Boerne News

March 11, 2010

Dear Graduating Senior:

For the fourth year in a row, Methodist Boerne Emergency Center will be offering two $1,500 scholarships: one to a student from Boerne High School and another to a student from Boerne-Champion High School. The scholarships are specifically for students who are planning a career in health care.

As technological advances help to extend the life expectancy of Americans, there is a growing need for health care professionals in every field from physicians and nurses to laboratory and radiology technicians. In an effort to meet the health care demands of the future, we want to encourage young people to seek careers in health care. An application, transcript and essay are required and must be postmarked by April 20, 2010. Please submit your application materials according to the directions on the application.

The Methodist Boerne Emergency Center has served thousands of adults and children since opening in January 2008. This is the first center of its kind in the region to offer round-the-clock emergency care services for people of all ages in need of emergency medical treatment. This is a first-class facility with a top-notch staff that stands ready to serve you, your family and neighbors.

It is a pleasure to be part of the Boerne community and we look forward to helping our next generation of health care professionals.

Sincerely,

Lisa Delaquis, RN
Director, Emergency Services
Methodist Boerne Emergency Center

Click the link to view and print application:
Boerne Scholarship App (2).doc

San Antonio, Texas – October 21, 2009
Today, Methodist Healthcare launched Methodist AirCare, an emergency air transport service that provides life-saving 24/7 emergency helicopter service to residents located throughout Bexar county and most of South Texas. The service is a partnership with REACH Air Medical Services (REACH); the helicopter and staff will be housed at Methodist Stone Oak Hospital.

“Methodist Healthcare has a long history of providing quality care to the residents of South Texas. We are now making it more convenient to rapidly transport patients from rural locales to a Methodist Healthcare facility,” stated Geoffrey Crabtree, senior vice president for Methodist Healthcare. “One call can summon a state-of-the-art emergency medical transport helicopter piloted and staffed by a team of highly trained specialists. Whether the need is to rush an infant to a Level 3 neonatal intensive care unit, transport a high-risk expectant mom or stroke patient or a myriad of other medical emergencies, Methodist AirCare is at the community’s call 24/7/365,” added Crabtree.

“Methodist Healthcare is an outstanding partner and provider and REACH is pleased and proud to be a partner in enriching and extending their already-excellent care network,” said Jim Adams, CEO of REACH Air Medical Services. “Collaborations of this quality greatly benefit the communities we serve.”

Methodist has had formalized specialty transport teams in place for over fifteen years. These pediatric, neonatal and maternal transport teams have been experiencing an increase in emergency transports, reaching nearly 800 patients in 2008. Methodist AirCare will begin by dedicating the helicopter to these teams in the first month of service. This increase in continuity of care by flying Methodist specialty care transport teams in a Methodist AirCare helicopter will add a new quality of care dimension not now experienced with current transport services. Shortly, Methodist AirCare will evolve to 911 trauma, scene and adult transports from throughout South Texas to complete the spectrum of air transport care.

REACH was chosen as Methodist’s partner due in part to its extensive experience in emergency air transport. REACH Air Medical Services is well established and experienced with bases throughout California and Oregon. REACH has performed more than 50,000 air ambulance missions since its inception in 1987.

The Methodist AirCare helicopter is the Eurocopter EC-135, a twin-turbine engine helicopter renowned for its outstanding reliability and maneuverability. Its Instrument Flight Rules (IFR) rating gives Methodist AirCare the ability to perform in almost any weather condition, even when others cannot. For added safety, the aircraft is equipped with a Global Positioning System (GPS) and Terrain Avoidance Warning Systems (TAWS). Pilots for Methodist AirCare average over 5,000 hours as a pilot-in-command and are all instrument-rated and current under a rigid training and check-ride program controlled by the FAA. Not only are Methodist AirCare pilots familiar with South Texas terrain, their training with Night Vision Goggles (NVG) technology allows them to perform life-saving operations in the darkest conditions.

