More than a year later, some hospitals still don’t comply with Hospital Price Transparency Law
The hospital price transparency law requires hospitals to list the cash prices for procedures on their websites, requiring them to be easily accessible and allow patients to compare cash prices with insurance.
Rice University, Houston Methodist to open ‘Center for Human Performance’
Rice University said Monday that it has joined forces with Houston Methodist to create a center where physicians, academic researchers and university students work side by side with student athletes, trainers and coaches to advance research and education in human performance.
Contrast-enhanced mammography helps doctors detect breast cancer
According to the National Institutes of Health, contrast-enhanced mammography uses contrast material combined with the mammogram to highlight areas that might be breast cancer and that could be missed on the mammogram alone. This is similar to breast MRI.
River Oaks doctor suspended from Houston Methodist over views on COVID-19 vaccines to file lawsuit, attorney says
A Houston Methodist doctor who was thrust into the spotlight in November after her privileges were suspended because of her views on vaccines and early treatment for COVID-19 has plans to file a lawsuit against the hospital system.
Former Houston Methodist employees will demand their jobs back after Abbott’s vaccine mandate ban – Houston Public Media
Houston attorney Jared Woodfill, who currently represents almost 200 healthcare workers in multiple lawsuits against Methodist, said executive order GA-40 makes the hospital's policy illegal.
houstonpublicmedia.orgN.C. hospital system fires about 175 workers in one of the largest-ever mass terminations due to a vaccine mandate
The unvaccinated employees fired from Novant Health for failing to comply with the mandatory coronavirus vaccination policy is latest in a series of health-care worker dismissals over covid-19 immunization.
washingtonpost.comHospital bed shortage continues as Houston area sets record for number of daily new positive COVID-19 cases
The unprecedented hospital bed shortage continues across Southeast Texas as the Houston area sets a record for the number of daily new COVID-19 positive cases since the beginning of the pandemic.
Regeneron antibody therapy available to COVID-19 patients with certain risk factors
After Governor Greg Abbott’s announcement Tuesday that he tested positive for Covid 19, his communications director says he is receiving the Regeneron antibody infusion therapy.Governor Abbott said he was not feeling any symptoms which has sparked some questions as to who is able to get the monoclonal antibody treatment.
Houston Methodist Nurse Says 4th Wave Of COVID-19 Feels Different – Houston Public Media
Houston Public Media spoke with Avery Taylor, the managing nurse at Houston Methodist’s highly infectious disease unit, about whether the current surge of infections feels different from previous ones.
houstonpublicmedia.orgSingle Tickets Go on Sale Today For Houston Ballet Live and In-Person
Today, Monday July 26, single tickets go on sale starting at 11 a.m. for Houston Ballet's return to the live performance stage with a mixed rep September program that will involve all the company members and a return of The Nutcracker in late November.
houstonpress.comMore Than 150 Employees Out At Houston Methodist For Refusing To Take COVID-19 Vaccine
Now that Houston Methodist’s last-chance deadline for its employees to get vaccinated against COVID-19 has passed, the hospital has announced that over 150 workers have either quit or have been fired for noncompliance.
houstonpress.comWorkers push back against hospitals requiring COVID vaccines
HOUSTON (AP) — Jennifer Bridges, a registered nurse in Houston, is steadfast in her belief that it's wrong for her employer to force hospital workers like her to get vaccinated against COVID-19 or say[San Marcos, TX] [Hays County news] News San Marcos News, San Marcos Record [Texas State]
sanmarcosrecord.comWorkers push back against hospitals requiring COVID vaccines
Jennifer Bridges, a registered nurse in Houston, is steadfast in her belief that it's wrong for her employer to force hospital workers like her to get vaccinated against COVID-19 or say goodbye to their jobs. In a stinging defeat, a federal judge bluntly ruled over the weekend that if employees of the Houston Methodist hospital system don't like it, they can go work elsewhere. The ruling Saturday in the closely watched legal case over how far health care institutions can go to protect patients and others against the coronavirus is believed to be the first of its kind in the U.S. But it won't be the end of the debate.
news.yahoo.comLawsuit Over Houston Methodist's COVID-19 Vaccine Mandate Thrown Out By Federal Judge
Houston Methodist scored a legal victory Saturday night against a group of over 100 disgruntled employees when a federal judge threw out those workers’ lawsuit against the hospital chain over its COVID-19 vaccine mandate. U.S. District Court Judge Lynn Hughes, the Ronald Reagan appointee who dismissed the lawsuit...
houstonpress.comThe Clock’s Ticking For 178 Hospital Workers Suspended For Not Getting Vaccinated – Houston Public Media
Employees at Houston Methodist who are unwilling to get the shot say the vaccines are unsafe and even "experimental." The hospital system's CEO says they're spouting "anti-vaccination rhetoric."
