Whether someone is heading into the emergency room for a sprained ankle or the flu, the experience of waiting in a hospital for treatment is often unpleasant. Several hours in a waiting room full of other sick patients is the last place you want to be when you're sick or injured. If you have a minor emergency, however, there is an alternative to emergency treatment in a large hospital setting. At South Texas Spine & Surgical Hospital, the average wait time in their emergency department is less than ten minutes. Located in Stone Oak, the hospital has licensed physicians and registered nurses who are ready to treat minor emergencies such as sprains, the flu, sore throat, and abdominal pain at any time.
South Texas Spine & Surgical Hospital is a joint venture between National Surgical Hospitals, Inc. and local physicians who have a focus on quality, patient safety, and satisfaction. Whether a patient is visiting the 24-hour, 7-day-aweek emergency department or receiving inpatient or outpatient surgery, they will receive the highest quality of treatment in a safe and caring environment.
Dr. Gilbert Meadows, an orthopedic spine surgeon and the hospital's medical director since its opening in 2002, believes the committed group of physicians, nurses, and staff at the hospital creates an experience that is unrivaled by any large hospital facility. With a modest thirty beds, patients receive individual attention to ensure all their needs are met.
"The staff is second to none," says Dr. Meadows. "Patients are treated with respect and kindness from the moment they walk in the door. If a patient has a choice, would they rather be one of five hundred or one of twentyfive to thirty patients? Our smaller size allows us to keep our focus where it should be - on the patients."
In addition to emergency room care, South Texas Spine & Surgical Hospital specializes in advanced medical and surgical treatment of patients suffering from diseases of the joints and spine as well as pain management on an inpatient and outpatient basis. Procedures range from endoscopic spine surgery to major fusion spine surgery and from total hip and knee replacements to pain management. A patient's visit to South Texas Spine & Surgical Hospital may include everything from pre-operative testing, recovery care, and inpatient services.
South Texas Spine & Surgical Hospital CEO Debbie Kelly says the hospital's warm and caring environment helps minimize the stress often associated with surgical procedures and hospital stays for patients and their family members. From a physician's perspective, South Texas Spine & Surgical Hospital creates an atmosphere where physicians' talents can prosper because of an incredibly skilled nursing staff and support team. "We know when we walk in the door that everything has been done and there is no stone left unturned," says Dr. Meadows. "We are working with the same people regularly in the operating room and the nurses already know what the doctors need. This is a remarkable place to practice medicine."
With a low patient-to-nurse ratio, patients benefit from skilled care by nurses who fully understand the risks, complications, and effects of spine and orthopedic surgery . "Nurses are extremely competent in the surgery the patients have gone through," says Dr. Meadows. "Everybody understands spine and orthopedic surgery at this facility."
Dr. Meadows says the synchronization of the physicians, nurses, and hospital staff results in faster, more efficient operating times, which is a considerable advantage to patients. Less time on the operating table results in diminished opportunity for infection and faster recovery time for patients. South Texas Spine & Surgical proudly reports an infection rate significantly less than 1%.
The South Texas Spine & Surgical Hospital continually invests in new technology and surgical techniques. By using the latest in cutting-edge, mainstream quality technology, physicians ensure patients receive unsurpassed care during the pre-op, surgery, and recovery process that results in less complications and reduced recovery time. "Anything that is minimally invasive is a quicker and easier healing process for patients," says Kelly. "We are advocates of new technology as long as it is of equal quality."
According to independent ratings by Health Grades, Inc., the leading healthcare ratings organization of hospitals, nursing homes, and physicians, South Texas Spine & Surgical Hospital continues to be a five-star rated hospital in San Antonio and the South Texas area. The hospital has also ranked among the top 5% in the nation for several years.
"The attention to quality at this hospital is not just lip service, and the quality is appreciated by everybody who is here," says Dr. Meadows. "Everybody here is proud of this place. They have a piece in making what we consider a remarkable place to practice medicine and care for our patients."
South Texas Spine & Surgical Hospital
18600 N. Hardy Oak Blvd.
(210) 404-0800
www.southtexassurgical.com
A Five-Star Alternative