Resources To Help Make Health Care Decisions Painless
The crown jewel of health care, education and research in Houston is the Texas Medical Center (TMC), considered the world’s largest medical center. It was first developed in 1945 with a dream to create a medical center where people from all walks of life could have access to the best health care anywhere, regardless of their race, age or financial position. Today that dream is fully realized and one can find people from every social circumstance and from many of the world's nations seeking treatment at one of the center's 46 renowned institutions. Inside this section, you’ll find descriptions of TMC facilities and institutions as well as those located outside the TMC. 

Benefiting the entire region, many TMC institutions are making the Texas Medical Center quality of care convenient to even more people by placing clinics, offices and other facilities in neighborhoods throughout Houston and the surrounding communities, and even in other parts of Texas and the world.

In addition to the TMC’s economic impact, which is estimated at more than $6 billion in the regional expenditures of goods and services, TMC brings to the city some of the world’s finest medical talent. It draws foreign patients – nearly 10,000 in 2007. The center’s research has given Houston a well-defined pathway into biotechnology and other high-tech industries. TMC also provides tens of millions of dollars in pro bono health care to the community, and TMC employees serve the community as sports coaches, Scout leaders and civic volunteers.

Texas Medical Center
In the Texas Medical Center, there is something to meet everybody's needs. Two trauma facilities are located in the center, as are institutions specializing in every imaginable aspect of health care, including care for children, cancer patients, heart care, organ transplantation, terminal illness, mental health and wellness and prevention.

All 46 of institutions of the Texas Medical Center are not-for-profit and are dedicated to the highest standards of patient care, research and education. These institutions include 13 renowned hospitals and two specialty institutions, two medical schools, four nursing schools, and schools of dentistry, public health, pharmacy and virtually all health-related careers. It is where one of the first, and still the largest, air ambulance service was created; a very successful inter-institutional transplant program was developed; and more heart surgeries are performed than anywhere else in the world.

As the largest medical center in the world, the Texas Medical Center (TMC) is an internationally recognized community of healing, education and groundbreaking research. TMC is the home of many of the nation's best hospitals, physicians, researchers, educational institutions and health care providers. 

With more than 740 acres, The Texas Medical Center is a “city within a city’’ located about three miles south of downtown Houston, south of Hermann Park and east of Rice University. With 5.5 million patient visits a year, the Texas Medical Center has 46 not-for-profit member institutions providing patient care, cutting-edge research and education for medical students, nursing students and even high school students at the Michael E. DeBakey High School for Health Professions, a Magnet school within the Houston Independent School District.

Beyond its impact on health care, the Texas Medical Center is Houston’s largest single-site employer, with more than 73,600 employees. As reported by the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas-Houston Branch, the medical center contributes $6 billion in regional spending, $3.9 billion in personal income and more than 140,000 jobs. The medical center’s impact is felt primarily through its regional purchases of goods and services—more than $2 billion a year.

The John P. McGovern Texas Medical Center Commons provides a centrally located facility where students, visitors, employees and volunteers can meet, eat, shop and park under one roof. Located in the heart of the medical center, the 288,000-square-foot building is within walking distance from most medical center institutions. Amenities include a variety of eateries, a fresh floral and gift shop, a bank and an upscale Italian restaurant.

Transportation through the medical center is enhanced with METRORail, which runs 7.5 miles from Reliant Park, south of Loop 610 South, to the University of Houston Downtown, just north of downtown. METRORail has four stations in the medical center area, running down Fannin with stops at Memorial Hermann Hospital/ Houston Zoo, Dryden/TMC and TMC Transit Center, and then turning onto South Braeswood and then Greenbriar, where it stops at the Smith Lands parking area, which provides parking for medical center employees.

Described below are the hospitals and institutions that comprise the Texas Medical Center.

— Memorial Hermann Hospital
Memorial Hermann Hospital, the first hospital to open in the medical center area in 1925, is the primary teaching hospital of The University of Texas Medical School at Houston. As a teaching hospital, it provides comprehensive services in cardiology, cardiovascular surgery, neurosciences, orthopedics, general surgery, pediatrics and obstetrics and gynecology. Other specialized services include Houston’s only burn center, high-risk obstetrical services and the Texas Comprehensive Epilepsy Program.

As Houston’s first state-designated Level 1 trauma center, Memorial Hermann Hospital provides 24-hour adult and pediatric emergency and trauma services for more than 330,000 patient visits each year. Emergency services include Life Flight, one of the first emergency medical air transport systems in the nation and the only one based in Houston.

Memorial Hermann Hospital and Memorial Hermann Children’s Hospital are among the busiest kidney and liver transplant centers in the country. Memorial Hermann’s Liver Transplant Program performed Houston’s first liver transplant from a living donor as well as one of the nation’s first emergency liver transplants from a living donor.

Annually cited as one of America’s Best Hospitals by U.S. News & World Report,
Memorial Hermann Healthcare System also operates hospitals in Katy, Fort Bend County, The Woodlands and in the northwest, southeast, southwest and Memorial City areas of Houston. For more information about Memorial Hermann, call 713-222-CARE (2273) or visit memorialhermann.org.

