St. David's South Austin Medical Center News

St. David's HealthCare Hospitals Reaccredited as Chest Pain Centers

reedsmith — Wed, 23 May 2012 13:34:07 GMT

AUSTIN, Texas-Several St. David's HealthCare facilities recently received Chest Pain Center Accreditations-all of which were reaccreditations-from the Society of Chest Pain Centers (SCPC). The SCPC is an international, not-for-profit organization that focuses on transforming cardiovascular care by assisting facilities in their efforts to create communities of excellence that bring together quality, cost and patient satisfaction.

St. David's Medical Center, St. David's North Austin Medical Center and St. David's South Austin Medical Center received these reaccreditations by the SCPC. St. David's Round Rock Medical Center is scheduled to receive its reaccreditation in May 2012. The Heart Hospital of Austin and St. David's Georgetown Hospital received their reaccreditation in 2011 and 2010, respectively.

"By maintaining our chest pain center accreditations, we continue to enhance the quality of care for cardiac patients and demonstrate our commitment to higher standards," Thomas W. Knight, M.D., chief medical officer at St. David's HealthCare, said. "We are pleased to continue to offer exceptional chest pain care for all patients at St. David's HealthCare facilities."

Chest Pain Center Accreditation is awarded to facilities that have achieved a higher level of expertise in dealing with patients who arrive with symptoms of a heart attack. These facilities emphasize the importance of standardized diagnostic and treatment programs that provide more efficient and effective evaluation, as well as more appropriate and rapid treatment of patients with chest pain and other heart attack symptoms. They also serve as a point of entry into the health care system to evaluate and treat other medical problems, and they help to promote a healthier lifestyle in an attempt to reduce the risk factors for heart attack.

To become an Accredited Chest Pain Center, these hospitals engaged in rigorous evaluation by SCPC for its ability to assess, diagnose and treat patients who may be experiencing a heart attack. This means that processes are in place to meet strict criteria aimed at:

Reducing the time from onset of symptoms to diagnosis and treatment
Treating patients more quickly during the critical window of time when the integrity of the heart muscle can be preserved
Monitoring patients when it is not certain that they are having a heart attack to ensure that they are not sent home too quickly or needlessly admitted to the hospital

St. David's HealthCare
With more than 60 sites across Central Texas, St. David's HealthCare includes seven of the area's leading hospitals and is one of the largest health systems in Texas. Known for compassionate, high-quality care, the organization has been recognized with the Texas Award for Performance Excellence, the highest honor bestowed by the State of Texas based upon world-class quality measures. In January 2012, St. David's HealthCare was recognized as one of the top 15 health systems in the U.S. by Thomson Reuters, a leading provider of information and solutions to improve the cost and quality of healthcare. In April 2012, three of the system's hospitals-St. David's Medical Center, St. David's North Austin Medical Center and St. David's Round Rock Medical Center-were named to the list of 100 top hospitals in the U.S. by Thomson Reuters. Perennially ranked as the top Austin-area employer among large companies by the Austin Business Journal's annual "Best Places to Work" survey, St.�David's HealthCare is the third-largest private employer in the Austin area, with approximately 7,500 employees. For more information, please visit StDavids.com.
About the Society of Chest Pain Centers
The Society of Chest Pain Centers (SCPC) is an international not-for-profit organization whose mission is to transform cardiovascular care by assisting facilities in their effort to create communities of excellence that bring together quality, cost and patient satisfaction. As the only cross-specialty Society, SCPC provides the support needed for hospital systems to effectively bridge existing gaps in treatment by providing the tools, education and support necessary to successfully navigate the changing face of healthcare. For more information on SCPC, accreditation and certification opportunities, visit www.scpcp.org, or call toll free 1-877-271-4176.

St. David's South Austin Medical Center Awarded Gold Healthy Hospital Award For "Green" Efforts

reedsmith — Mon, 14 May 2012 15:26:36 GMT

Waste Reduction Efforts, Environmentally Sound Practices Saved St. David's

South Austin Medical Center $280,000, Avoided Nearly 9,000 Pounds of Waste
AUSTIN, Texas-St. David's South Austin Medical Center was recently awarded the Gold Healthy Hospital Award by Stryker Sustainability Solutions for its waste reduction efforts and environmentally sound health care practices in 2011. The award cites the hospital's outstanding performance in reducing environmental harm and improving overall hospital quality through medical device remanufacturing and reprocessing.

Stryker reprocesses devices by collecting them from facilities and then sterilizing them for reuse, following strict FDA guidelines. By utilizing Stryker's programs, St. David's South Austin Medical Center was able to reduce supply costs by more than $280,000 and reallocate significant resources to patient care quality initiatives. Through its partnership with Stryker, the hospital also reduced medical waste from landfills by nearly 9,000 pounds.

"We are extremely pleased to be recognized for our efforts to minimize our environmental footprint and to be able to set an example for other businesses in our community," Todd Steward, chief executive officer of St. David's South Austin Medical Center, said. "We plan to make continued strides in our green initiatives."

As the leading reprocessor of medical devices for hospitals throughout North America, Stryker Sustainability Solutions is committed to assisting hospitals and health care providers while reducing waste in their operations.

