Baptist Health System

Attend the Women's Services Facility Expansion Groundbreaking Ceremony

Thu, 17 May 2012 00:00:00 GMT

You're Invited to Baptist Stroke Awareness Day

Wed, 16 May 2012 00:00:00 GMT

Enjoy fun park activities and get free health screenings, information and stroke education.

Healthy Cooking Demo

Salsa/Zumba Classes

Fishing on the Wharf

Chair Yoga

Dancing to the Oldies

"Ask the Doc" with Dr. Gordon

"Ask the stroke survivor" booth

Framingham 10-Year Stroke Risk Test

The first 350 people get in free.�

Put time on your side with the Baptist Stroke Team.
If you or someone you know is having a stroke, don't wait, call 911 immediately and get to a Baptist hospital.
�

When:

Time:

Location:

Friday, May 25

10�a.m.� - 2 p.m.
�

Morgan's Wonderland
5223 David Edwards Drive
San Antonio, Texas 78233
Maps & Directions

Baptist Stroke Compliance is tops

Wed, 16 May 2012 00:00:00 GMT

Staff and physicians in the Baptist Health System have been named to the Target Stroke Honor Roll by the American Heart and American Stroke Associations.

The honor was announced at the International Stroke Conference the week of February 3, where it was reported that only 30 in the nation have maintained the standards for at least the past four quarters. In addition, Baptist Health System hospitals are the only ones in San Antonio who have received the Silver PLUS Award, which requires meeting TJC performance measures and also additional quality measures.

The Joint Commission's Primary Stroke Center Certification is based on the recommendations for primary stroke centers published by the Brain Attack Coalition and the American Stroke Association's statements and guidelines for stroke care. The Joint Commission launched the program-the nation's first-in 2003.

The Joint Commission is the nation's oldest and largest standards-setting and accrediting body in health care. Learn more about The Joint Commission by clicking here.

June 2 - Bring the Family to the Mission Trail Baptist Hospital Health Fair

Thu, 26 Apr 2012 00:00:00 GMT

Mission Trail Baptist Hospital opened its doors to the San Antonio community last summer and is now celebrating its First Birthday with a Community Health Fair on Saturday, June 2, 2012.

Attendees can take advantage of

FREE vaccinations (while supplies last)
FREE health screenings for adults, including blood pressure, cholesterol, body mass index and 10 year health risk assessment
Educational displays for parents
FREE healthy snacks
Fun activities for children
Bike Rodeo
Autographs from the San Antonio Scorpions
Zumba Fitness

Date:

Time:

Location:

Saturday, June 2

8:30 a.m. - 12 p.m.

Mission Trail Baptist Hospital
Brooks City Base
3333 Research Plaza
San Antonio, Texas 78235

Mission Trail Baptist Hospital opened June 27th and is like no other hospital in San Antonio. It is an innovative and patient-centered healing environment that brings together state-of-the-art medicine with compassionate, patient-centered care. From all private rooms, to natural light and views and the latest advances in healing technology, Mission Trail Baptist sets a new standard for hospitals in San Antonio.

"The patient is at the center of every design and operational consideration," says Andy Harris, President of Mission Trail Baptist Hospital. "Safety, respect, trust, quality and comfort are some of the words we use to describe the kind of care that we will offer patients."

Some of the unique hospital features include:
- All private patient rooms with access to natural light and views
- Noise reduction features
- Flat screen TVs with entertainment, health education and movies on demand
- Meditation garden
- Adequate space for families to stay overnight

Mission Trail Baptist Hospital offers a full range of health care services including cardiovascular care, mother and baby care, world-renowned minimally invasive surgery, emergency and intensive care, a dialysis unit, orthopedics, urology, vascular and men's health care services.

�

The Creative Aging Center at Northeast Baptist Hospital

Mon, 23 Apr 2012 00:00:00 GMT

Focused on the art of living well for our older citizens.

Baptist Health System is taking a leadership role in South Texas in bringing innovative programs on health and wellness to the communities we serve. Our latest launch is the Creative Aging Center, a place where our� neighbors who have earned that special place in life can enjoy the rewards of their later years.

Our center will offer a full range of education, wellness and clinical programs designed to extend active lifestyles and independence for aging citizens. From specially crafted exercise and nutrition programs to onsultative services and treatment options, our center is designed to help improve and prolong healthy lifestyles.