— The Methodist Hospital
A 90-year legacy of medical milestones has attracted patients from around the world to The Methodist Hospital, a major academic medical center in Houston. Methodist, which was the home of famed heart surgeon Michael E. DeBakey, is consistently named among the country’s top hospitals by U.S. News & World Report, ranking in 12 of the 16 specialties in 2008. Also in 2008, Methodist was named No. 10 on Fortune’s “100 Best Companies to Work For” list. Methodist is primarily affiliated with Weill Cornell Medical College and New York Presbyterian, two of the nation’s leading centers for clinical care, medical education and research. Methodist is committed to providing the finest spiritual care coupled with healing skill, compassion and respect for human dignity.

An in-house physician referral service can connect people to physicians at any Methodist hospital based on specialty and, in some cases, can even set up an appointment. Some Methodist operators are nurses who can connect the patient to the proper physician. For more information, call 713-790-3311 or visit methodisthealth.com.

— St. Luke’s Episcopal Health System and Texas Heart Institute
St. Luke’s Episcopal Hospital anchors St. Luke’s Episcopal Health System, a comprehensive network of services designed to meet the primary and specialized health care needs of the Houston area’s diverse community. St. Luke’s also cares for international patients from more than 80 countries.

St. Luke’s Episcopal Hospital is home to the Texas Heart Institute, internationally recognized for its expertise in cardiology and heart surgery. The Texas Heart Institute (THI), at St. Luke’s Episcopal Hospital – The Denton A. Cooley Building, which is located adjacent to St. Luke’s Episcopal Hospital, opened its doors in early 2002 as a monument to the pioneering work in cardiology performed by Denton A. Cooley, who founded the Texas Heart Institute in 1962.

The first heart transplant in a human being in the United States took place at the THI, and further research has led to the clinical use of heart-assist devices, which provide bridges and alternatives to transplants. In 2008, for the 18th consecutive year, St. Luke’s and THI were selected by U.S.News & World Report as one of America’s best for heart care.

Through its relationships with Baylor College of Medicine and The University of Texas Medical School at Houston, St. Luke’s participates in the training of residents rotating through the hospital. Approximately 60 percent of the 600+ members of St. Luke’s active medical staff have teaching appointments at one of these two medical schools.

St. Luke’s primary focus continues to be providing quality, patient-focused care. Physicians in 23 clinical services covering more than 40 specialties are supported by some of the most advanced technologies available. This breadth of medical resources means that St. Luke’s is equipped to handle a wide spectrum of patients, from the low-risk obstetrics patient to the patient with multi-system problems requiring the expertise of an acute-care facility. In 2001, St. Luke’s cared for approximately 32,879 inpatients and received more than 220,000 outpatient and emergency room visits. More than 4,000 staff members and 450 volunteers provide direct patient care and support services in a healing atmosphere of compassion and concern.

In 2003, St. Luke’s The Woodlands Hospital opened as part of St. Luke’s Episcopal Health System. The Woodlands' facility provides state-of-the-art facilities that include an emergency department, newborn and infant nurseries, diagnostic imaging services, labor and delivery rooms and family lounges on each floor.

St. Luke’s online referral form and staff can help newcomers select a physician who accepts their insurance. Visit stlukestexas.org or call 832-355-DOCS (3627) for physician referral.

— Shriners Hospital for Children-Houston
Shriners Hospital for Children-Houston has treated more than 34,000 children with orthopedic conditions that affect the bones, joints or muscles – all free of charge. Because it is supported primarily by income from the Shriners Hospitals for Children endowment fund, the hospital accepts no insurance or third-party payments. It is known as “the only hospital in the Texas Medical Center without a billing department.’’

Nineteen Shriners Hospitals provide care for congenital and acquired orthopaedic conditions, four hospitals provide acute and rehabilitative care for burn injures, three hospitals provide rehabilitative care for children with spinal cord injuries and the cleft lip and palate program is expanding to multiple Shriners Hospitals. Some Shriners Hospitals offer care in more than one care specialty. For information, call 713-797-1616 or visit shc-housing.org.

— Texas Children’s Hospital
Texas Children's Hospital is an internationally recognized full-care pediatric hospital located in the Texas Medical Center in Houston. One of the largest pediatric hospitals in the United States, Texas Children's Hospital is dedicated to providing the finest possible pediatric patient care, education and research.

Texas Children's is nationally ranked in the top 10 among children’s hospitals by U.S. News & World Report. The hospital has garnered widespread recognition for its expertise and breakthrough developments in the treatment of cancer, diabetes, asthma, HIV, premature babies and cardiogenic and attention-related disorders.

Texas Children’s is affiliated with Baylor College of Medicine and is its primary pediatric training site. Baylor professors also are the service chiefs and staff physicians of Texas Children's more than 40 patient care centers.

The hospital's award-winning medical staff consists of more than 1,580 board-certified, primary-care physicians, pediatric subspecialists, pediatric surgical subspecialists and dentists. In addition, Texas Children's offers a dedicated, highly skilled nursing and support staff of more than 6,000.