houstonpublicmedia.orgAnti-Vax Houston Methodist Employees Walk Out Over Hospital’s COVID Vaccine Mandate
Dozens of soon-to-be former Houston Methodist employees gathered at the hospital chain’s Baytown location Monday night to “walkout” in protest over the hospital’s requirement that all rank-and-file employees take any COVID-19 vaccine by June 7 if they want to keep their jobs.
houstonpress.comHouston Methodist Employees Sue Hospital To Stay Unvaccinated And Keep Their Jobs
Houston Methodist Nurse Jennifer Bridges told the Houston Press in April she wasn’t willing to take a COVID-19 vaccine to keep her job. Now, Bridges and dozens of her coworkers are fighting back against the hospital chain’s vaccine requirement in court. On Friday, 117 Houston Methodist employees sued the hospital...
houstonpress.comHouston Methodist Willowbrook looking for breast milk donations for premature babies
This Mother’s Day, the Houston Methodist Willowbrook campus is asking for all moms who have delivered a baby in the past year to donate breastmilk, if they can. Willing mothers will have to be within a year of birth because that’s when they make milk most suitable for premature babies.
Requiring Employees To Get Vaccinated (April 27, 2021) – Houston Public Media
On Tuesday's show: Houston Methodist requires employees to be vaccinated, Congressman Al Green fields your questions, physicist Brian Greene finds meaning amid the vastness of time, and former Houstonian Jen Shyu discusses her music.
houstonpublicmedia.orgRequiring Employees To Get Vaccinated (April 27, 2021) – Houston Public Media
On Tuesday's show: Houston Methodist requires employees to be vaccinated, Congressman Al Green fields your questions, physicist Brian Greene finds meaning amid the vastness of time, and former Houstonian Jen Shyu discusses her music.
houstonpublicmedia.org33-year-old survives double lung transplant after 6 months on ECMO
HOUSTON – Andrew Capen, 33, is the recipient of a miraculous double lung transplant after battling COVID-19. Houston Methodist Hospital said he is one of the longest surviving patients on ECMO, a machine that basically works in place of your lungs once they’ve been so damaged they won’t work anymore. Capen survived on ECMO for six months before receiving new lungs. While the end result is wonderful, Capen said it was a dark, lonely time in the hospital leading up to it. His surgeon, surgical director of lung transplantation at Houston Methodist Dr. Eddie Suarez, said it’s a difficult operation under normal circumstances but because Capen’s health was deteriorating it was almost impossible.
COVID-19 variants ‘spreading rapidly’ in Houston area
HOUSTON – From the day the pandemic spread to the Greater Houston region, Houston Methodist has studied positive COVID-19 test results looking for mutations. “They are spreading rapidly.”Houston Methodist is one of the only entities that look for the variants, what Dr. Olsen calls “a very complicated, intense computational process” that requires a lot of time and staff. “We’ve done more than 20,000 sequences, which by far is more than any other state in the United States,” Dr. Olsen said. Ad“We expect viruses to mutate, it’s what they do,” Dr. Olsen said. The Houston Methodist lab processes 3-5,000 COVID-19 tests per day from all eight Methodist hospitals, plus any affiliated emergency centers and clinics.
Power outage leaves health officials scrambling to administer 5,400 doses of coronavirus vaccine
HOUSTON – Harris County health officials scrambled Monday to administer 8,430 doses of the coronavirus vaccine after a power outage caused some of the vials to thaw. That led to 8,430 doses of the Moderna vaccine to thaw. County officials contacted Moderna and were given guidance from the vaccine-maker that the remaining doses could be refrigerated and used later. Houston Methodist’s statementIn a statement, Houston Methodist officials said they had received 1,000 doses of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine from the batch of thawed shots. Ad“We didn’t waste a drop,” said Robert Schwartz, executive vice president of Houston Methodist Hospital.
Kroger offers $100 to workers who get vaccinated
Kroger, the nation's largest supermarket chain, is offering $100 to each of its 500,000 workers who gets vaccinated against COVID-19. Those who can't get the vaccine due to medical or religious reasons will have the option of taking an educational and safety course to get the $100 bonus, Kroger stated. Other supermarket companies and retailers are also offering workers money to get vaccinated against the coronavirus. Meat-processing company JBS is also offering workers $100 to get vaccinated. Even more lucrative is an offer from eight-hospital system Houston Methodist, which is giving its 26,000 workers an extra $500 in March so long as they get the COVID-19 vaccine.
cbsnews.comHouston Methodist host free virtual COVID-19 vaccine town hall
HOUSTON – On Friday, Houston Methodist Hospital answered questions about the vaccine rollout during a virtual town hall. Health experts covered a range of topics but wanted to focus on helping educate communities of color about COVID-19. They have programs in the works, that include partnering with minority organizations and churches in to help spread the word about the vaccine. “Really the goal is to bring death down and ultimately control the pandemic,” said Dr. Marc Boom, the president and CEO of Houston Methodist. Arianne Dowdell, VP and Chief Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Officer, was the moderator of the town hall.
