News and Events

Hurricane Michael - 12:50 pm update

Due to the impending severe weather associated with Hurricane Michael, we will be altering our operating hours for today, October 10^th and tomorrow, October 11^th.

Med-Stop locations – Houston Lake, Lake Joy and Pavilion – along with procedure areas such as imaging and surgery will be closing early today at 4 pm and will have a delayed opening tomorrow until 10 am.

The National Weather Service (NWS), a division of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, has approved Houston Medical Center as a StormReady location, becoming the fifth commercial site in the state of Georgia to receive this distinguished honor.

The Leapfrog Group, a Washington D.C-based organization aiming to improve health care quality and safety for consumers and purchasers, today released the new Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grades. Houston Medical Center was one of 750 awarded an ‘A’ for its efforts in protecting patients from harm and meeting the highest safety standards in the U.S. The Safety Grade assigns an A, B, C, D or F grade to hospitals across the country based on their performance in preventing medical errors, infections and other harms among patients in their care.

Dr. Melinda Hartley, Vice President and Chief Nursing Officer for Houston Healthcare, was selected as a recipient of the 2018 I SEE YOU CARE Award presented by Advanced ICU Care, the nation’s leading provider of high-acuity telemedicine services. This accolade recognizes outstanding tele-ICU collaboration between in-hospials and remote care teams.

Houston Healthcare announces the successful completion of its new accreditation process from DNV GL - Healthcare. By earning accreditation, Houston Healthcare facilities have demonstrated it meets or exceeds patient safety standards (Conditions of Participation) set forth by the U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. DNV GL’s accreditation program is the only one to integrate the ISO 9001 Quality Management System with the Medicare Conditions of Participation.

The Leapfrog Group, a national nonprofit health care ratings organization, recently released new Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grades. The Safety Grade assigns letter grades of A, B, C, D and F to hospitals nationwide based on their performance in preventing medical errors, infections and other harms. Houston Medical Center was one of 832 awarded an “A” for its commitment to keeping patients safe and meeting the highest safety standards in the U.S.

The Soaring Together III Continuing Educational Event will be held at the Cary W. Martin Conference Center at the Houston Health Pavilion in Warner Robins on Friday, November 10th. The purpose of this event is to provide a low cost, high-quality, continuing educational offering for nurses and physicians in Central Georgia.

Houston Medical Center has been granted an additional three-year term for accreditation by the Intersocietal Accreditation Commission (IAC) in Echocardiography in the area of Adult Transthoracic. This latest accreditation awarded to Houston Medical Center demonstrates the facility’s ongoing commitment to providing quality patient care in echocardiography.

Mr. Charles Briscoe, Chief Operating Officer for Houston Healthcare, proudly announces the selection of Chris Beasley as the Chief Information Officer (CIO) for Houston Healthcare beginning July 24^th.

Georgia Association of Physicians of Indian Heritage (GAPI) recently donated $10,000 to Houston Healthcare to be used for mammograms for indigent patients. GAPI has held charitable functions for breast, colon, and ovarian cancer awareness. Patients must be referred by a physician and qualify for a free mammogram screening. 

Mr. Charles Briscoe, Chief Operating Officer for Houston Healthcare, proudly announces the selection of Dr. Larry D. Stewart, MD as the Chief Medical Officer for Houston Healthcare beginning May 1^st.

During the month of April, Houston Medical Center and Perry Hospital will fly the Donate Life flag in recognition of Donate Life month. The Donate Life flag is a symbol of unity and hope, and honors and celebrates the hundreds of thousands of donors and recipients whose lives have been affected by organ, eye and tissue donation.

The Partnership for Health and Accountability (PHA) presented its prestigious Quality and Patient Safety Award to Houston Medical Center in Warner Robins for its project that prevented the incidence of pre-term births.

New Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grades, which assign A, B, C, D and F letter grades to hospitals nationwide and provide the most complete picture of patient safety in the U.S., were announced in late October by The Leapfrog Group, a national patient safety watchdog. Houston Medical Center was one of 844 hospitals to receive an “A”, ranking among the safest hospitals in the United States. 

Mr. Sonny Watson, Chairman Houston Hospital Systems Inc., and Mr. Cary Martin, Chief Executive Officer, announce the appointment of Mr. Charles G. Briscoe as the Chief Operating Officer for Houston Hospitals Inc.  Mr. Briscoe will assume his position on January 2, 2017.

Houston Healthcare is proud to announce the certification of its cardiovascular rehabilitation program, Health Connections, by the American Association of Cardiovascular and Pulmonary Rehabilitation (AACVPR).

In May of 2016, First Lady Sandra Deal, the Georgia Children’s Cabinet, and the Georgia Department of Public Health launched a Safe to Sleep initiative in partnership with every birthing hospital in the state to prevent sleep-related infant deaths. 

Houston Heart Institute, located on the campus of Houston Medical Center, has been fully accredited for cardiac catheterization and for percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) by Accreditation for Cardiovascular Excellence^TM (ACE), an organization dedicated to ensuring adherence to the highest quality standards for cardiovascular and endovascular care.

Houston Healthcare has received a grant from the March of Dimes to decrease the incidence of babies born too soon in the Central Georgia area. The March of Dimes reports that every year in the United States, nearly half a million babies are born too soon, more than 16,000 of them right here in Georgia. The 2015 Premature Birth Report Card for the State of Georgia is a “D” because the rate of preterm birth continues to be high with 10.8 percent of babies born before 37 weeks gestation.