Looking toward the future, Texas Children's is investing $1.5 billion in research and patient care initiatives, the largest short-term investment ever by a single children's hospital. Major projects, scheduled for completion in 2010, include a neurological research institute, a new center for obstetric care, expanded research facilities and one of the largest pediatric hospitals in a suburban setting. For more information about Texas Children's hospital, call 800-364-KIDS (5437) or visit texaschildrens.org.

— The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center
Celebrating more than six decades of Making Cancer History®, The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center is located in Houston on the sprawling campus of the Texas Medical Center. It is one of the world’s most respected centers devoted exclusively to cancer patient care, research, education and prevention. M. D. Anderson Cancer Center was created by the Texas Legislature in 1941 as a component of The University of Texas System. The institution is one of the nation’s original three Comprehensive Cancer Centers designated by the National Cancer Act of 1971 and is one of 41 National Cancer Institute-designated Comprehensive Cancer Centers today.

In 2008, U.S. News and World Report’s “America’s Best Hospitals” survey ranked M. D. Anderson as the top hospital in the nation for cancer care. M. D. Anderson has achieved the top ranking four times in the past six years and has ranked as one of the top two hospitals for cancer care for 19 years, since the magazine began its annual survey in 1990.

Since 1944, nearly 800,000 patients have turned to M. D. Anderson for cancer care in the form of surgery, chemotherapy, radiation therapy, immunotherapy or combinations of these and other treatments. This multidisciplinary approach to treating cancer was pioneered at M. D. Anderson. Because they focus only on cancer, experts here are renowned for their ability to treat all types of cancer, including rare or uncommon diseases.

In 2008, more than 79,000 people with cancer will receive care at M. D. Anderson, and more than 27,000 of them will be new patients. About one-third of these patients come from outside Texas seeking the knowledge-based care that has made M. D. Anderson so widely respected. More than 11,500 patients participated in therapeutic clinical research exploring novel treatments in Fiscal Year 2007, making it the largest such program in the nation.

At M. D. Anderson, important scientific knowledge gained in the laboratory is rapidly translated into clinical care. In 2006, the institution invested more than $410 million in research, an increase of about 95 percent in the past five years. M. D. Anderson ranks first in the number of grants awarded and total amount of grants given by the NCI. M. D. Anderson holds 10 NCI Specialized Programs of Research Excellence grants: bladder, breast, endometrial, head and neck, leukemia, lung, melanoma, ovarian, pancreatic and prostate. The research program is considered one of the most productive efforts in the world aimed solely at cancer.

Each year, more than 4,300 students take part in educational programs, which include physicians, scientists, nurses and many health professionals. M. D. Anderson offers bachelor's degrees in seven allied health disciplines. In addition, more than 1,000 clinical residents and fellows come to M. D. Anderson each year to receive specialized training in the investigation and treatment of cancer. More than 500 graduate students are working on advanced degrees at the Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, which M. D. Anderson operates jointly with The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston. More than 1,300 research fellows are being trained in M. D. Anderson's laboratories and clinics. For more information about M. D. Anderson, call 713-792-2121 or visit mdanderson.org.

— TIRR Memorial Hermann
Recognized as one of the leading rehabilitation hospitals in the country, TIRR Memorial Hermann serves as a model system for interdisciplinary rehabilitation services, patient care, education and a center of research. For 19 consecutive years, TIRR has appeared on the list of America’s Best rehabilitation hospitals published by U.S. News and World Report magazine – every year of the survey’s existence.

Its reputation comes from more than 40 years of experience in rehabilitation and research, the high caliber of our physician partners and clinical staff, as well as comprehensive programs and services. The reputation of TIRR does not end with research and rehabilitation services. Educating patients, families, healthcare professionals, caregivers and the general public about rehabilitation has been a long-standing commitment. In addition, extending TIRR’s knowledge and resources into the community remains a top priority and to make a difference in the lives of those impacted by disabling injury and illness.

In 2007, TIRR earned the number four spot in the nation for rehabilitation.
More than 4,000 patients have completed their rehabilitation in the TIRR Spinal Cord Injury Program. The Brain Injury and Stroke Program helps with the physical, communicative, cognitive and behavioral problems faced by people with brain injuries. Similar care is provided for stroke survivors.

The Amputee Program serves patients with traumatic amputations, congenital limb deficiencies and disease-related amputations. TIRR also treats infants, children and adolescents with virtually any physical disability or injury. A specialty rehabilitation program serves those with special problems such as multiple sclerosis and complex orthopedic problems.

TIRR has eight rehabilitation centers located in the Houston area, including the Texas Medical Center, inner loop, east and northwest areas, two on the west side of Houston, Pasadena and Sugar Land.For patient referral, call 800-44-REHAB (447-3422) or visit memorialhermann.org.

— Michael E. DeBakey Veterans Affairs Medical Center (MEDVAMC)
As a member of one of the world’s largest integrated health care systems, the MEDVAMC serves as the primary health care provider for more than 116,000 veterans in southeast Texas. MEDVAMC Prime Care Clinics logged more than 800,000 outpatient visits in fiscal year 2006. This includes the satellite clinics in Lufkin and Beaumont, providing care to veterans outside of Houston.

Veterans from around the country receive referrals to the MEDVAMC for specialized diagnosis, radiation therapy, surgery and medical treatment, including cardiovascular surgery, gastrointestinal endoscopy, ophthalmology, dermatology, nuclear medicine, pain management and treatment of spinal cord injury and diseases.