St. David's South Austin Medical Center
St. David's South Austin Medical Center, located at 901 West Ben White Boulevard, is part of St. David's HealthCare, one of the largest health systems in Texas, which was recognized as one of the top 15 health systems in the U.S. by Thomson Reuters in January 2012. St. David's South Austin Medical Center is an acute care facility with 292 beds, offering a range of complex specialties and sub-specialties, including a comprehensive and nationally recognized cardiac program, full-service maternity and newborn care with Level I and II nurseries, and a thriving 24-hour emergency department, among others. In 2010, the medical center launched a comprehensive $72-million renovation and expansion effort, to be completed in 2012. For more information, please visit StDavids.com.

St. David's South Austin Medical Center Earns American College of Radiology Accreditation

reedsmith — Wed, 02 May 2012 19:11:38 GMT

AUSTIN, Texas-St. David's South Austin Medical Center has been awarded a three-year term of accreditation in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) as the result of a recent review by the American College of Radiology (ACR). MRI is a noninvasive medical test that utilizes magnetic fields to produce anatomical images of internal body parts to help physicians diagnose and treat medical conditions.

The ACR gold seal of accreditation represents the highest level of image quality and patient safety. It is awarded only to facilities meeting ACR Practice Guidelines and Technical Standards after a peer-review evaluation by board-certified physicians and medical physicists who are experts in the field. Image quality, personnel qualifications, adequacy of facility equipment, quality control procedures and quality assurance programs are assessed. The findings are reported to the ACR Committee on Accreditation, which subsequently provides the practice with a comprehensive report they can use for continuous practice improvement.

The ACR is a national professional organization serving more than 34,000 diagnostic/interventional radiologists, radiation oncologists, nuclear medicine physicians and medical physicists with programs focusing on the practice of medical imaging and radiation oncology, as well as the delivery of comprehensive health care services.

St. David's South Austin Medical Center
St. David's South Austin Medical Center, located at 901 West Ben White Boulevard, is part of St. David's HealthCare, one of the largest health systems in Texas, which was recognized as one of the top 15 health systems in the U.S. by Thomson Reuters in January 2012. St. David's South Austin Medical Center is an acute care facility with 292 beds, offering a range of complex specialties and sub-specialties, including a comprehensive and nationally recognized cardiac program, full-service maternity and newborn care with Level I and II nurseries, and a thriving 24-hour emergency department, among others. In 2010, the medical center launched a comprehensive $72-million renovation and expansion effort, to be completed in 2012. For more information, please visit StDavids.com.

St. David's HealthCare Names Medical Director of St. David's Emergency Center in Bastrop

reedsmith — Mon, 23 Apr 2012 10:00:23 GMT

St. David's HealthCare has named Corey Jones, M.D., medical director of the new St. David's Emergency Center in Bastrop, located at the site of the former Lakeside Hospital at Bastrop. In this role, Dr. Jones will oversee the medical operations of the new center.

"Dr. Jones has more than 10 years of experience treating emergent medical conditions and has gained a wealth of knowledge in emergency medicine during that time," Todd Steward, chief executive officer of St. David's South Austin Medical Center, said. "We know that he will be able to effectively lead and grow this emergency center, offering exceptional emergency care to the residents of Bastrop."

Dr. Jones has served as an emergency medicine physician with Capitol Emergency Associates (CEA)-the group of board-certified emergency medicine physicians that provides care in all St. David's HealthCare emergency departments throughout Central Texas-since 2002. He currently works primarily at St. David's Medical Center in Central Austin, where he has served as the chairman of emergency medicine and medical director since 2004. In this role, Dr. Jones is responsible for overseeing the medical safety and quality of care provided by the department, as well as providingoversight of staff physicians. St. David's Medical Center treats about 55,000 patients in its emergency room every year.

Dr. Jones was also instrumental in transitioning the emergency department through a major physical expansion in 2004 and 2005. Additionally, he worked closely with hospital administrators in achieving the status of a National Stroke Center and a Chest Pain Center of Excellence.

In addition to being board certified in emergency medicine, Dr. Jones is board certified in hyperbaric medicine by the American Board of Emergency Medicine.

He is the medical director of the Hyperbaric Medicine and Wound Care Clinic at St. David's South Austin Medical Center, where he has served since February 2012. Dr. Jones has worked as a hyperbaric medicine consultant since 2005, practicing at St. David's Medical Center, St. David's South Austin Medical Center and St. David's North Austin Medical Center.

Dr. Jones earned his bachelor's degree in biology and liberal arts from St. Olaf College in Minnesota and went on to earn his master's in animal physiology and genetics from the University of Minnesota. He was awarded his Doctorate of Medicine by the University of North Carolina and completed his emergency medicine residency at Detroit Medical Center.

Dr. Jones is a member of the Travis County Medical Society and the Travis County Medical Society EMS Advisory Council, as well as a former chairman of the council. He is also a member of the Medical Executive Committee at St. David's Medical Center and a founding member of the Stroke Subcommittee for Neurosciences at St. David's Medical Center. Additionally, he sits on the CEA board of directors, where he has served since July 2004. Dr. Jones is a former member of the Travis County Healthcare Board subcommittee on Mental Health and the St. David's Medical Center Quality Management and Medical Records Committee.