The bright yellow helicopter and its crew will be housed at Methodist Stone Oak Hospital, the newest Methodist Healthcare facility. “The staff and doctors at this hospital are pleased that we were chosen to serve as home base for this new transport service,” said Dean Alexander, CEO of Methodist Stone Oak Hospital. “We have only been open seven months yet we have proven we are filling community needs in North Central San Antonio and rural markets to the north of us. From March through September, we have admitted over 2,400 inpatients, 9,030 emergency department visits and 797 outpatient surgeries. We are already adding beds and expanding services, including beginning an open heart program by year-end. Now, we have this much needed air transport service here for all of the residents of South Texas, added Alexander.

Methodist Healthcare is the largest and most preferred health care system in South Texas with 24-facilities. Eight facilities are acute care hospitals: Methodist Hospital; Methodist Heart Hospital*; Methodist Children’s Hospital*; Methodist Specialty and Transplant Hospital*; Northeast Methodist Hospital*; Metropolitan Methodist Hospital*; Methodist Stone Oak Hospital and Methodist Ambulatory Surgery Hospital.

* a Methodist Hospital facility

Methodist Boerne Medical Center has announced its 2009 Scholarship Winners from the local community. Sarah Wiggins and Tyler Smith, both recent graduates of Boerne-Samuel V. Champion High School, will each receive $1,500 scholarships to pursue their career goals in health care.
The students were chosen based on their applications, resumes and essay responses on their prediction of three important health care innovations in the future.
Wiggin’s winning essay stated a cure to periodontal disease, regenerating spinal-cord nerves and interrupting viral mutations will be innovations that help millions of people worldwide. Her response earned her a scholarship, which she plans to use at Texas A&M University to pursue a career as a physician’s assistant.
In his essay, Smith said using stem cells for cell regeneration, growing organs for transplant purposes and destroying a virus using its resonating frequency will be important health care innovations. He explained a virus’ resonating frequency is the point at which its outer layer can be broken, much like an opera singer can shatter glass with the right note.
Smith plans to use his Methodist scholarship at Texas A&M University in College Station to pursue a career as an emergency room physician.

Methodist Hospital has received the Texas Health Care Quality Improvement Achievement Award from TMF® Health Quality Institute, the Medicare Quality Improvement Organization for Texas. TMF established the awards program in partnership with The Texas Hospital Association, Texas Medical Association, Texas Organization of Rural & Community Hospitals and Texas Osteopathic Medical Association.

Methodist Hospital is the only San Antonio area hospital to win the award. The Texas Health Care Quality Improvement Awards honor Texas hospitals that are performing quality initiatives aimed at improving outcomes in patient care by recognizing those hospitals that have improved their performance on specific national quality measures.

The awards acknowledge hospitals for improving care related to acute myocardial infarction or AMI (heart attack), heart failure, pneumonia and surgical care. These clinical areas have been designated as national health care priorities by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) and The Joint Commission, an independent nonprofit, standards-setting and accrediting body in health care.

The awards recognize hospitals that are active in quality improvement and have made the required improvement on a composite scoring system, called the Appropriate Care Measure (ACM). For acute care hospitals, the ACM consists of 24 quality indicators: eight AMI, four heart failure, seven pneumonia and five surgical care measures. Critical access hospitals used an ACM score based on 11 quality indicators: four heart failure and seven pneumonia measures.

These CMS/Joint Commission priority areas were targeted because they measure care for common, serious health conditions that affect all adult patients. The quality measures—such as an initial antibiotic dose within four hours of admission for patients with pneumonia—are designed to ensure hospitals provide care consistent with current medical guidelines.

“To achieve this recognition, we had to demonstrate significant improvement across several national quality measures. Our success illustrates our commitment to patient safety and to delivering quality health care” said Ken Davis, M.D., chief medical officer, Methodist Healthcare. “It was a significant amount of work on the part of physicians, nurses and support staff, but well worth it because it was the right thing to do for our patients.”