The MEDVAMC is home to a Mental Illness Research, Education and Clinical Center; a Post Traumatic Stress Disorder Clinic; and an award-winning Cardiac Surgery Program. In addition, the facility is one of the VA’s six Parkinson’s disease Research, Education and Clinical Centers.

In 2003, the National Veterans Affairs Surgical Quality Improvement Program (NSQIP) Executive Committee commended the MEDVAMC for having consistently low mortality rates in general surgery, all non-cardiac surgery and all operations for the third consecutive year. MEDVAMC was one of 10 medical centers within the VA system that participated in the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) work group focusing on ensuring correct site surgery. During the past year, MEDVAMC has tested these preventive steps to ensure patient safety and patient satisfaction. For more information, call 713-791-1414 or visit houston.va.gov.

— The University of Texas – Harris County Psychiatric Center (HCPC)
The University of Texas Harris County Psychiatric Center (UTHCPC), an operating unit of The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, delivers a comprehensive program of psychiatric services to children, adolescents and adults suffering from mental illness.

The hospital offers inpatient, outpatient and intensive outpatient care, having more than 6,000 inpatient admissions and 11,000 outpatient visits annually. Patients are treated by a highly qualified, multidisciplinary staff – composed of psychiatric physicians, non-psychiatric physicians (including consultants, internists and others), psychiatric residents, psychologists, nurses, social workers, occupational therapists, pharmacists, dietitians and chaplains – that provides patients with individualized care.

The hospital serves persons suffering from depression, major depression or bipolar disorder, schizophrenia and other severe behavioral or mental health disorders. Patients are admitted to the hospital through various routes. Voluntarily-admitted patients are referred by their health insurance provider, private physician or other hospitals. They can also be referred by the Mental Health Mental Retardation Authority of Harris County. Involuntarily-admitted patients are committed through the probate court system, after being referred for treatment by family members, healthcare providers or others

The hospital serves patients referred from the Harris County Mental Health Mental Retardation Authority, as well as those with insurance referred by private physicians, other hospitals or care providers. HCPC physicians are also faculty members of The University of Texas Medical School at Houston. For information, call 713-741-5000 or visit http://hcpc.uth.tmc.edu.

— Harris County Hospital District (HCHD)
The HCHD is the nation’s fourth-largest public metropolitan health system. In 2007, HCHD accommodated more than 1 million emergency and outpatient visits and delivered more than 11,000 babies. HCHD’s two major hospitals, Ben Taub General Hospital and Lyndon B. Johnson (LBJ) General Hospital, are recognized for their high level of acute specialty care. HCHD facilities twice were named to the Top 100 Hospitals list by Modern Healthcare.

Ben Taub, located in The Texas Medical Center, is home to one of the nation’s top trauma centers, with more than 80 percent of its inpatients admitted as emergencies. Each year, Ben Taub handles 89,000 patient emergency visits. Ben Taub is also home to the Ben Taub Children’s Center, which specializes in urgent care for children and is staffed with the pediatric faculty and residents from the Baylor College of Medicine. LBJ General Hospital specializes in gynecology, obstetrics and neonatal intensive care. Other HCHD facilities include Quentin Mease Community Hospital, 17 community health centers, seven school-based clinics, the Dental Center and the Thomas Street Clinic, the nation’s first freestanding HIV/AIDS treatment facility.

In an effort to improve health care service to the homeless and enhance access to existing district health care services, HCHD provides a variety of preventive and primary health care services to homeless individuals at 13 shelters and through an additional mobile unit. For information, call 713-566-6400 or visit www.hchdonline.com.

