient services and is expected to open in fall 2013. In addition, it is providing additional jobs to local and regional contractors and sub-contractors, as well as jobs to San Antonio healthcare workers.

Click here to view video

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.

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.

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.