BAYLOR SCOTT & WHITE – BRENHAM PLANNING UPGRADES
Baylor Scott and White’s facilities in Brenham are undergoing major changes.
Starting in August, the Brenham hospital will start a $2.3 million emergency department renovation. The upgrades, which are fully funded through the Baylor Scott and White Foundation, will consist of new fully private rooms, dedicated triage space, and an expanded nurses’ station.
Baylor Scott and White Regional President Jason Jennings said the enhancements will greatly benefit both patients and staff.
The work is expected to take between 12 and 15 months to complete.
In addition, investments from the Baylor Scott and White system and philanthropic foundation will provide over $5.6 million in improvements to Brenham healthcare services. The clinic on North Park Street will receive an upgraded MRI, 3D mammography, and increased audiology services.
The hospital is also completing renovations to its five labor and delivery rooms and nine patient rooms. Those upgrades are planned to be complete later this summer.
Baylor Scott and White will now also have its first outpatient pharmacy in Brenham effective July 1st. Jennings announced that Baylor Scott and White is acquiring Medical Arts Drug Company.
Over the past year, Baylor Scott and White in Brenham has increased from 30 to 36 primary care providers, while also adding two new OB/GYNs and one new general surgeon to total three of each, respectively.
Baylor Scott and White has also applied for Critical Access Hospital (CAH) designation in Brenham. According to Jennings, this designation from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services would allow the hospital to receive increased federal reimbursement for certain services offered.
If the hospital is approved for CAH designation, it will be required to reduce its number of licensed beds from 60 to 25. However, Jennings said this will not change the services offered in Brenham, and he does not expect this bed reduction to affect the number of patients it can care for.
Baylor Scott and White Hospital Board Chair Shirley Herring said this process has been in the works for over a year, and has the support of the board and of local and state officials. She called it an exciting opportunity, and is hopeful the hospital receives the designation.
The hospital will be notified within 60 days if it is approved.
Scott & white Cares Nothing about The Brenham community Their intention is and has always been to Funnel the Brenham patients to college station or temple. I hated to see the Brenham Clinic join in with them and I hate that they now have taken in The Pharmacy. I for one miss trinity Medical Center They cared about our community and the People of Brenham.
May be reduce it to a 50 bed hospital. I was in the ER twice recently. Both times I was transferred to CS. They did nothing there that could not have been done here. The 2nd time was for oberservation. I think the hospital Drs that we have here are just lazy. They actually might have to see patients. I feel trapped that S & W has a monopoly on medical care. I called the St Jospeh’s clinic here and they r a family practice clinic. I am seriously thinking about changing. It seems anytime u need something u r instructed to go to CS anyway.
Am not sure that a CAH designation is what we need for our hospital. We NEED a fully functioning hospital that we can trust to take care of us, both “in patient” and ER. Sounds like they are going to turn it into just an “in and out” ER . The people of this town should not have to go to College Station or Cypress when they need hospital care. I fear this decision will take us in the wrong direction ! It is going to be almost impossible for this town to stay viable without a good hospital. Great medical and hospital care is the “Heartbeat” of any city.
To start off our ER department used to be a level 4 which is described as: Level IV. A Level IV Trauma Center has demonstrated an ability to provide advanced trauma life support (ATLS) prior to transfer of patients to a higher level trauma center. It provides evaluation, stabilization, and diagnostic capabilities for injured patients.
Now we are we do not get near the quality care and the ER doctors here have on multiple occasions discharged by mother without listening to her concerns and symptoms only to be back at the ER multiple times before we had to take her to College Station ER or Bryan to be admitted for multiple blood clots and recently two strokes, virus and bladder infection which I had to insist being tested for even after doctor said I thought I discharged you and she was feeling worse than when she came in and 84 years old you just don’t say vertigo and give fluids and send home! She had many more symptoms that should have been addressed and what about the patients that have no one to advocate for their care!!. I have been in the medical field my whole career and it’s sad when you diagnosis your family member and your local ER ignores the obvious because I was told it was not the normal protocol!! My mother went on to College Station by private vehicle at that time and was diagnosed with a really bad virus, bladder infection and two a acute strokes.. Makes you wonder if you should bypass BRENHAM all together and go to a higher level if care right away!! Thank goodness for EMS and now helicopter that can transport directly if necessary otherwise your loved one may not be taken care of within their Golden hour!!!!