Texas Medical Center Expansion Projects

• The Texas Medical Center will grow to 39.6 million square feet as a result of $7.1 billion in capital investment planned through 2014.
• Four buildings completed in 2007 added 1 million gross square feet valued at $469 million. When the Texas Medical Center construction survey was compiled in November 2007, 17 projects valued at $2.4 billion were under construction. These projects, totaling 7.4 million square feet, include a new hospital, clinics, research labs and medical offices.
• The 26 construction starts planned for 2008 represent 6 million square feet costing $1.9 billion.
• Including demolition costs, renovations, parking and infrastructure improvements, the total cost of all projects scheduled through 2014 is predicted to be $7.1 billion. Patient care accounts for 46 percent of the new space, while research takes up 26 percent. Education, housing and administrative office space compose the remaining 28 percent. Once completed, CoStar estimates, the Texas Medical Center will be as large as Houston’s Central Business District.
• Construction underway or scheduled to be completed in 2014 in the Texas Medical Center includes:
• Infrastructure improvements valued at $40 million are being added to increase access, mobility and safety in the area.
• Baylor College of Medicine is building the $1 billion Baylor Clinic and Hospital on a 35-acre tract of land located in the Texas Medical Center’s mid-campus. The Baylor Clinic and Hospital are expected to open in 2011.
• The Harris County Hospital District has embarked on a multi-year, $158 million facilities expansion and renovation and land acquisition program. The program represents the largest construction investment for the hospital district in nearly 20 years.
• Baylor College of Medicine is raising $40 million for the Michael E. DeBakey Center for Biomedical Education and Research. The center will serve as a resource for physicians and scholars who wish to study advances in a range of medical areas, from cardiovascular surgery pioneered by Dr. DeBakey to the contemporary innovations made possible by breakthroughs in genomic medicine discovered in BCM’s Human Genome Sequencing Center.
• On schedule to open in early 2009, the 477,000-square-foot Collaborative Research Center was designed to facilitate joint research between Rice’s experts in biological sciences, engineering, computation, and the physical and mathematical sciences and Texas Medical Center physicians and medical scientists.
• M.D. Anderson’s addition of nine floors atop its 12-story Albert B. and Margaret M. Alkek Hospital is expected to cost about $293 million. This expansion will add 478,000 square feet to the hospital’s current 755,764 square feet. Another 200,000 square feet of space and infrastructure [I understand 200,000 square feet of space, but I don’t understand 200,000 square feet of infrastructure.]will be renovated and upgraded. When the expansion and renovation are completed, M.D. Anderson will house 867 beds that will meet projected inpatient growth through 2020. Partnership Research 4/18/08
• Memorial Hermann Medical Plaza, the largest medical office building in the Texas Medical Center, is a 1.5 million square foot, 30-story tower representing a capital investment of $157.5 million.
• The Methodist Hospital will build a $300 million patient tower and a $70 million adult outpatient clinic to consolidate services.
• St. Luke’s Episcopal Hospital is undertaking a $200 million expansion project that includes demolishing its original 50-year-old hospital and erecting a 10-story patient care center.
• Memorial Hermann Healthcare System is undergoing a five-year, $420 million project to expand all nine of its acute care hospitals.
• HCA is undertaking seven construction projects, including a $50 million investment in a medical office building, parking deck and surgery center at the Woman’s Hospital of Texas.
• Near the Texas Medical Center, The University of Texas Research Park — a joint project of The University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center and The University of Texas Health Science Center – Houston — offers a master planned campus with laboratory and office space for both academic and commercial biomedical and biotechnology research facilities. Here, collaboration between scientific and business professionals will accelerate commercialization of new biotechnologies developed in the Texas Medical Center and the Research Park and lead to new businesses, products and services. The M.D. Anderson portion of the Research Park is planned to provide parcels for as many as 12 buildings containing 1.5 million square feet of lab, office and support space.

TMC By the Numbers

• 46 TMC institutions - Includes 23 agencies of government and 23 private not-for-profit health institutions
• 5.5 Million Approximate patient visits
• 10,000+ International patients
• 6,500 Beds; 600 bassinets
• 10,000+ M.D.s, Ph.D.s and other doctorates
• 73,600 Employees
• 26,000+ Registered nurses, LVN's, clinical caregivers, technicians and medical support staff
• 13,500 Volunteers
• 33,150 Full-time students and more than 75,000 part-time students
• 1,000 Acres in the South Main area plus other locations throughoutHouston and internationally
• $1.2 billion Dedicated to patient care for individuals with limited or no resources
• $1 billion In research conducted by institution members
• 46,500+ Parking spaces with 6,000 new parking spaces under construction

Other TMC Institutions

• City of Houston Department of Health and Human Services
• Gulf Coast Regional Blood Center
• Harris County Medical Society
• Harris County Public Health and Environmental Services
• Houston Academy of Medicine
• Houston Academy of Medicine - Texas Medical Center Library
• The Institute for Religion and Health
• Joseph A. Jachimczyk Forensic Center - Office of the Medical Examiner of Harris County
• LifeGift
• Ronald McDonald House of Houston, Inc.
• John P. McGovern Museum of Health and Medical Science
• Texas Medical Center (corporation)
• Thermal Energy Corporation
• Texas Medical Center Hospital Laundry Cooperative Association
• YMCA Child Care Center at the Texas Medical Center

Patient Care Institutions

• Harris County Hospital District - Ben Taub General Hospital, Lyndon B. Johnson General Hospital, Quentin Mease Community Hospital, and 13 Neighborhood Health Centers
• The Houston Hospice and Palliative Care Systems
• Memorial Hermann-Texas Medical Center
• Children's Memorial Hermann Hospital
• The Methodist Hospital
• St. Luke's Episcopal Hospital
• Shriners Hospitals for Children - Houston
• Texas Children's Hospital
• TIRR (The Institute for Rehabilitation and Research)
• The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center
• Michael E. DeBakey Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Houston

Academic and Research Institutions

• Baylor College of Medicine
• Michael E. DeBakey High School for Health Professions
• Houston Academy of Medicine-Texas Medical Center Library
• Houston Community College System, Health Science Programs
• The Methodist Hospital
• Prairie View A&M University, College of Nursing
• Rice University
• Texas A&M Health Science Center - Institute of Biosciences and Technology
• Texas Heart Institute
• Texas Southern University College of Pharmacy & Health Sciences
• Texas Woman's University Institute of Health Sciences-Houston
• University of Houston College of Pharmacy
• The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston - Dental Branch, Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Harris County Psychiatric Center, Medical School, School of Health Information Sciences, School of Nursing, School of Public Health, Brown Foundation Institute of Molecular Medicine for the Prevention of Human Diseases
• The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center

