It’s no surprise that the use of life-saving air ambulances was pioneered at Texas Medical Center in Houston or that more new anti-cancer drugs are evaluated at the M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, also in Houston, than at any other institution in the United States.

Texas is a world leader in many industries, and health care is no exception.

Area Hospitals in Texas

With more than 81,000 beds available at 583 hospitals, communities across Texas enjoy the benefits of state-of-the-art health services close to home.

“Texas is fortunate to have a diverse network of hospitals providing needed services throughout the state,” says Dr. Dan Stultz, president and CEO of the Texas Hospital Association. “Whether it’s delivering babies or offering the highest level of trauma care, Texas hospitals are committed to providing safe, high-quality health care to the communities they serve.”

Baylor University Medical Center at Dallas, for example, is developing North Texas’ first dedicated cancer hospital along with a new outpatient center that will be the region’s largest. When completed in 2013, the new cancer hospital will allow a more personalized medicine program for patients and will empower clinicians to conduct more research studies with a focus on breakthroughs that directly affect patients.

“It will be our goal to be a nationally and internationally renowned cancer-care destination, building on Baylor Dallas’ commitment to providing advanced cancer treatments and leading the charge of improvement in cancer care through research,” says Joel T. Allison, president of Baylor Health Care System, which includes 25 hospitals.

Texas A&M Health Science Center is growing in Central Texas. Just 30 months after receiving funding from the state Legislature to establish a new medical education campus in Williamson County, the HSC held a ribbon cutting in late 2008 for the first building on the Round Rock campus.

“The opening of this building is a great first step in our commitment to the people of central Texas to increase the educational offerings for health care professionals,” says Dr. Michael D. McKinney, chancellor of the Texas A&M University System.

Others are talking about Texas hospitals’ commitment to excellence.

Texas Hospital Accolades

For 17 consecutive years, Baylor University Medical Center has been included in U.S. News & World Report’s guide to America’s Best Hospitals. For seven straight years, Temple-based Scott & White Healthcare has been included on the Thomson 100 Top Hospitals national list. Based on clinical excellence, patient safety and satisfaction and community responsiveness, the study recognizes Scott & White as one of the country’s elite teaching hospitals.

Just as impressive, member institutions of the Texas Medical Center (known as the world’s largest medical center) have been recognized by U.S. News & World Report’s annual best hospital survey as being among the best providers in all 16 adult and 10 pediatric categories of care.

“The Texas Medical Center contributes more than $14 billion in economic impact to the region annually,” says Richard E. Wainerdi, president, CEO and COO. “However, we think it is just as important to measure the impact of the 5.5 million patients we serve annually and the dramatic breakthroughs that occur on a daily basis due to the $1 billion investment made in cutting edge research activities.”