Compassionate Care in a Crisis
UT Southwestern’s health care heroes rose to the challenge of COVID-19, never giving up on their commitment to save lives.
They worked extra shifts, wore uncomfortable personal protective equipment, and even quarantined themselves from family at times to minimize virus spread. All the while, a passion for excellence prevailed across the Medical Center, with a commitment to growth and improvement in patient care and quality initiatives recognized through national rankings. Just ask former COVID-19 patient Adrian Lynn-Royerth about his care: “One of the main nurses that took care of me was so invested and she really stood by my side,” he said. “I wouldn’t be here without the help of all of the people that participated in my care.”
With anticipation and excitement building around the opening of the third tower, Dr. John Warner, Executive Vice President for Health System Affairs, provides a sneak peek of some of the new sites and services. The new tower is expected to open in two phases, starting in December and concluding in January 2021.
U.S. News & World Report ranked UT Southwestern’s William P. Clements University Hospital No. 1 in Dallas-Fort Worth for the fourth year in a row. Six specialties – cardiology & heart surgery, neurology & neurosurgery, nephrology, diabetes & endocrinology, geriatrics, and urology – were ranked among the top 25 in the nation.
In August, UT Southwestern became the second hospital in the nation to install OR Black Box technology, which captures information on all aspects of a surgery and provides data that can be used to improve outcomes, efficiency, and training. The system is part of the institution’s commitment to be a leader in quality improvement.
UT Southwestern has dramatically increased its quality and safety outcomes by looking for ways to improve at every step of the clinical process. Over the past three years, UT Southwestern has surged into the top 1 percent of 2,800 hospitals nationwide ranked for 30-day mortality rates by the Centers for Medicaid and Medicare Services.
William P. Clements Jr. University Hospital and UTSW clinics were recognized in September for excellence in patient satisfaction by Press Ganey, a national consulting firm specializing in health care performance. UTSW received four awards: two Guardian of Excellence and two Pinnacle of Excellence awards.
In March, just as the pandemic was hitting North Texas, Lee Carver came to UT Southwestern to have a mass removed from her pancreas. The successful surgery led by Dr. John Mansour, and follow-up telehealth appointments, left the 75-year-old Benbrook resident grateful for the care she received at Williams P. Clements Jr. University Hospital. “I’m glad I had this done at UT Southwestern. Dr. Mansour and his team were wonderful.”
On July 3, Katie Sturm delivered a first at William P. Clements Jr. University Hospital when she gave birth to a set of spontaneous quadruplets in a scheduled C-section. The birth came just 18 weeks after the mother underwent brain surgery to remove a tumor at Zale Lipshy Pavilion – William P. Clements Jr. University Hospital. Months of planning by physicians in the Peter O’Donnell Jr. Brain Institute, Maternal Fetal Medicine, and the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit led to a successful outcome for mother and sons.
Providing support for patients and their families who are separated by a deadly infectious disease is part of the added challenge facing UT Southwestern health care workers during the pandemic. Blair Lane, Manager of the intensive care unit at William P. Clements Jr. University Hospital, tells what it’s like on the front lines.
Beating the virus is just the beginning of recovery for some patients such as Adrian Lynn-Royerth, who spent two weeks on a ventilator at William P. Clements Jr. University Hospital. He is grateful today for both his survival and the lifesaving care that UT Southwestern’s health care heroes provided.
By the Numbers
UT Southwestern has received numerous accolades for its patient care programs, which have a depth and breadth that reaches beyond Dallas.
In 2019, UT Southwestern ranked fourth among academic medical centers in patient experience as measured by Vizient Inc., a company that tracks health care indicators.
UT Southwestern has been ranked among the nation’s safest hospitals by the Leapfrog Group, a nonprofit watchdog organization.
Again this year, UT Southwestern was in the top 5 percent of hospitals nationwide as ranked by Press Ganey, a national leader in patient satisfaction surveys.
Primary care as well as specialized treatment is available on campus as well as at multiple regional medical centers.