Degree and diploma-granting educational institutions

• Baylor College of Medicine
• The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston
• The University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center
• University of Houston System
• Rice University
• Texas A&M University System
• Texas Woman's University
• Prairie View A&M University
• Texas Southern University
• Houston Community College System
• Michael E. DeBakey High School for Health Professions (part of the Houston Independent School District)

Region-Wide Health Care Facilities
More than 60 health-care facilities provide services for Houston and the region

• Angleton Danbury Medical Center
• Bayshore Medical Center
• Bayside Community Hospital
• Beacon Specialty Hospital
• Bellaire Medical Center
• Bellville General Hospital
• Brazosport Memorial Hospital
• CHRISTUS Catherine Health and Wellness Center
• CHRISTUS St. John Hospital
• CHRISTUS St. Joseph Hospital
• Clear Lake Regional Medical Center
• Cleveland Regional Medical Center
• Conroe Regional Medical Center
• Cornerstone Hospital of Houston
• Cornerstone Hospital of Houston at Clear Lake
• Cypress Creek Hospital
• Cypress Fairbanks Medical Center
• Devereux Texas treatment Network
• Doctors Hospital – Tidwell
• Doctors Hospital Parkway
• Dubuis Hospital of Houston
• East Houston Regional Medical Center
• Golf Point Specialty
• Healthbridge Children’s
• HealthSouth Hospital for Specialized Surgery
• HealthSouth Houston Rehabilitation Institute
• HealthSouth Rehabilitation Hospital
• HealthSouth Rehabilitation Hospital of North Houston
• Houston Community Hospital
• Houston Northwest Medical Center
• Intracare North Hospital
• Kindred Hospital – Bay Area
• Kingwood Health Center
• Kingwood Medical Center
• Liberty-Dayton Hospital, Inc.
• Mainland Medical Center
• Meadowbrook Rehabilitation Hospital at Clear Lake
• Memorial Hermann Continuing Care Hospital
• Memorial Hermann Fort Bend Hospital
• Memorial Hermann Katy Hospital
• Memorial Hermann Memorial City Hospital
• Memorial Hermann Northwest Hospital
• Memorial Hermann Southeast Hospital
• Memorial Hermann Southwest Hospital
• Memorial Hermann The Woodlands Hospital
• The Menninger Clinic
• Methodist Sugar Land Hospital
• Methodist Willowbrook Hospital
• Northeast Medical Center Hospital
• Polly Ryon Memorial Hospital
• Riverside General Hospital
• San Jacinto Methodist Hospital – Alexander
• San Jacinto Methodist Hospital – Garth Campus
• SCCI Hospital – Houston Central
• Select Specialty Hospital
• Select Specialty Hospital – Houston Heights
• Select Specialty Hospital – Houston West
• Shriners Burn Hospital – Galveston
• Spring Branch Medical Center
• St. Luke’s Community Medical Center – The Woodlands
• Sugar Land Surgical Hospital
• Sweeny Community Hospital

Outside the Texas Medical Center
Houston’s thriving medical community reaches well beyond the Texas Medical Center including the downtown and outlying suburban areas.

—Texas Orthopedic Hospital
Texas Orthopedic Hospital, a specialty surgery, rehabilitation and sports medicine center, opened its doors in February of 1995 and has since become recognized as a global leader in orthopedic care. Housing the internationally recognized physicians of Fondren Orthopedic Group L.L. P, the health-care team focuses on each patient's individual and unique need while maintaining awareness and recognition of cultural diversity.

Texas Orthopedic Hospital physicians, employees and volunteers are committed to changing and improving the lives of patients by providing exceptional orthopedic care through innovative technology, ongoing outcomes research and quality, cost-effective service. As one of the leading orthopedic specialty hospitals in the world, Texas Orthopedic Hospital is dedicated to improving patient results by providing high-quality, cost-effective and specialized orthopedic care in a streamlined environment focused on wellness, mobility and quick recovery. For more information, call 713-799-8600 or visit www.texasorthopedic.com.

—St. Joseph Medical Center
Since 1887, when the doors opened at Houston’s first hospital, St. Joseph Medical Center has offered compassionate health care to generations of Houstonians. From Houston’s first emergency care facility, to Houston’s first OB department (delivering one in every three Houstonians), to Houston’s first teaching hospital, St. Joseph Medical Center has advanced patient care through technology, research and the experience of caring and dedicated physicians, nurses and staff.

Today, Hospital Partners of America (HPA) and leading local physicians partner in the governance and ownership at St. Joseph. As partners, they deliver the best in patient-focused health care and continue to establish St. Joseph Medical Center as Houston’s premier general acute care medical center and the only full-service medical facility located downtown.

St. Joseph Medical Center provides a full range of comprehensive medical and surgical services, such as, cardiology, cancer care, cosmetic and reconstructive surgery, intensive care/critical care, emergency care, orthopedics and pediatrics.

St. Joseph Women’s Medical Center, Houston’s only full service women’s hospital attached to a general acute care hospital, provides women’s medical and surgical services, a family birthing center for moms and newborns, labor/delivery/recovery suites and a neonatal intensive care unit for premature or seriously ill newborns. The Level III Neonatal Intensive Care Unit is staffed by the Small Wonders Team of specially trained doctors, nurses and staff who provide the smallest patients with the best chance at life.

