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Baylor Scott & White Health

Baylor Scott & White Health stands as a beacon of excellence in healthcare delivery, rooted in a legacy of service and innovation that spans more than a century. With a comprehensive network of hospitals, specialty centers, and clinics across Texas, Baylor Scott & White is dedicated to providing exceptional care to individuals and families throughout the state. As a leading not-for-profit healthcare system, Baylor Scott & White is committed to advancing medical research, education, and community health initiatives.

Baylor Scott & White is nationally recognized for its excellence in various medical specialties, including cardiology, oncology, orthopedics, and women's health. The healthcare system's commitment to innovation is evident in its state-of-the-art facilities, advanced medical technologies, and groundbreaking research initiatives. With a focus on patient-centered care and multidisciplinary collaboration, Baylor Scott & White strives to improve health outcomes and enhance the well-being of the communities it serves.

The partnership between Baylor Scott & White and our institution provides invaluable opportunities for medical education and professional development. Our students benefit from immersive clinical experiences at Baylor Scott & White facilities, where they work alongside renowned healthcare professionals and gain practical skills in diverse healthcare settings. Through this collaboration, we aim to cultivate future leaders in healthcare who are equipped to address the evolving needs of patients and communities.

Baylor Scott & White-College Station Adds New Expansion Projects

COLLEGE STATION, Texas (KBTX) -The Baylor Scott & White-College Station hospital is building a new clinic, while expanding on procedures in order to further their footprint in the Brazos Valley.

As Bryan-College Station continues to expand with new residents, Baylor Scott & White has multiple projects underway. One project being the new Midtown Clinic right next to the main Baylor Scott & White hospital off of Highway 6.

Midtown Clinic is a $6 million project designed to offer primary health care, as well as a wellness center to patients.

William Rayburn, Chief Medical Officer for Baylor Scott & White, said Midtown Clinic is unique from their other clinics because the staff will be able to individually spend more time addressing each patients medical, physical, and mental heath needs.

"We very much believe that as the community grows we must grow," said Rayburn. "We must provide more services, to keep our patients closer. Closer to home."

Dr. Rayburn said the new Midtown Clinic is adding a wellness center, which Baylor Scott & White hasn't quite done before.

"We haven't completely outlined the entire definition of wellness but we do know that physical activity, nutrition and education will really be the key areas that we focus on," he said.

Along with the Midtown Clinic, there is a new cardiac procedure in town called the Left Atrial Appendage Occlusion (LAAO). Jason Cohen, Electrophysiologist at Baylor Scott & White, said having this device will change many lives.

"Its an excellent opportunity for us to bring this procedure local," said White. "So patients don't have to go far to get the excellent care they need."

Cohen said the LAAO device aims to reduce the risk of strokes in patients. The LAAO is just under 10 years old, and the first in the Brazos Valley.

"This is very new...Its gotten excellent results and we've had a lot of patients that we've been able to take off of blood thinners and reduce their bleeding complications," said Cohen.

The LAAO device is available as of July 2022.

Midtown Clinic is scheduled to be open in February of 2023.

For more information on these projects, click here.

Educating Within: How Baylor Scott & White Is Using Training To Confront Staffing Issues

Belinda Ellison, 50, always wanted to go to college. Life kept getting in the way.

The oldest daughter in her family, Ellison cared for her brothers and mother while also serving as a caretaker for her then-boyfriend's diabetic mother. She raised her three children on her own while working as an X-ray technician and later a pulmonary tech at Baylor Scott & White Health, the state's largest not-for-profit hospital system.

Spending money on a bachelor's degree felt frivolous.

"Financially, the money just wasn't there," said Ellison, who has lived in Dallas for most of her life. "It was just my paycheck. No help, no assistance from anyone, no government assistance."

Business Briefing

After more than 30 years of taking care of everyone else, Ellison is finally focusing on herself. She'll begin classes at the University of Arizona for a bachelor's degree in business management in August, paid for through Baylor's new workforce education program.

The program through Guild Education, a platform that manages companies' education benefits, pays directly for employees' college-level classes instead of requiring them to front the cost and later get reimbursed. Paying out-of-pocket for expensive courses, even with the promise of repayment, was a significant barrier to many Baylor workers such as Ellison.