COVID-19 Vaccine Town Hall with Houston Methodist: Officials answer questions about vaccine, rollout
HOUSTON – Houston Methodist held a COVID-19 Vaccine Town Hall on Friday at 10 a.m. The town hall was designed to help people understand the COVID-19 vaccine and its rollout, particularly to help educate communities of color about the COVID-19 vaccine, according to Houston Methodist. Dr. Marc Boom, president and CEO of Houston Methodist, Dr. Victor Narcisse, associate division head of Hospital Medicine and Arianne Dowdell, vice president, chief Diversity, Equity and Inclusion officer at Houston Methodist answered questions during the event. KPRC 2 broadcast a live stream of the 10 a.m. event. Watch it, in full, in the video player below.
Houston Methodist hosting free virtual town hall about coronavirus vaccine
(AP Photo/Jae C. Hong, File)HOUSTON – Houston Methodist is hosting a free virtual town hall Friday to answer questions about the coronavirus vaccine. The event will be held from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. and is open to anyone. Organizers said the goal of the event is to answer frequently asked questions about the COVID-19 vaccine, including questions about its safety and availability. Attendance is free, but registration is required. Organizers said they plan on making these virtual town halls a regular occurrence.
‘We get it’: Houston Methodist CEO addresses frustrations over vaccine distribution
HOUSTON – Houston Methodist is holding a clinic this weekend. Registration for the clinic was open to the public and publicized on a state website, hospital officials said. “We get it,” said Dr. Marc Boom, CEO of Houston Methodist. “We were selected by the state as a hub because we’ve gotten vaccines into arms so fast.”According to Boom, Methodist has administered 44,000 first doses and 13,000 second doses of the Pfizer vaccine. Boom said he is optimistic that there will be a faster acceleration of the vaccine’s arrival in a couple of weeks.
Houston hospital offers workers $500 to get COVID-19 vaccine
Houston Methodist's 26,000 workers can look forward to some extra cash in March — as long as they get a COVID-19 vaccine. Eligibility criteria to receive the award include getting a COVID-19 vaccination, "fulfilling our obligation as health care workers to lead the community," he stated. Houston Methodist also gave employees $500 bonuses about six weeks ago for their work during the pandemic, which has killed nearly 35,000 Americans. For now, vaccination isn't required for Houston Methodist employees, but "will be eventually" for most workers, Boom wrote. "I think people are more wanting it than not wanting it," said a spokesperson for Houston Methodist, who received her second dose of the vaccine on Monday.
cbsnews.comHere’s how Houston-area hospital systems plan to distribute the coronavirus vaccine
Here’s a look at how Houston-area hospital systems plan to distribute the approved vaccines. Memorial HermannIn compliance with Texas’ guidance for COVID-19 vaccine distribution, Memorial Hermann is prioritizing vaccine distribution to persons in Phase 1A and Phase 1B. As soon as the vaccine is more widely available, Memorial Hermann plans to offer it to its patients and members of the community. According to its website, vaccine distribution plans are determined by the FDA, CDC, and state and local health departments. University of Texas Medical Branch (UTMB Health) SystemOn Dec. 30, UTMB Health announced plans to expand its employee vaccination program to high-risk individuals.
Houston Methodist will soon start notifying patients to set up vaccine appointments
HOUSTON – Houston area hospitals and clinics that offer COVID-19 vaccinations are currently evaluating how to prioritize patients who qualify to receive a vaccine under Phase 1B of the state’s rollout. “Phase 1B can be interpreted differently by different people. Houston Methodist said Thursday certain patients will soon start getting notifications to schedule appointments for their coronavirus shot. Officials said they will soon start notifying patients via a text message in the following order:Patients who are 75 or older. On Wednesday, the Texas Department of State Health Services said vaccine providers can begin administering the vaccine to people in Phase 1B.
‘Thank you, science’: Turner, Hidalgo discuss Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine in Houston
HOUSTON – Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo and City of Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner received an update on the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine at Houston Methodist Tuesday and visited with frontline healthcare workers receiving the vaccine. And while there is hope on the horizon, folks still need to get tested, folks need to cancel gatherings, folks need to make sure and wear their face coverings. And let me encourage other people in the city when your opportunity comes, let me encourage you to take the vaccine itself. Not to say no, not to delay, not to hold off, but when you’re able to take it, please take it. Thank you, health care providers.”
