> Right Care, Right Place continued
main hospital as another service that is
urgently needed. This is in part due to the
increased number of diabetes cases being
diagnosed every day in the United States,
and Texas is no exception. Scott & White’s
clinical diabetes program will also
complement research activities to help stop
the progression of the disease. The program
will be a partnership with the Texas A&M
Health Science Center College of Medicine.
The new Glenda Tanner Vasicek
Cancer Treatment Center opened in 2008
and houses all medical disciplines involved
in oncology care in one location. “It is
one-stop therapy,” says Dr. Pryor.
“Patients can see their medical oncologist,
surgeon and radiologist all in one exam
experience as much as possible,” says Glen
R. Couchman, MD, regional chief medical
officer/chief operating officer, associate
system chief medical officer, Scott & White
Healthcare; and associate professor of
Family Medicine, Texas A&M Health
Science Center College of Medicine.
Highly sophisticated care coupled with
a delivery system that puts the needs of the
patient first is a guiding principle at Scott
& White. Recent partnerships have moved
expert care closer to the patient.
For example, the new Scott & White
Cardio Center in Killeen, opened in
August as part of a partnership with
Metroplex Adventist Hospital and the
Adventist
Health
System,
will
“It’s absolutely essential that we accommodate
the increased number of patients at Scott &
White and streamline the delivery of care to ease
the patient experience as much as possible.”
— Glen R. Couchman, MD
room instead of having to go to three
different areas of the hospital.” More
people are diagnosed with cancer every
day, and Scott & White offers them a
convenient, efficient and coordinated
approach to their care.
“It’s absolutely essential that we
accommodate the increased number of
patients at Scott & White and streamline
the delivery of care to ease the patient
10
THE CATALYST Winter 09
substantially reduce the number of Killeen
cardiac patients who have to make the
drive to Temple for treatment.
“Patients really appreciate how
convenient this is for them,” says
Metroplex President Ken Finch. A
planned
75,000-square-foot
office
building will provide offices for both Scott
& White physicians and independent
community physicians. And in Lampasas,
patients can access the Scott & White
system
through
Rollins
Brook
Community Hospital, a part of the
Metroplex system.
Plans for the new Lake of the Hills
Regional Medical Center are moving
forward and will bring state-of-the-art
medical care to the Highland Lakes and
Hill Country areas. In nearby Llano, Scott
& White assumed management of Llano
Memorial Health System, including the
30-bed Llano Memorial Hospital and a
network of rural health clinics, effective
April 1. At that time, the 22 physicians
affiliated with the Hoerster Clinic formally
became members of the Scott & White
senior staff. These partnerships are helping
the community strengthen its existing
resources and extending the Scott & White
system’s capabilities into the Hill Country.
In addition, Scott & White and
Hillcrest Health System are working toward
an agreement that will lead to the creation
of a partnership to operate Hillcrest Baptist
Medical Center in Waco. “The proposed
affiliation with Scott & White is a
partnership that will create an ever more
comprehensive healthcare delivery system
while aligning necessary resources to
develop new and needed services for all of
Central Texas,” says Glenn Robinson,
president and CEO of Hillcrest.
Technology Eases
Communications
As new partnerships and locations open
their doors, effective communication with
referring physicians is vitally important.