Baylor rolled out the program in March as health care companies across the nation grapple with chronic staffing shortages and provider burnout. Compensation remains the top concern of employees today, but professional development remains a key concern. About half of workers do not see a career advancement path at their current company, according to the 2023 Total Talent Guide by recruitment and staffing company Tandym Group.

Matching the trends seen across the health care industry, job vacancy rates at Baylor jumped about 400% at the height of COVID-19, said Baylor chief human resources officer Nakesha Lopez. Getting that number down — and keeping it down – required a multi-pronged approach including short and long-term solutions.

The Guild Education program, part of Baylor's broader workforce development strategy, is a win-win for both the hospital system and its employees, said Baylor CEO Pete McCanna. Workers can pursue free or discounted training and schooling that can progress their careers, while Baylor can train employees for high-need positions.

"It's one of the best investments we make as an organization," McCanna said. "In the current workforce, they're going to change jobs a lot throughout the course of their working career. It's even better if they can do that within one organization."

Baylor has committed more than $8 million per year on the new professional development efforts.

Full-time employees and part-time employees who work over a certain number of hours per week qualify to access the Guild Education benefit program. Already, more than 10,000 Baylor staff members have started the process of choosing a continuing education program.

External degree and certificate opportunities aren't the only professional development options for Baylor employees. The health system also offers on-the-job training programs for certified medical assistant and sterile processing technician positions.

Certified Nursing Assistant Alex Suarez at Baylor Scott & White Primary Care in Frisco, Texas on Thursday May 11, 2023.

Lawrence Jenkins / Special Contributor

The CMA Academy and Sterile Processing Technician Academy serve as entry points into the health care industry that requires only a high school diploma. Each academy is 12 weeks long and offers trainees full benefits from their first day of classes.

Alex Suarez, 25, knew he wanted to work in health care since he was a student at Coppell High School. He initially pursued a nursing degree, but stepped away from classwork before moving to Pennsylvania, where he worked as a dental assistant.

When Suarez decided to move back to North Texas, a family friend alerted him to Baylor's certified medical assistant program as an opportunity to get closer to becoming a nurse. Suarez started classes in September and learned skills like giving injections, drawing blood and administering electrocardiogram tests.

Once Suarez graduated with his cohort of 12 CMA students, he was placed at the Baylor Scott & White Primary Care at The Star in Frisco. The program requires a two-year work commitment from academy graduates.

Suarez plans to finish his nursing degree after completing his two years at the practice. He knows now more than ever that nursing is the career he wants.

"I didn't really go to the doctor's normally until I started this, so this was all very foreign to me," Suarez said. "But the academy kind of brought me up to speed on how things work and the basics of what I need to know."

Certified Nursing Assistant Alex Suarez at Baylor Scott & White Primary Care in Frisco, Texas on Thursday May 11, 2023.

Lawrence Jenkins / Special Contributor

That's exactly how Baylor wants these programs to function, Lopez said. Entry-level positions, like medical assistant and sterile processing technician jobs, help guide North Texans into an industry where they can continue to learn. A technician can become a licensed practical nurse, or a nurse who provides basic patient care. A licensed practical nurse can study to become a registered nurse.

"The pathways are there, the educational opportunities are there, and it's all about the appetite of the employee to grab hold of that and engage in those programs that are available to them," Lopez said.

Ellison is only months away from beginning her online classes, which she'll take while continuing her full-time job. She's told a handful of patients about her plans.

"I told a few of them and they're very happy for me. One of my patients … he just told me to keep going. I told him I will and he said, 'Let me know when you're finished,'" Ellison said.

Ellison expects to graduate in December 2024, although graduating with her bachelor's degree won't be the end of her educational endeavors. Ellison plans to pursue a master's degree in legal studies so she can transition to the legal field to support people who have been wrongly incarcerated.

"It's going to be a new chapter in my life and I'm going to be helping someone else. So there's not going to be a patient, there'll be a client," Ellison said. "It's the same thing to me, though. Everybody needs help at some point in their life."

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