Blog entries tagged Healthcare

Methodist Sugar Land Offering Free H1N1 Vaccines

Greg Rivera — Wed, 10 Feb 2010 03:21:56 +0100

Methodist Sugar Land Hospital is offering a free way to protect your family from the flu and at the same time supporting the Houston Food Bank.

With the donation of a non-perishable food item to the Methodist Sugar Land Hospital, area residents 18 years of age or older will receive a free H1N1 vaccine. This is a way to serve the whole Fort Bend County community in multiple ways as residents get prevention from the flu and the Houston Food Bank gets donations to continue helping those in need.

Area residents can take advantage of this opportunity on February 18th from 9am-1pm in the atrium of the new hospital. No appointments are necessary but there is a limited supply of vaccinations. Methodist Sugar Land Hospital is located at 16655 Southwest Freeway in Sugar Land, TX.

Flu season is upon us but it isn’t too late to take precautions. According to HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius, “The H1N1 vaccine is safe, effective and the best way to prevent the flu. We urge all Americans to protect themselves and their families by getting the H1N1 flu vaccine.” While flu season generally only lasts until May, the H1N1 flu infected people last year from April to November. Sebelius also noted, “This is a challenging flu season for millions of Americans and their families and it’s not over yet.”

Dr. Thomas R. Frieden, director of CDC, was encouraging, “The window of opportunity to get the H1N1 vaccine is still open. We do not know how many more cases of flu there will be in the coming weeks and months, but we do know that the H1N1 faccine is the best way to protect yourself.”

Richmond to Welcome New VAMC

Greg Rivera — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 06:30:59 +0100

The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs plans to open four new outpatient clinics in the Houston area, and to serve the Veterans of the Richmond and Rosenberg areas a medical office and outpatient clinic will open in Richmond, TX. This is according to a release issued from the Michael E. DeBakey Veterans Affairs Medical Center (MEDVAMC) in Houston on Tuesday December 8.

The nearly 10,000 sq ft facility is set to open during the summer of 2010, just southeast of the OakBend Medical Center Williams Way Campus which opened in October 2009 on U.S. 59. The new Richmond clinic will be staffed by VA personnel and will offer outpatient services to veterans, including primary health care, laboratory and x-ray services, and mental health care.

With 78 physicans from the MEDVAMC being recognized by the medical knowledge company, Best Doctors, Inc. as The Best Doctors in America this is just another opportunity for the VAMC to offer quality care to Texas Veterans. “I am very pleased with this recognition of our physicians’ clinical excellence by Best Doctors,” said J. Kalavar, M.D., MEDVAMC chief of staff. “This is yet another indicator the Michael E. DeBakey VA Medical Center continually strives to offer the highest quality health care possible for veterans living in southeast Texas.”

Other Southwest Texas cities set to welcome new VA clinics will be Lake Jackson, Katy and Tomball, with hopes that the Texas City location will be reopened as well. The MEDVAMC currently has clinics in Houston, Beaumont, Conroe, Galveston, and Lufkin serving over 900,000 patients just in the 2009 fiscal year. The MEDVAMC in Houston boasts of 37 staff physicians on the Best Doctors in America 2009-2010 list, along with 41 physician consultants and attending physicians.

In order to develop a ‘Class A’ facility to meet the needs of Richmond patients, the VA has hired McShane Development Company’s Healthcare Division based out of Rosemont, IL, to develop the site. This is good fit according to Stephen M. Doyle, Vice President of McShane Development Company’s Healthcare Division, “McShane is well versed in the development of medical office properties, and we always are committed to delivering a Class A product on behalf of our client and the numerous patients who will utilize this state-of-the-art facility.” The building will match the service as the opening of four new clinics will allow the MEDVAMC to serve more patients in more locations with the exemplary care seen over the years.

