Methodist Sugar Land Hospital is one of the select “top hospitals” in ADVANCE for Nurses newsmagazine’s first Readers’ Choice survey. Methodist Sugar Land and The Methodist Hospital-Texas Medical Center were listed among other hospitals in the metro Texas and Louisiana region. Readers ranked them in the top 100 according to their quality of nursing, including patient care, organizational culture, professional development, communication and retention efforts. Readers ranked the facilities by scoring them on a 1-5 scale in response to 50 statements. Hundreds of nurses from across the metro areas of Texas and Louisiana voted in the unscientific online poll, which was available on the ADVANCE for Nurses Web site from March through July. The Methodist Hospital and Methodist Sugar Land Hospital were featured in the cover story of the Oct. 29, 2007, issue.

OakBend Medical Center’s Board of Directors announced the development of a second hospital campus on US-59 at Williams Way. After many months of research, the board has developed a strategy which will bring strength and longevity to OakBend in its traditional market, while responding to the needs of newer communities by offering convenience of access and greater visibility. “This is a tale of two communities – we recognize that we have two distinct populations to serve; those who have traditionally used OakBend and new residents moving into Fort Bend County who require some different services. Our mission is to serve the entire west Fort Bend community and not just one area of it. This, together with the tremendous growth we are experiencing in Fort Bend, is the reason for the decision to expand to a second site in a new location,” said Joe Freudenberger, Acting C.E.O.

OakBend Medical Center has identified a 16-acre site, which will accommodate a six-story hospital building with up to 240 beds and two 65,000 sq. ft. professional office buildings. Physicians will be offered the opportunity to invest in the office buildings, something they have been interested in for some time. Initially, the new hospital will have three floors with the option to add three more at the point in the future when the community needs them.

Jeff Council, President, Board of Directors said, “We are very excited about this plan and while we have an aggressive time schedule, we believe it is necessary to move rapidly if we are to continue to serve our community and remain competitive. Our plan is to move our women’s services to the new campus, which will free up much needed space in the existing building for further development of OakBend’s ‘signature services.’ The Board is truly energized about adding a second campus and developing further the services at our location on Hwy 90A. The existing hospital campus is absolutely essential to the strategic plan for OakBend Medical Center and our mission to serve the residents of west Fort Bend County.”

The “signature services” at the existing OakBend campus that will be further enhanced and expanded include: stroke, geriatrics, cancer, heart, wound care and orthopedic services. OakBend Medical Center already has a reputation for first-class care in these “signature services” and will continue to develop the vision to become the hospital of choice in Fort Bend County. OakBend has the only accredited cancer program which was awarded with commendation, the highest-level trauma program, and the first and only accredited stroke program in Fort Bend County.

The new hospital campus will be designed to accommodate women’s services to include labor & delivery, post-partum, Level II neonatal nursery and gynecological surgery. Pediatrics will be brought to the new site along with the introduction of bariatric services and plastic surgery. The hospital will have all the traditional services of an acute care hospital including: an emergency room, intensive care unit, operating rooms, imaging, laboratory and pharmacy services. All patient rooms will be private.

“Choice is very important in health care today. Our patients and physicians have told us that a facility on Hwy 59 is the choice they want us to make. We know that many specialists work at more than one hospital. By having our new campus situated in a locale which is convenient for travel between different hospitals, we believe we will be able to attract more physicians and patients to use our hospital. In addition, this two-campus strategy will allow us to achieve some economies of scale in staffing and other expenses. As a locally governed organization, we intend to respond quickly to our physicians’ and community’s needs which, going forward, will be the key to our success,” commented Freudenberger.

Silverado Senior Living, Silverado At Home, San Juan Capistrano, CA Silverado Senior Living is proud to announce their new name, Silverado At Home, for their Home Care and Care Management service line. “We want a clear message of what we do sent to our customers,” said Vice President of Silverado At Home, Dr. John Bowling. The previous name, Silverado Senior Services, was vague, he said. Silverado At Home specializes in creating Care Programs for seniors, enabling them to remain living in their residence, be that home or senior care facility. “The Silverado At Home Care Program is so different because of the clinical care component,” said Dr. Bowling.

Beginning with a thorough and professional geriatric care needs assessment, the entire case is administered by a clinical Geriatric Care Manager, typically a Registered Nurse or Masters Social Worker. The Care Manager leads the Home Care Program by developing a care plan unique to each client, implementing this plan with the Care Companions, and responding to changing care needs, including being on call 24/7.

“The name change more directly reflects services offered by Silverado At Home,” said President and CEO Loren Shook. “Silverado is proud to offer superior care for Home Care and Care Management in the setting of your choice.” Silverado At Home is offered in Southern California, Houston, Texas and Dallas, Texas. Silverado At Home is part of the Silverado Senior Living family of services, established in 1996.

For info, call (888) 328-5400, or visit www.silveradosenior.com.

Smart Financial Credit Union recently partnered with the University of Houston Athletics Department and other Houston-area companies to donate more than 12,000 pounds of food to Houston’s Star of Hope Mission.

The culmination of the three-month-long “Thanks-for-Giving” food drive occurred recently at halftime of the Cougars homecoming football game against Conference USA rival Marshall, where UH representatives presented the food to officials with the mission. Additionally, Smart Financial CEO Gary Tuma was recognized for the credit union’s participation in the drive.

Smart Financial members and staff were responsible for collecting 300 pounds of the donation. The collection utilized each of Smart Financial’s nine Houston-area locations as drop-off points for the donations.

“It is exciting to see our members and staff come together for such a worthy cause,” said Jason Deitz, vice president of marketing for Smart Financial. “Partnering with the University of Houston and other local organizations provided a wonderful opportunity to give back to the less fortunate in our community.”

Also at the game, Smart Financial COO and Marshall alumnus Dana Rawlings received the game ball.

The Star of Hope Mission, which is celebrating its centennial in Houston, ministers to more than 900 people every day with food, clothing, shelter and structured recovery programs. The organization touches the lives of more than 7,000 homeless people each year, including more than 1,600 children.

Curtice Commercial Real Estate represented MHS Physicians of Texas Inc., an affiliated company of Memorial Hermann Hospital, to lease approximately 38,000 square feet in The Park at Sugar Creek Shopping Center on Highway 59 at Sugar Creek Boulevard.

The former Louis Shanks furniture store in Sugar Land was completely renovated for use as medical office space. Several Memorial Hermann family practice facilities in the area were consolidated under one roof. The new state-of-the-art facility will offer a variety of family medicine services, including obstetrics, newborn care, pediatrics, adult medicine, sports medicine and geriatrics.