Dr. Jones will be transitioning out of his leadership role at St. David's Medical Center in June 2012 to assume the responsibilities of medical director of the newly built St. David's Emergency Center in Bastrop.

St. David's Emergency Center in Bastrop will operate 24 hours a day, seven days a week, as a full-service, free-standing emergency department, without attached inpatient facilities. It will feature state-of-the-art equipment, a staff of trauma-certified nurses, a trauma room, advanced testingcapabilities including radiological testing and a medical lab, CT scans, x-rays and ultrasounds.

The St. David's Emergency Center, which is scheduled to open June 18, will serve as an extension of St. David's South Austin Medical Center's emergency department.

St. David's HealthCare

With more than 60 sites across Central Texas, St. David's HealthCare includes seven of the area's leading hospitals and is one of the largest health systems in Texas. Known for compassionate, high-quality care, the organization has been recognized with the Texas Award for Performance Excellence, the highest honor bestowed by the State of Texas based upon world-class quality measures. In January 2012, St. David's HealthCare was recognized as one of the top 15 health systems in the U.S. by Thomson Reuters, a leading provider of information and solutions to improve the cost and quality of healthcare. In April 2012, three of the system's hospitals-St. David's Medical Center, St. David's North Austin Medical Center and St. David's Round Rock Medical Center-were named to the list of 100 top hospitals in the U.S. by Thomson Reuters. Perennially ranked as the top Austin-area employeramong large companies by the Austin Business Journal's annual "Best Places to Work" survey, St. David's HealthCare is the third-largest private employer in the Austin area, with approximately 7,500 employees. For more information, please visit StDavids.com.

St. David's South Austin Medical Center

St. David's South Austin Medical Center, located at 901 West Ben White Boulevard, is part of St. David's HealthCare, one of the largest health systems in Texas, which was recognized as one of the top 15 health systems in the U.S. by Thomson Reuters in January 2012. St. David's South Austin Medical Center is an acute care facility with 292 beds, offering a range of complexspecialties and sub-specialties, including a comprehensive and nationally recognized cardiac program, full-service maternity and newborn care with Level I and II nurseries, and a thriving 24-hour emergency department, among others. In 2010, the medical center launched a comprehensive $72-million renovation and expansion effort, to be completed in 2012. For more information, please visit StDavids.com.

St. David's HealthCare Begins Construction at St. David's Emergency Center in Bastrop

reedsmith — Fri, 30 Mar 2012 14:44:27 GMT

St. David's Emergency Center, Scheduled to Open June 18,

Will Be Built at the Site of the Former Lakeside Hospital at Bastrop
AUSTIN, Texas-This month, St. David's HealthCare began building the new St. David's Emergency Center in Bastrop, located at the site of the former Lakeside Hospital at Bastrop. St. David's HealthCare acquired the former Lakeside Hospital at Bastrop facility in August 2011-after the hospital closed its doors in November 2010. The St. David's Emergency Center, which is scheduled to open June 18, will serve as an extension of St. David's South Austin Medical Center's emergency department.

"The building itself will remain intact, but we are renovating the portion of the facility where we will operate the emergency center so that we may better meet the needs of our patients," Todd Steward, chief executive officer of St. David's South Austin Medical Center, said. "As this vibrant community works to rebuild the Bastrop region, its residents need quality emergency care close to home. We are eager to offer this service to the people living in and around Bastrop later this year."

St. David's Emergency Center in Bastrop will operate 24 hours a day, seven days a week, as a full-service, free-standing emergency department, without attached inpatient facilities. It will feature state-of-the-art equipment, a staff of trauma-certified nurses, a trauma room, advanced testing capabilities including radiological testing and a medical lab, CT scans, x-rays and ultrasounds.

St. David's HealthCare has hired the initial management staff for the facility and will continue hiring other staff positions throughout 2012. Physician staffing will be provided by Capitol Emergency Associates, the group of board-certified emergency medicine physicians providing care in St. David's HealthCare emergency departments throughout Central Texas.

"Last year, St. David's South Austin Medical Center treated more patients than any other emergency department in Austin," Steward said. "This new emergency center will allow us to deliver the same exceptional care to the Bastrop community."

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St. David's HealthCare
With more than 60 sites across Central Texas, St. David's HealthCare includes seven of the area's leading hospitals and is one of the largest health systems in Texas. Known for compassionate, high-quality care, the organization has been recognized with the Texas Award for Performance Excellence, the highest honor bestowed by the State of Texas based upon world-class quality measures. In January 2012, St. David's HealthCare was recognized as one of the top 15 health systems in the U.S. by Thomson Reuters, a leading provider of information and solutions to improve the cost and quality of healthcare. Ranked�as one of the Top Workplaces in 2010 by the Austin American-Statesman-and perennially ranked as the top Austin-area employer among large companies by the Austin Business Journal's annual "Best Places to Work" survey-St.�David's HealthCare is the third-largest private employer in the Austin area, with approximately 7,500 employees. For more information, please visit StDavids.com.