Memorial Hermann isn’t going anywhere

Tracing our roots and rich history back to the humble beginnings of the Baptist Sanitarium and Hermann Hospital, today’s Memorial Hermann Health System has grown to become one of the preeminent, highest quality health systems in the nation.

Many things may have changed over the past 110 years, but our mission has always remained the same: to care for and serve our community with compassion, respect, heart and pride, always putting our patients at the forefront of everything we do.

Last month, Memorial Hermann and Baylor Scott & White Health announced a letter of intent to form a new combined health system in 2019. Our collective reach will be broad. The new system will contain 68 hospitals and employ 73,000 people who will manage 10 million patient encounters every year.

While potential changes of this magnitude undoubtedly raise questions about the impact to our patients and to our communities, make no mistake: the Bayou City is our past, our present and our future. Houston is our home, and we are not going anywhere.

By anticipating some of the dramatic transformations in medicine through the years, Memorial Hermann has proactively evolved and consistently delivered on our century-long commitment to care for Houstonians. Today — as health care enters a new era driven by technological advances and demands for convenient, accessible and affordable care — we are evolving once again so we can continue to be here for you, when and where you need us most, while also working to drive down the skyrocketing costs of health care.

Speaking for the board of directors, every decision we make is driven by an intense responsibility we feel for each individual our health system encounters. This decision to pursue the new combined system is no different. It was made with each and every one of our patients, 26,000 employees, affiliated physicians, friends, family members and neighbors in mind.

Even as we work through the logistics of this potential combination, we are continuing to grow and deepen our roots in our hometown — expanding our footprint, adding new employees and discovering new ways to deliver quality care at a more affordable cost to patients closer to where they live, work and play.

We are continuing to invest in our employees and affiliated physicians, who remain the lifeblood of our organization. In fact, today we are actively recruiting nearly 1,900 employees to come join our team, and we are proud to partner with the more than 6,000 affiliated physicians who practice at our facilities. These are the individuals who have earned us a national reputation for safe, high-quality care.

We are continuing to innovate and build upon our reputation as an incubator of groundbreaking medical advancements. The spirit of ingenuity that led to the continued success of TIRR Memorial Hermann, a top rehabilitation center in the country, and the launch of Memorial Hermann Life Flight, the state’s first hospital-based air ambulance program, continues to be a driving force for our organization. Through our nationally acclaimed Accountable Care Organization that has saved Medicare $263 million over five years, we are answering the call for new models of care. And as part of our commitment to find new and creative ways to reduce the cost of care, Memorial Hermann is working with employers on the development of a Centers of Excellence care model.

We are continuing to expand access to care and make it easier for patients to get the treatment they need on their own terms and at a lower cost. This year, we launched a virtual care clinic , allowing people across the greater Houston area to visit with their doctor from the comfort of their own homes. Additionally, as part of the $588 million we provide annually in uncompensated care and community benefits — a number that grows each year — we are proud of our ability to reach more than 72 schools through our established school-based clinics and mobile dental vans, providing much-needed physical, mental and dental care to children throughout the region.

While our efforts to double down in Houston will continue, health care is changing. And that’s a good thing. It needs to change. It needs to be more affordable and more accessible. In order to lead the response to the industry’s growing demands for convenient, technology-based care steeped in wellness and prevention, we must be bold and seize opportunities to align with likeminded organizations. Our community needs organizations with histories of leadership, like ours, to step up and create significant, positive change for the health of all people, including our most vulnerable populations. We believe the combination of Memorial Hermann and Baylor Scott & White will enable us to accelerate and be on the leading edge of that transformation.

But at the end of the day, regardless of what changes may come, one thing will remain constant: Memorial Hermann has always been and will always be here for greater Houston. It’s a legacy that we cannot and will not abandon.