COVID-19 vaccine for frontline workers arrives at Houston Methodist
HOUSTON – The first coronavirus vaccines arrived in Houston and thousands of additional doses are expected on Tuesday. Healthcare workers are among the first to receive the shots and ProHealth Medical Staffing, a Houston company, helped in that process. She said about 30 of the company’s nurses and medical staff will help administer the vaccine to frontline workers at Houston Methodist. The Department of State Health Services said 19,500 doses of the Pfizer vaccine were delivered to four sites across Texas on Monday, including MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston. Another 19 sites will receive 75,075 doses on Tuesday, including seven hospitals in the Houston region.
Essential workers left speechless after Secret Santa surprises them with Christmas cash gifts
My partner in this joyful deception was an anonymous, wealthy businessman known to me only as Secret Santa. In a normal year, Secret Santa personally hands out hundreds of $100 bills to random strangers. "Open up that sealed envelope," Secret Santa told her. "And that's to make your Christmas just a little bit better," Secret Santa told Davis. "You know kindness, when freely given, with no expectation in return – is, in fact, unconditional love," Secret Santa said.
cbsnews.com1 in 3 parents say they won't vaccinate their child for the flu during the pandemic, study finds
Mott Children's Hospital, one-third of American parents have no plans to get their children vaccinated for the flu this year. The U.S. Centers of Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) echoes the importance of getting the flu vaccine this year. Parents are also concerned about the possible side effects of the flu shots. "Among the 32% of parents who say their child is unlikely to get flu vaccine this year, the most common reasons include concerns about side effects from flu vaccine (42%) and belief that flu vaccine is not necessary (40%) or effective (32%). "Also in Texas, we have laws such that pharmacists can administer flu shots to kids.
chron.comVYPE Awards 2020: Private School Girls Cross Country
We welcome you to the Countdown to the 2020 VYPE Awards presented by Houston Methodist Orthopedics & Sports Medicine. Team and coach of the year awards will be announced LIVE during the VYPE Awards. Here are the awards and finalists for Private School Girls Cross Country. Houston Methodist offers comprehensive diagnostic, treatment and rehabilitative services with a high standard of excellence for elite athletes, active adults and student athletes. Houston Methodist serves as the official health care provider for the Houston Texans, Houston Astros, Rice Athletics, Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo, Houston Ballet, Houston Symphony and Houston Grand Opera.
Trust Index: Can masks increase CO2 levels?
Some stories even describe how people have fainted wearing masks or worse. Healthcare workers shifts are an average of 12 hours and they wear masks all day long. Wearing a regular cloth or surgical mask will not increase CO2 levels. Theres no real evidence that it can increase CO2 levels in healthy subjects. Psychologist William Orme from Houston Methodist said feelings of restriction or panic while wearing masks is possibly more because of anxiety and not due to different oxygen levels.
Houston Methodist, major insurance company strike out on deal
EMBED >More News Videos A public war of words has ensued between the two entities. The dispute could impact you. HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- Negotiations have failed between UnitedHealthcare and Houston Methodist, meaning patients with that medical insurance could receive a very large bill for care from Houston Methodist doctors or hospitals.Both parties were unable to reach an agreement by New Year's Day, which was the deadline.That means if you're treated at Methodist, you'll be charged out-of-network rates.UnitedHealthcare and Methodist have been trying to come to a deal, but were at odds over contract renewals. It also recommends patients undergoing treatment now should call United about continuing their services. The healthcare provider says those patients may be able to receive in-network rates for a limited time in the future.
abc13.comHouston Methodist, major insurance company strike out on deal
EMBED >More News Videos A public war of words has ensued between the two entities. The dispute could impact you. HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- Negotiations have failed between UnitedHealthcare and Houston Methodist, meaning patients with that medical insurance could receive a very large bill for care from Houston Methodist doctors or hospitals.Both parties were unable to reach an agreement by New Year's Day, which was the deadline.That means if you're treated at Methodist, you'll be charged out-of-network rates.UnitedHealthcare and Methodist have been trying to come to a deal, but were at odds over contract renewals. It also recommends patients undergoing treatment now should call United about continuing their services. The healthcare provider says those patients may be able to receive in-network rates for a limited time in the future.
abc13.comHouston Methodist and UnitedHealthcare fail to reach deal, meaning large medical bills likely for patients
EMBED >More News Videos A public war of words has ensued between the two entities. The dispute could impact you. HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- Negotiations have failed between UnitedHealthcare and Houston Methodist, meaning patients with that medical insurance could receive a very large bill for care from Houston Methodist doctors or hospitals.Both parties were unable to reach an agreement by New Year's Day, which was the deadline.That means if you're treated at Methodist, you'll be charged out-of-network rates.UnitedHealthcare and Methodist have been trying to come to a deal, but were at odds over contract renewals. It also recommends patients undergoing treatment now should call United about continuing their services. The healthcare provider says those patients may be able to receive in-network rates for a limited time in the future.
abc13.com