This infuriates me as BRENHAM is a hub for many small surrounding communities and we should be able to provide a higher level of care to our communities!!
So growth is great but they need to start in the right places, not where it is not needed!!
So before you get too excited be aware of how this may affect yourself or loved during their most critical time. The care they receive is needed more than a private ER room where you are left unattended unless you call for assistance .
My husband taken to ER (on a Friday evening)with dangerously elevated BP And blood sugar.. history of previous stroke.. they had no means to do an MRI only CT for someone with stroke symptoms(slurred Speech) I Continue to insist that he needed an MRI… someone finally listened and was able to get as an outpatient appointment for a MRI in college station in Scott in White we arrived there for the procedure and 30 minutes into it he was transferred to the emergency department because he had a major stroke that was not detected or addressed by cLINICAL staff at Scott and White Brenham… He also had a carotid Doppler ordered at Scott and White Brenham which wasNot done because no one KNEW that the staff to do this didn’t work on weekends ..had IT been done we would have been able to take further action… when I question in Brenham if I could take him privately to the ER in college station I was told good luck with that u can’t get an MRI without an order… he was hospitalized for 3 days with intense monitoring of blood sugar and BP and yes has deficits in left hand as result of symptoms not being adequately addressed in Brenham..not taking anymore chances… going straight to CS for future needs
“Baylor Scott and White is acquiring Medical Arts Drug Company.”
Way to bury the lead, LOL.
Thank you Sonnenberg Family for all the years of great service!
see below…….If we toot the horn that we have increased number of doctors and surgeons, and we already have a 60 bed acute care hospital, a level 4 trauma center and stroke facility. Why would you limit your beds to 25 beds to receive more federal medicaid dollars? Unless real answer is can’t fill beds now because of ‘reputation’ send everyone to College Station hospital anyway, lack of confidence by public in our hospital. We have excellent transport avail to get over there but why not have care at local hospital. Will new designation give priority to medicaid and medicare patients? Seems Yes by definition of CAH. If the 25 bed and CAH designation is to insure we have a hospital open here – but just on paper not for real, NO benefit to local citizens for care – shame. Put some confidence back in our ER and hospital!
Critical Access Hospital is a designation given to eligible rural hospitals by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). Congress created the Critical Access Hospital (CAH) designation through the Balanced Budget Act of 1997 ( Public Law 105-33 ) in response to a string of rural hospital closures during the 1980s and early 1990s
To receive federal funding, Critical Access Hospitals must adhere to several guidelines. They may have no more than 25 beds and must have an average duration of hospital stay under 96 hours. They must also be more than 35 miles from another hospital, with exceptions allowed for areas with poor roads or difficult terrain.
Baylor Scott & White Medical Center – Brenham is a 60-bed acute care hospital. We are accredited by The Joint Commission and are also designated as a Level IV Trauma Center, and a Support Level III Stroke Facility. We have also achieved the American Nurses Credentialing Center Pathway to Excellence Designation.
“”Over the past year, Baylor Scott and White in Brenham has increased from 30 to 36 primary care providers, while also adding two new OB/GYNs and one new general surgeon to total three of each, respectively.
If the hospital is approved for CAH designation, it will be required to reduce its number of licensed beds from 60 to 25. However, Jennings said this will not change the services offered in Brenham, and he does not expect this bed reduction to affect the number of patients it can care for. “”
“If the hospital is approved for CAH designation, it will be required to reduce its number of licensed beds from 60 to 25. ”
So exactly how does reducing the number of available beds for patients in a growing community like Brenham make sense. I live near the hospital and have noticed a giant increase in helicopter traffic, and it is not just the Washington county chopper. Seems like we are shipping lots of people out of Brenham. I am not certain we are doing the right thing by reducing our bed count and continuing to serve as a transit station shipping people out of Brenham.
May want to hire some dr’s to actually be on the floor at all times Recently waited in er 3 hrs. to have tests results read because no staff on floor was qualified to read results & make a decision to release or admit. come to find out wrong on call list was looked at. still needs someone to be there all the time
All about money!!!!