The Catalyst Issue 2 | Winter 2009 | Page 10

> 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.