Specialty services provided by St. Joseph include an advanced wound care center, behavioral medicine, blood conservation and management services, occupational medicine, sports medicine and rehabilitation, inpatient and outpatient diagnostic imaging and Corporate Healthcare Connection – a partnership with Houston’s corporate businesses that provides expedited care to their employees.

St. Joseph Medical Center is staffed by approximately 300 board-certified physicians and over 1,500 medical professionals and staff. The hospital facility covers eight city blocks and is conveniently located on the edge of Houston’s revitalized downtown near the intersection of U.S. Highway 59 and Interstate 45.

St. Joseph Medical Center and its partner physicians are proud of the hospital’s tradition as Houston’s first name in health care. Excited about the future, St. Joseph continues to focus on providing quality care for those who live and work in the greater Houston area.

— CHRISTUS St. John Hospital
CHRISTUS St. John in Nassau Bay has a medical staff of more than 400 and offers a full range of specialties from family practice to women’s services. The hospital’s Sports Medicine Center offers orthopedic rehabilitation, physical therapy, athletic training and wellness and outpatient physical medicine programs. CHRISTUS St. John also supports two school-based clinics in Dickinson. For information, call 281-333-5503 or visit www.christusstjohn.org.

—CHRISTUS St. Catherine Hospital
CHRISTUS St. Catherine Hospital in Katy has an inpatient nursing unit with 58 private rooms. The hospital has a nursing center and a continuum of care for women. It also offers specialty services in orthopedics, ophthalmology, plastic and reconstructive procedures, urology, podiatry, peripheral vascular, and ear, nose and throat medicine. For information, call 281-599-5700 or visit www.christusstcatherine.org.

— HCA Houston: Gulf Coast Division
One of Houston’s largest health care providers and the largest for-profit hospital chain in the country, HCA Houston has 10 Houston community hospitals and three outpatient surgery centers in the Houston region.
More than 1,800 physicians are active at HCA Houston medical centers, which are located in Clear Lake, Conroe, Kingwood, Pasadena, Spring Branch, Texas City, east and west Houston and two in the Texas Medical Center—Texas Orthopedic and Woman’s Hospital of Texas.

HCA Houston centers delivered more than 18,000 babies in 2007. HCA medical centers had more than 111,000 inpatient admissions and more than 450,000 outpatient visits in 2006. For physician referral, call
800-265-8624 or visit www.hcahouston.com.

— Tenet HealthSystem
Tenet HealthSystem has four hospitals with about 1,000 beds in the Harris County area. Tenet HealthSystem is the second largest investor-owned hospital company in the country.

Park Plaza Hospital in the city’s Museum District has 446 beds and more than 160 physicians. Plaza Specialty Hospital is a hospital within a hospital, offering long-term, acute care for medically complex patients with diverse needs. Other Tenet facilities include Houston Northwest Medical Center, one of north Houston’s largest, most comprehensive health care facilities with both inpatient and outpatient services, and Cypress-Fairbanks Medical Center Hospital in northwest Houston. For information, call 713-527-5000 or visit www.tenethealth.com.

— The Woman’s Hospital of Texas
There’s only one hospital in Houston dedicated exclusively to the care of women and infants: The Woman’s Hospital of Texas. Quality care is why last year more women chose to have their babies here than at any other hospital in the Houston area. Quality care is also why The Woman’s Hospital of Texas is once again ranked as one of U.S. News & World Report's Top 50 Best Hospitals for Gynecology 2008.

Undoubtedly, the gynecological care at Woman’s is exceptional. Yet women of all ages and stages get well and stay healthy under the attention of its doctors and nurses. Among the staff of nearly 600 physicians are surgeons, internists, radiologists, pathologists and anesthesiologists. All of the doctors are board-certified and most are pioneers in their fields.

The hospital’s nationally renowned surgeons have advanced a long list of minimally invasive procedures including hysterectomy; removal of ovarian cysts and tumors; diagnosis of pelvic pain; and treatment of incontinence, overactive bladder and vaginal prolapse. Where traditional surgeries require major incisions, state-of-the-art technology and microscopic equipment enables surgeons to perform many procedures with only tiny openings; which means our patients are back to their normal lives faster, often with less pain, fewer complications and reduced scarring.

As its name implies, The Woman’s Hospital of Texas has a single focus: women. Every one of the physicians, employees and volunteers are committed to providing compassionate and exceptional care to the women served, and to the babies they love.

The Woman’s Hospital of Texas. For every woman, every baby. For more information, call 713-790-1234, 281-GET-HELP (Physician Referral) or visit the Web site at womanshospital.com.

Galveston Hospitals
Galveston Island’s medical community is home to the first nursing school in Texas, first Shriners Burn Unit in the nation, the world’s largest telemedicine program and continues to lead among medical schools across the nation.

— The University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston (UTMB)
The UTMB campus features six hospitals that provide a full range of medical services. Areas of clinical excellence include geriatric services, behavioral medicine, diabetes care, gastroenterology, kidney disease, the UTMB HeartCenter, a Level 1 Trauma Center, a hyperbaric facility and a children’s emergency room. An extensive network of campus and community-based clinics provide outpatient services to people throughout Texas.