Our health care teams specialize in managing issues that become more common as we age such as: arthritis, dementia, depression, diabetes, falls and immobility, incontinence, memory loss and osteoporosis. Our Centers of Excellence and nationally recognized programs throughout the Baptist Health System provide solid support for aging:

• Center of Excellence for HIP and KNEE replacements
• STROKE certification
• Chest Pain Accreditation
• Geriatric Psychiatric unit
• Bariatrics Center of Excellence
• Private Cardiovascular Unit
• Fragility Fracture Clinic
• Breast Center located at North Central Baptist Hospital
• Robotically-assisted surgery - Urology, Gynecology, ENT, Thoracic, Bariatric and General Surgery

Attend A Free Joint Seminar Near You

Thu, 05 Apr 2012 00:00:00 GMT

Join Baptist Health System and our featured speakers for a free seminar and learn everything there is about joints.

The seminars will take place through May. At each seminar, dinner will be served at 5:30 p.m. and the presentation will begin at 6:00 p.m. These seminars are free, but registration is required. Call 297-7005 to hold your spot today!

Joint Pain, NO Longer! Solutions to your pain
with Dr. Michael Earle
Wednesday, March 7, 2012
5:30 p.m. Dinner
6:00 p.m. Presentation
Northeast Baptist Hospital

Joint Pain, NO Longer! Solutions to your pain
with Dr. Sergio Viroslav
Wednesday, March 28, 2012
5:30 p.m. Dinner
6:00 p.m. Presentation
Mission Trail Baptist Hospital

What are Your Options for Joint Replacement?
with Dr. Ty Goletz
Monday, May 21, 2012
5:30 p.m. Dinner
6:00 p.m. Presentation
St. Luke's Baptist Hospital

Tackle Your Hip and Knee Joint Pain Today!
with Dr. Greg Gordon
Tuesday, March 27, 2012
5:30 p.m. Dinner
6:00 p.m. Presentation
St. Luke's Baptist Hospital

Why Rehab is Necessary for Your Joints
with Dr. Alasdair Goldstein
Tuesday, April 24, 2012
5:30 p.m. Dinner
6:00 p.m. Presentation
St. Luke's Baptist Hospital

These seminars are free, but registration is required. Please call (210) 297-7005 to register.

Physician Disclaimer

Cancer Care Update

Tue, 03 Apr 2012 00:00:00 GMT

In This Issue

A Message from the Baptist Cancer Center Director

Meet Baptist Cancer Center Team

Should I Have a Mammogram?

From Fear to Confidence

Try a Healthy Recipe

Quick Links

Cancer Care

Baptist Breast Center

Cancer Support Group

Baptist Social Media Links

New Baptist Breast Center Upholds Our Commitment to Excellence
The Baptist Cancer Center represents Baptist's commitment to providing state of the art care for patients with cancer and those at increased risk for the development of cancer. Learn More...

Meet the Team at the Baptist Breast Center
The primary goal of the Baptist Cancer Center and the Baptist Breast Center is to put patients in the center and to guide them through every phase of their journey. Learn More...

Decision Making Tool: Should I Have a Mammogram?
Learn the benefits and risks of a mammogram so that you can make an informed decision about your options. Learn More...

From Fear to Confidence
Annette Rues had plenty of experience with cancer - or so she thought. "My husband of 57 years is a cancer survivor, and I was going daily with him for chemotherapy. Learn More...

Try a Healthy Recipe
This delicious dish of chicken salad is adapted from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, National Institutes of Health, US Department of Health and Human Services Learn More...

Decision Making Tool: Should I Have a Mammogram?

Tue, 03 Apr 2012 00:00:00 GMT

by Pamela Jones, MA

En Espa�ol (Spanish Version)

A mammogram is a screening test for breast cancer . These types of screening tests play an important role in maintaining good health. While some tests can be done quickly during a regular doctor's visit, a mammogram requires an additional appointment at a special facility. The test itself is also rather uncomfortable, not to mention the stress that just the mention of cancer can cause. Do the benefits of mammograms outweigh these downfalls? The following will help you understand the benefits and risks of a mammogram so that you can make an informed decision about your options.

