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From education to cancer care, read about three recent updates from Southwest Austin-area hospitals.
1. Ascension Seton Southwest expands services
From spinal surgery to orthopedic care, Ascension Seton is expanding services at the Southwest campus.
“We're trying to make sure that we're meeting the needs of the community,” said Dr. Steven Brockman-Weber, Ascension Seton Southwest Hospital president.
The big picture
Some changes that have been made over the past few months include:
“Being able to provide that intermediate level [of care], we’ve been able to keep those patients closer to the community,” Brockman-Weber said.
Additionally, surgeon Dr. Dan Peterson joined the Southwest campus in March, allowing the hospital to begin offering spinal surgery.
2. Baylor Scott & White Medical Center in Austin prepares students for future careers
The Baylor Scott & White Medical Center in Austin celebrated its first cohort of students to graduate from the Project SEARCH program May 20. The medical center partnered with Austin ISD, Goodwill and the Texas Workforce Commission to complete the program, which helped students with disabilities prepare for their future careers.
The details
Two AISD graduates with disabilities receiving special education services had the opportunity
to participate in Project SEARCH, which enabled them to develop real-world work skills in a hospital setting. The students had recently graduated from high school, but are qualified to receive additional training in areas such as job skills, daily living skills and independence to transition into the workforce, according to a news release. The students spend one week in each rotation at the hospital, from food services to pre-op, operating room and emergency imaging.
3. St. David’s teams up with Texas Oncology to expand blood cancer treatment
Access to blood cancer treatment and cellular therapy is expanding for residents in the Greater Austin area.
The overview
The Sarah Cannon Transplant and Cellular Therapy Program at St. David’s South Austin Medical Center announced a collaboration with Texas Oncology in April. The relationship will allow St. David’s South Austin Medical Center physicians to treat blood cancer and cellular therapy patients within Texas Oncology offices in Round Rock.
What they're saying
“I am incredibly proud of the collaboration between St. David’s HealthCare and Texas Oncology to expand access to cutting-edge therapies for blood cancer patients in Central Texas,” said Dr. Debra Patt, executive vice president of policy and strategy and managing medical director for the Central and South Texas and Gulf Coast regions of Texas Oncology, in a news release. “This joint effort reflects the strength of a value-based approach to care, one that allows us to work more seamlessly together, accelerate innovation and ensure patients have access to the most advanced treatments close to home.”