Out of 227 participating Texas hospitals, 27 have met the criteria and were presented with the Texas Health Care Quality Improvement Award of Excellence and 66 were presented with the Quality Improvement Achievement Award. Hospitals receiving these awards will be recognized at a special ceremony in Austin on August 27.

“As a nonprofit consulting company focused on promoting quality health and health care, TMF is proud to recognize these hospitals for promoting quality improvement activities and their senior management for promoting a quality culture,” said Tom Manley, CEO of TMF Health Quality Institute. “Quality improvement is a complex and demanding process and we thank Methodist Hospital for their commitment to improving the health of Texans and the efficiency of health care in our state.”

“We know that using proven standards of care can save lives,” said Dr. Davis. “We will continue to enhance our quality improvement efforts through our collaboration with partners and with TMF Health Quality Institute to ensure that every person gets the right care at the right time, every time.”

To qualify for the Quality Improvement Achievement Award, a hospital had to attain a minimum 80 percent for the Appropriate Care Measure and to have met all other awards requirements. These included passing validation of three quarters of data (quarters 1-3, 2008), having mortality scores within the projected range and submitting the Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems Survey (HCAHPS) data. (Data for mortality rates and HCAHPS are not available for critical access hospitals and, therefore, were not part of the awards criteria for these hospitals.)

For more information on the awards program, see the TMF Health Quality Institute awards Web site at http://award.tmfhqi.net.

About Methodist Healthcare

Methodist Healthcare is San Antonio’s largest and most preferred health care provider with eight hospitals: Methodist Hospital, Methodist Children’s Hospital*, Methodist Heart Hospital*, Methodist Specialty and Transplant Hospital*, Northeast Methodist Hospital*, Metropolitan Methodist Hospital*, Methodist Ambulatory Surgery Hospital and Methodist Stone Oak Hospital.

*A Methodist Hospital facility

About TMF: TMF Health Quality Institute is an Austin-based nonprofit consulting company focused on promoting quality health and health care through contracts with federal, state and local governments, as well as private organizations. TMF partners with health care providers in a variety of settings to ensure that every person receives the appropriate care, every time. www.tmf.org

Methodist Hospital raised the bar in hospital-based stroke care today by announcing it earned not one but two very distinctive certifications. The hospital earned the American Stroke Association’s Get With the Guidelines - Stroke Bronze Performance Achievement Award and the Gold Seal of Approval from The Joint Commission for Primary Stroke Centers.

“Both of these recognitions highlight Methodist Hospital’s comprehensive system for rapid diagnosis and treatment of stroke patients,” stated Mike Duffy, FACHE, CEO of Methodist Hospitals in the Medical Center. He added, “These stroke care certifications will further enhance the quality of stroke care for the residents of San Antonio and our 26-county area”.

According to the American Stroke Association, each year approximately 700,000 people suffer a stroke — 500,000 are first attacks and 200,000 are recurrent attacks. Of stroke survivors, 21 percent of men and 24 percent of women die within a year, and for those aged 65 and older, the percentage is even higher.

Methodist received the American Stroke Association’s Get With the Guidelines - Stroke Bronze Performance Achievement Award a few weeks ago. The award recognizes Methodist Hospital’s commitment and success in implementing a higher standard of stroke care by ensuring that stroke patients receive treatment according to nationally accepted standards and recommendations.

And just yesterday, the hospital received word that it earned the Gold Seal of Approval from The Joint Commission for Primary Stroke Centers. Methodist earned this distinction after the Joint Commission held an unannounced on-site review in May. The Joint Commission designation demonstrates that Methodist’s stroke program follows national standards and can significantly improve outcomes for stroke patients.

Both of these recognitions highlight Methodist Hospital’s comprehensive system for dealing with stroke patients admitted to the emergency department. This includes always being equipped to provide brain imaging scans, having neurologists available to conduct patient evaluations and using clot-busting medications when appropriate.