What Are the Potential Benefits of a Mammogram?

Screening tests can help identify illnesses and health problems before symptoms arise. For illnesses like cancer, early detection may allow for more treatment options and can improve the prognosis.

Catch Breast Cancer Early

Mammograms can suggest changes in the breast that may be cancerous up to two years before a lump can be felt. Ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS), an early stage of a type of breast cancer, can also be found with mammography. An early start to treatment may also stop the cancer before it spreads to the rest of the breast tissue or to other organs.

What Are the Potential Risks and Limitations of a Mammogram?

As a screening test, a mammogram cannot actually diagnose breast cancer. To diagnose breast cancer, other tests or procedures will need to be done to closely examine the suspicious tissue. A mammogram simply suggests that cancer may or may not be present. Limits of the test can lead to false results. The test can suggest that cancer is present when there is none (false positive), or it may suggest that cancer is not present when there is cancer (false negative).

False Positive

Sometimes, a mammogram may suggest that there is a cancerous change in breast tissue when there really is not. Benign (noncancerous) tissue can look suspicious on a mammogram. Follow-up tests to confirm what the tissue is may include additional mammograms, ultrasound exams , breast biopsies , and other medical tests. If the original mammogram was a false positive, the additional medical tests and associated stress are unnecessary.

A review of research found that for every 2,000 women that were told to have mammograms, 200 experienced unnecessary distress because of false positive test results.

False Sense of Security

A normal mammogram does not guarantee that you are cancer free. One possibility is that the test result may be a false negative, meaning the mammogram was not able to show a cancer that was there. A clear test may also encourage a false sense of security, which may lead you to ignore symptoms that should be discussed with a doctor. You may be inclined to rely solely on mammograms instead of manual exams at doctor's appointments or general self-health awareness.

Radiation Risk

Radiation is a known carcinogen, however, only small doses of radiation are given during a mammogram and are considered safe.Some have voiced concerns about long-term exposure with repeated mammograms. Research has not found a link between mammogram testing and cancer development. There appears to be very little risk of harm from this radiation.

Can It Improve Your Health?

Early diagnosis is important to cancer outcomes; but do mammograms really lead to better outcomes? To help find this answer, researchers have looked at whether regular mammograms were able to decrease the rates of death from breast cancer, but the results were mixed.

Some studies suggest that mammograms can decrease the rate of cancer death, while other studies have questioned these findings. What is agreed on is that the effectiveness of the mammogram may change based on the individual and the type of cancer, for example:

Aggressive (fast growing) tumors-Younger women tend to have more aggressive cancerous breast tumors. By the time a mammogram finds an aggressive tumor, some cancer cells may have spread to another organ. Therefore, detection may be too late.
Indolent (slow growing) tumors-These are more common in older women and make up half of all breast tumors. According to the National Cancer Institute (NCI) panel, these tumors could be detected by breast exams without regular mammograms. With this type of tumor, women who perform breast self-exams and undergo breast exams by doctors would have as high a survival rate as the women who do have mammograms.
Inflammatory breast cancer -This can be very hard to detect by manual exam. A mammogram may be able to detect this type of cancer before visual symptoms appear.
High risk groups-Women with a family history of breast cancer may undergo more aggressive screening, although changes in genetic testing may change recommendations in the future.
Dense breast tissue-This makes it harder for mammograms to locate tumors. Young women and menopausal women on hormone therapy tend to have denser breast tissue. This can make a mammogram less effective for women in their 40's and younger.

According to research, women who were told to have mammography screening over a 10-year period had a 15% decrease in breast cancer mortality. This means that for every 2,000 women who are told to be screened through a 10-year period, one woman will not die from breast cancer because of the screening.

Expert Advice

There are many professional, medical, and cancer groups that have their own set of mammography guidelines. The majority of guidelines agree that:

Beginning at age 40, women with an average risk of breast cancers should have a mammogram every 1-2 years.
Women who are at higher than average risk of breast cancer should seek expert medical advice about:
- Whether they should begin screening before age 40
- How frequently they should be screened

Most guidelines do not have a recommended age to stop mammogram screening. The American Geriatric Society recommends mammography frequency changes to every 2-3 years after 75 years of age and the termination of screening if life expectancy is less than four years.