UTMB has initiated several innovative services and diagnostic techniques to advance patient care. Pioneering one of the country’s largest telemedicine and distance education programs, UTMB’s telemedicine experts evaluate and manage life-threatening diseases in patients hundreds of miles away. Conceived in 1995, the telemedicine program leads the world in the number of cumulative telemedicine consults (approximately 2,000 each month) and has extended its reach to children, adults, schools and corporations.

UTMB recently developed a portable telemedicine unit that can be dropped from an airplane to any location in the world such as an oil rig in the middle of the ocean or a disaster site.

In 2007, there were more than 35,000 inpatient admissions to UTMB hospitals, 500,000 outpatient visits and more than 70,000 emergency room visits. UTMB is home to one of two national biocontainment laboratories in the country and the recipient of $110 million from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases for biodefense research. UTMB also is one of eight Regional Centers of Excellence for Biodefense and Emerging Infectious Diseases and the only institution to achieve both the national and regional designations. The new BSL4 Laboratory is the first full-sized maximum containment facility on a U.S. university campus. For more information, call 409-772-1011 or visit utmb.edu.

— Shriners Burns Hospital
Since the 1960s, when the Shrine, an international fraternity of about 500,000 members throughout the United States, Mexico, Canada and Panama, opened its three Shriners Hospitals dedicated to treating burns, a child’s chance of surviving a severe burn has nearly doubled. Today, a child with burns over 98 percent of his or her body stands the same chance of survival (50 percent) that a child with 50 percent burns stood before the Shrine opened its first burn hospital. Fully half of the major advances in the treatment of burned children in the last 20 years have been direct results of the activities at Shriners Hospitals.

The Shriners Burns Hospital of Galveston is a 30-bed, pediatric burn hospital providing care to children under the age of 18 at no cost to the family. The Galveston hospital is equipped and staffed to treat acute burns and patients needing reconstructive or restorative surgery as a result of “healed’’ burns or severe scarring. For information, call 409-770-6600 or visit www.shriners.com/shc/galveston.

Senior Services
Texas soon will face a dramatic increase in the number of older persons. From 2003 to 2007, Texas’ 60+ population will increase about 14 percent, from 2.9 million to 3.3 million, according to the Texas Department on Aging.

The Houston area has an “abundance of services’’ for the elderly, according to Dianne Persson of the Center on Aging, School of Nursing at the UT Health Science Center. With more than 280 assisted-living facilities, more than 80 skilled-care facilities, about 30 independent-living communities in Harris County and many options for home health care, the Houston area provides a wealth of services for seniors.
Sheltering Arms has one of the most comprehensive senior programs in the area, with home care services, Alzheimer’s Day Centers and many more services. Call 713-956-1888 or visit www.shelteringarms.org.

The Harris County Area Agency on Aging offers programs tailored to meet the social, nutritional, educational and logistical needs of all Harris County residents age 60 and above. Nutrition services include the home-delivered meal program for the homebound elderly and the congregate meal program at 43 senior centers in Harris County. Other services include respite care and homemaker services, caregiver training, dental, hearing and legal. Call 713-794-9001 or visit
www.houstontx.gov/health/Aging/.

Another resource for senior citizens and their families is the Senior Guidance Directory, a complete senior resource guide for the Houston area published by the Houston Junior Forum. It is available at Kroger pharmacies.

Be Prepared for Medical Appointments
If your clinician has just prescribed medication for you, here are questions to ask:

1. What is the name of the medicine?
2. How do you spell the name?
3. Can I take a generic version of this medicine?
4. What is the medicine for?
5. How am I supposed to take it?
6. When should I take my medicine?
7. How much medicine should I take?
8. How long do I need to take the medicine?
9. When will the medicine start working?
10. Can I stop taking my medicine if I feel better?
11. Can I get a refill?
12. Are there any side effects?
13. When should I tell someone about a side effect?
14. Does this new prescription mean I should stop taking any other medicines I’m taking now?
15. Can I take vitamins with my prescription?
16. What should I do if I forget to take my medicine?
17. What should I if I forget to take my medicine?
18. What should I do if I accidentally take more or the recommended dose?
19. Is there any written information I can take home with me?
20. Are there any tests I need to take while I’m on the medicine?

Source: Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (www.ahrq.gov)

If you are scheduled to have medical tests, ask these questions:

1. What is the test for?
2. How is the test done?
3. Will the test hurt?
4. How accurate is the test?
5. Is this test the only way to find out that information?
6. What are the benefits and risks of having the test?
7. What do I need to do to prepare for the test?
8. How many times have you performed the test?
9. Source: Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (www.ahrq.gov)

Questions to Ask When Selecting a Hospital:

1. Which hospital has the best care for my condition?
2. Does the hospital meet national quality standards?
3. How does the hospital compare with others in my area?
4. Has the hospital had success with my condition?
5. Does my clinician have privileges (is allowed to work) at this hospital?
6. How well does the hospital check and improve on its own quality of care?
7. Source: Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (www.ahrq.gov)