The hospital’s treatment guidelines include aggressive use of medications like tPA, antithrombotics, anticoagulation therapy, DVT prophylaxis, cholesterol reducing drugs, and smoking cessation. This full implementation of acute care and secondary prevention recommendations and guidelines is a critical step in saving the lives and improving outcomes of stroke patients.

“These two certifications in stroke care came with a lot of hard work and dedication from both our staff and doctors. Most people do not realize and appreciate the orchestration of hospital departments and physician specialties that must occur to establish a quality stroke care program,” stated Duffy. Physician specialties include: emergency medicine; neurology; neurosurgery; internal medicine; family medicine; radiology and interventional radiology.

Hospital leaders, staff and physicians at Methodist Hospital are all committed to further expanding our quality of care and service not only to stroke patients but each and every patient who walks through its doors. The promise of Methodist Excellence has guided hospital staff and physicians to earn these certifications.

HOSPAC, the state political action committee of the Texas Hospital Association, today announced Margaret “Peggy” Allison as their first HOSPAC Star Trustee Award Winner during a founders’ award luncheon at their annual conference. This new award recognizes outstanding hospital trustees who go above and beyond to support HOSPAC, sharing their knowledge and views on health care issues with elected officials at the local, state and federal levels.

Mrs. Allison is a friend and long-time supporter of Methodist Healthcare, dedicating 20-plus years of service to Methodist by serving on several boards and committees. During that time, she was a member of the Methodist Hospital Trustees, the group who helped design the formation of Methodist Healthcare System and Methodist Healthcare Ministries, now the largest non-governmental provider of indigent health care in South Texas. Mrs. Allison also served a two-year term as chairman of the Methodist Healthcare Board of Governors from 2001 to 2003, and she currently serves as an associate board member of Methodist Healthcare.

“Methodist Healthcare thanks Mrs. Allison for her dedication and passion for serving Methodist for so many years and congratulates her on receiving this award for her efforts in health care advocacy,” said Jaime Wesolowski, president and CEO of Methodist Healthcare. “She truly understands the importance of building relationships with elected officials to help shape the future of health care policy.”

A tireless champion for Methodist, she brings that same energy to her support of HOSPAC. She has served on the HOSPAC Board of Directors for eight years and participated on the board’s Strategic Planning Committee. Peggy is also an active member of the Texas Healthcare Trustees (THT) and has inspired numerous hospital governing board members to join HOSPAC and become more politically active. As past THT chair, she also served as an at-large member of the American Hospital Association’s Committee on Governance. In 2004, she was one of 12 trustees statewide to receive an award for excellence in hospital governance from the Texas Academy of Governance.

Log on to ThankYouSA.com today to find out how your neighbors feel about Methodist Healthcare. We value your opinions the most when it comes to judging excellence in health care. Not a third party rating agency where the hospital has to pay to participate. It’s great to be first in your thoughts. Because you are first in ours.

Relay for Life is an American Cancer Society activity in which teams of people dedicate their time and much-needed funds to fight cancer and raise awareness. Teams walk or run on paths overnight having a representative on the path at all times during the event. Millions of people participate in this life-changing event to celebrate the lives of those who have battled cancer, remember loved ones lost to cancer and fight back in hopes that someday cancer will be eliminated. Methodist Boerne Emergency Center joined the Relay for Life wearing individually designed hats to symbolize the best and the brightest at Boerne.

Methodist Boerne Emergency Center partnered with several Boerne doctors and medical professionals on Thursday, May 8 to offer a variety of screenings and health information to Boerne Independent School District staff. Screenings included Body Mass Index (BMI), blood pressure checks, glucose screenings and more. “THANK YOU” to all who participated!

Emergency Medical Services (EMS) week is a week dedicated to honoring the extraordinary men and women devoted to providing life-saving services on the frontline. Methodist Boerne Emergency Center expressed their appreciation by hosting a barbeque in their honor Saturday, May 24.