For more information please visit: http://www.houston.va.gov

Source: www.fbherald.com

Back to School News: New Immunization Requirements for Texas Kids

Daphne Hager — Fri, 21 Aug 2009 05:00:00 +0100

Texas kids are getting ready to go back to schools, and for many children, preparation includes getting a few more immunizations. This year, big changes have been made in immunization requirements which will impact incoming kindergarten and seventh grade students.
The changes to the requirements were made to bring Texas into line more closely with what the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Advisory committee on Immunization Practices recommend. These changes started on August 01 and include:Hepatitis A Vaccine: All students entering kindergarten will be required to have two doses of Hepatitis A vaccine.Measles, Mumps, Rubelle (MMR) Vaccine: All students entering kindergarten will be required to have two doses of the MMR vaccine.Varicella (chickenpox) Vaccine: All students entering kindergarten and 7th grade will be required to have two doses of the Varicella vaccine. However, a written statement from the parent/guardian, school nurse or physician attesting to the child already having had chickenpox may replace the vaccine.Tetanus, Diptheria and acellular pertussis-containing Vaccine (Tdap): All students entering 7th grade will be required to have one dose of Tdap vaccine. Students in the 7th grade are required to have a booster shot of Tdap only if it has been five years since their last dose. Students in grades 8-12 are required to have a booster shot of Tdap if it has been ten years or more since their previous dose of a tetanus-containing vaccine.Meningococcal Vaccine: All students entering 7th grade will be required to have one dose of meningococcal vaccine. For more information on immunization requirements for Texas kids:
http://www.dshs.state.tx.us/IMMUNIZE/

World-Class Healthcare Close to Home

Joseph Leon — Sun, 15 Mar 2009 05:00:00 +0100

Known for its prime location adjacent to the entrance of the Westpark Tollway, Lakemont is home to lakes, parks, to recreation centers and top builders. In addition to Lennar, Lakemont features new homes by Perry Homes, Brighton Homes, J. Patrick Homes. Prices start in the $130,000s.

Enhancing its prime location is a long and growing list of conveniences close home, and minutes away for residents of this growing community.

Christus St. Catherine Hospital

The Christus St. Catherine Hospital on South Fry Road has recently completed a $50 million expansion. The hospital has more than 400 physicians and 664 employees of which 244 are nurses. The expansion has yielded a new women's imaging center, a second catheterization lab and the only positron emission tomography in Katy. It has recently added two additional floors on our new tower that are already shelled.

This nonprofit hospital is also the only hospital-based Sleep Center in Katy.

Memorial Hermann Katy Hospital

Memorial Hermann Katy Hospital is now open. The facility, which opened about a year ago, represents a $100 million construction cost with the result being a 127-room, 310,000-square-foot facility with the latest technology. The facility also has four operating tables and a cystoscopy room, and it employs 790 workers including physicians. Recently, the Texas Department of State Health Services designated Katy Hospital as the only Level IV trauma facility in the Katy area according a report in the Katy Times. Specialty services include orthopedic surgery, heart and vascular diagnosis and treatment, cancer services, women's health and advanced diagnostic imaging. Life Flight is also able to land at Memorial Hermann Katy Hospital.

The explosive growth of the west Houston area is evident in the success of master-planned Lakmeont, known for its outstanding master plan and prime location at the entrance of the Westpark Toll Road. New developments are making Lakemont even more appealing with the addition of new campuses of world-class medical center facilities now in the west Houston/Katy area. All within easy access for residents of Lakemont, new facilities - both under construction and newly opened, will provide quality health care and a wide range of services to residents of all ages, close to home.

Texas Children's Hospital is building its newest campus in West Houston and will open next year. This new hospital will serve residents in west Houston and Katy with the same world renowned health care and technology as the original location in the Texas Medical Center. The 55-acre site is located at I-10 and Barker-Cypress. Texas Children's Hospital reports that by 2010, Texas Children's Hospital will be one of the largest suburban pediatric medical centers in the nation. The hospital will be licensed for 96 intermediate and acute beds, an emergency center, inpatient and outpatient operating rooms, an ambulatory care facility, diagnostic imaging, physical medicine and rehabilitation services, medical subspecialty care and physician office space.

When open, the new campus will be known as the first community hospital just for kids. The building is planned to open in late 2009.

Methodist Hospital Construction is also underway for the Methodist Hospital System's west Houston hospital next to the site where the new Texas Children Hospital is being built. This new facility will be a 192-bed hospital with a state-of-the-art imaging center. The new community hospital, which will be the fourth in the Methodist System, will offer the growing westside communities 14 operating rooms, a breast center, radiation therapy and labor and delivery services, among other features.

The Methodist Imaging Center will offer the latest in technology, including a 64- slice CT scanner, PET CT and two MRIs, including an open machine. This facility will provide patients with precise imaging, accurate diagnoses, and a personalized service. The hospital will also include several centers of excellence from the Texas Medical Center, including cancer, heart services and orthopedics. An emergency department, with the capacity to treat more than 30,000 patients annually, and imaging capabilities, will also be a part of the hospital.

St. Luke's Episcopal Health System

St. Luke's Episcopal Health System will also be a part of the Katy area. Plans are underway for a 90-bed community hospital on nearly 30 acres of land located at the southwest corner of the Grand Parkway and Kingsland Boulevard, just south of I-10. St. Luke plans to develop the campus in phases as it grows. The new building will also feature medical offices to support the new hospital's facilities, as well as a senior care facility and a wellness development center.