Putting the Pieces Together

Discuss these benefits and harms, as well as any risk factors you may have, with your doctor. This may help you make a decision on whether to have a mammography exam.

The Baptist Breast Center provides genetic counseling and breast cancer risk assessment to better help you understand your risk of developing breast cancer.

Awareness of your own health and periodic check-ins with your doctor will help identify signs of illness that need further testing, as well as ensure regular screenings. Contact your doctor if you notice a change in the look or feel of your breast.

Finally, an effective solution for chronic acid reflux!

Mon, 26 Mar 2012 00:00:00 GMT

If you have heartburn twice a week or more, you may have acid reflux disease,also known as Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD). Heartburn is the most common symptom, but you may also experience regurgitation, hoarseness, sore throat, pain or discomfort in the chest, burning in the mouth or throat, bloating, gum disease and other symptoms.

Find out if you are a candidate for the FIRST Incisionless Solution for Chronic Acid Reflux at a FREE educational seminar on Transoral Fundiplication or TIF.

		When: Time: Location:	Monthly Educational Session - April 17, May 15, June 19 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. North Central Baptist Hospital 520 Madison Oak Drive Cafeteria, Dining Room 1 San Antonio, Texas 78258 Maps & Directions
		When: Time: Location:

For more information or to reserve your seat, call 297-7005.

Physician Disclaimer

Mission Trail Baptist Hospital is First in Texas to Achieve Gold for Green

Tue, 20 Dec 2011 00:00:00 GMT

Baptist Health System's newest hospital, Mission Trail Baptist Hospital, has achieved LEED® gold certification from the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC). The LEED building certification program is a nationally accepted benchmark for the design, construction, and operation of green buildings. Mission Trail Baptist is the first hospital in Texas to achieve LEED gold certification and one of eight hospitals in the United States to receive such honor. There are only 28 LEED gold hospitals in the world.

"Building a hospital that helps conserve resources and provides a healthy environment for our patients, their families and our employees was at the heart of our efforts to achieve LEED certification," said Andy Harris, President of Mission Trail Baptist Hospital. "We are so pleased to be a leader in this type of innovation in health care. It's one more way we are living our mission of helping people achieve health for life through compassionate service, inspired by faith."

Mission Trail Baptist Hospital was designed by Earl Swensson to achieve LEED certification for energy use, lighting, water and material use as well as incorporating a variety of other sustainable strategies. LEED verifies environmental performance, occupant health and financial return. It was established for market leaders to design and construct buildings that protect and save precious resources while also making good economic sense.

"With each new LEED-certified building, we get one step closer to USGBC's vision of a sustainable built environment within a generation" said Rick Fedrizzi, President, CEO & Founding Chair, U.S. Green Building Council. "As the newest member of the LEED family of green buildings, Mission Trail Baptist Hospital is an important addition to the growing strength of the green building movement."

Some of the green aspects of Mission Trail Baptist Hospital include, but are not limited to:

Six electric car plug ins

Use of native vegetation

Gray water irrigation

Recycling program

Use of regional and recycled building materials

Highly efficient lighting & water systems

Energy efficient design and construction

Low Volatile Organic Compounds usage

CO2 air quality monitoring

Wind power offset purchasing

The project team specified and procured building materials which were harvested and manufactured within 500 miles of San Antonio. In all, 34% of the construction materials were local/regional to the San Antonio region. Additionally, 21% of building materials had high recycled content.

Based on a water efficient irrigation system which utilizes gray water, as well as high-efficiency indoor plumbing fixtures like high efficiency toilets, urinals and lavatories, the hospital is designed to save up to 1,116,000 gallons of water per year. Additionally, condensate is captured from the air handling units and used for cooling tower makeup water.

The project is designed to be 15% more energy efficient than a standard, or code-compliant, facility; saving up to $148,000 in energy costs per year.

A 10 kW solar array is installed at the hospital to reduce the electrical demand on the power grid, save electrical costs, and promote the use of renewable energy.

Mission Trail Baptist Hospital has purchased 10,696,000 kWh of Renewable Energy Credits for the first two years of operation, in order to promote the generation of renewable energy by utility providers.

'LEED' and related logo is a trademark owned by the U.S. Green Building Council and is used with permission.