UTMB, Baptist Hospitals of Southeast Texas Launch New Affiliation

The University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston and Baptist Hospitals of Southeast Texas have signed a clinical affiliation agreement.

This affiliation, effective Jan. 1, will build on the strengths of both organizations to provide the most advanced patient care for adult and pediatric patients in the Beaumont area and the surrounding region.

Physicians, medical staff and executives from Baptist Hospitals and UTMB Health will work closely to increase quality and access to care for patients in need of multiple medical specialties and services. “Baptist is very pleased to partner with a world class academic medical center like UTMB,” said David Parmer, CEO of Baptist Hospitals of Southeast Texas.

Patrick Shannon, Chief Operating Officer of BHSET, said that “Baptist and UTMB will initially provide pediatric surgical services in Beaumont with future expansion to other select specialties.”

The organizations also will explore using UTMB’s extensive telemedicine network to provide consultations in psychiatry and psychology, gynecologic oncology, pediatrics and pediatric ophthalmology.

“We are excited to work with Baptist Hospitals to further strengthen this well-established network with access to UTMB’s highly-specialized tertiary and quaternary services, which will benefit an even greater number of residents with complex health care needs in the Beaumont area,” said Donna Sollenberger, executive vice president and CEO of the UTMB Health System. “When we were looking for partnership opportunities to help improve access in the region, Baptist Hospitals was a clear choice.”

UTMB students, residents, nurses and health professionals also will benefit from increased training opportunities, while UTMB researchers will be able to extend the latest clinical trials to patients in the area.

For more than 60 years, Baptist Hospitals of Southeast Texas has been dedicated to providing quality health services. The 483-bed system includes hospital campuses in Beaumont and Orange, Texas and operates the Julie & Ben Rogers Cancer Center, which is accredited as a Comprehensive Breast Center by the National Accreditation Program for Breast Centers and as a Community Comprehensive Cancer Center through the American College of Surgeons Commission on Cancer. It also operates a Behavioral Health Center and Family Medicine Clinic in Beaumont. Baptist Hospital’s award-winning care is complemented by being recognized by the Center for Improvement in Healthcare Quality for disease specific certification as a Primary Stroke Center and for Quality Care in the performance of Hip and Knee Surgical Procedures. The Joint Rejuvenation Program was recently recognized by Blue Cross as a Blue Distinction Center for Knee and Hip Replacement.

UTMB has a long history of advancing health sciences education, research and patient care. It was the first academic health center in Texas and is home to the state’s first schools of medicine, nursing and health professions. For 125 years, the university has maintained a forward-thinking spirit that has enabled it to serve its students, its patients and people in Texas and beyond in innovative ways. That pioneering spirit is alive and well today, enabling the organization to honor its legacy even as it expands its focus to improve health care locally, across the region and around the world. UTMB 665-bed health system includes five hospitals on campuses in Galveston, League City and Angleton Danbury. The academic medical center also operates 74 primary and specialty care clinic locations across the region. UTMB also has a Level 1 Trauma Center on the Galveston campus. UTMB is a part of the University of Texas System and a member of the Texas Medical Center.