During the month of April, Houston Medical Center and Perry Hospital will fly the Donate Life flag in recognition of Donate Life month. The Donate Life flag is a symbol of unity and hope, and honors and celebrates the hundreds of thousands of donors and recipients whose lives have been affected by organ, eye and tissue donation.

In 2014, Houston Healthcare – with hospitals in Warner Robins and Perry – generated more than $482,014,494 in revenue for the local and state economy, according to a recent report by the Georgia Hospital Association, the state’s largest hospital trade association. The report also found that, during the same time period, Houston Healthcare provided approximately $22,400,628 in uncompensated care while sustaining more than 2,643 full and part-time jobs throughout Houston County.

Perry Hospital has been recently recognized as a 2014 Top Performer on Key Quality Measures^® by The Joint Commission, the leading accreditor of health care organizations in the United States.

Houston Healthcare has been designated a Lung Cancer Screening Center by the American College of Radiology (ACR). All three imaging locations – Houston Medical Center, Perry Hospital, and the Pavilion Diagnostic Center – have received the low dose lung cancer screening designation.

Houston Healthcare offers the new Automated Breast Volume Scanner (ABVS) ultrasound system to detect cancers in dense breast tissue. This dedicated breast ultrasound imaging system provides full-field, 3D scans of the entire breast. The ABVS comfortably acquires a full volume scan of the breast within minutes.

Representatives from the American Osteopathic Association visited Houston Medical Center and Pavilion Family Medical Clinic in February for the initial inspection of our residency program. After all the information was reviewed by the various committees at the AOA, we received the report which graded Houston Healthcare at 100% as an institute sponsoring graduate medical education, and the Osteopathic Family Medicine Residency as 100% for the work being done to train residents in our program.

Houston Healthcare is pleased to welcome Charles Nutinsky, DO, FACOS, MMM, as the new Vice President of Medical Affairs/Chief Medical Officer (CMO).

The Houston Heart Institute (HHI) at Houston Medical Center has been granted accreditation in the area of Echocardiography by the Intersocietal Accreditation Commission (IAC).

At the recent System Board Meeting, the Houston Medical Center Auxiliary presented a check in the amount of $75,000 to the Pavilion Family Medicine Center. The money will help support the Family Medicine Residency Program and daily operations of the Clinic and other expenses

Houston Medical Center has been awarded Georgia’s 39 Weeks recognition banner from the March of Dimes for reducing the number of elective inductions and cesarean deliveries performed before 39 completed weeks of pregnancy.

Recently, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) acknowledged the participation of the Georgia Hospital Association (GHA) Hospital Engagement Network, or “HEN,” for its participation in the national Partnership for Patients (PfP) initiative.

Houston Healthcare is pleased to now offer ER Express, an online tool which allows patients with non-life threatening illnesses to reserve a spot in the Emergency Room. Instead of waiting in the Emergency Room, patients can wait in the comfort of their home. This service is now available at both Houston Medical Center and Perry Hospital.

Preventing the Spread of Flu

Perry Youth Leadership Visit Perry Hospital

Houston Healthcare is working with the Centers for Disease Control and North Central Health District to understand what is required of our hospital, including staff, equipment, supplies, and facilities, whenever anyone comes to our hospital with what could be an infectious disease.

Houston Medical Center (HMC) is adopting new “weapons and tactics” in our war against Hospital Acquired Infections (HAI).

Houston Healthcare Wins Statewide Community Leadership Award for Community Outreach Program

Houston Medical Center has been named to the Georgia Hospital Association’s (GHA) Partnership for Health and Accountability (PHA) Core Measures Honor Roll. Houston Medical Center is one of 18 hospitals in Georgia to be placed in the Presidential category, one of the highest on the list.

 A great example of improving access to care is the partnership between Houston Healthcare and the Central Georgia Affiliate of Komen for the Cure. This partnership has been in place since 2005 with Komen providing annual grant funding for projects designed by Houston Healthcare to improve access to breast health services.

The Houston County Volunteer Medical Clinic recently received a donation of $10,000 from the Houston Medical Center Medical Staff to aid its mission of providing primary, non-emergency medical care to working uninsured residents.

Houston Healthcare EMS was selected as Region 5 Service of the Year by the State Office of EMS Region 5 Advisory Council.

In 2011, Houston Healthcare generated more than $460 million in revenue for the local and state economy, according to a recent report by the Georgia Hospital Association (GHA), the state’s largest hospital trade association.

The prestigious American Diabetes Association (ADA) Education Recognition Certificate for a quality diabetes self-management education program was awarded to the Houston Healthcare Diabetes Management Program in early August.

Houston Healthcare is pleased to announce it has achieved the Healthgrades 2013 Women’s Health Excellence Award™ according to Healthgrades, the leading online resource that helps consumers search, evaluate, compare and connect with physician and hospitals. The recognition distinguishes Houston Medical Center as a top performing hospital in women’s health, which includes care provided to women for common conditions and procedures treated in the hospital. 

As part of the Family Medicine Residency Program, Houston Healthcare welcomed the second class of Resident Physicians. In a luncheon and White Coat Ceremony, the Residents were welcomed by Cary Martin, Chief Executive Officer for Houston Healthcare, as well as Dr. Jefferson Davis, Vice President of Medical Affairs and Chief Medical Officer for the System. Members of the Executive Team were also in attendance to greet and welcome them to the System.

 Houston Healthcare (HHC) and The Medical Center of Central Georgia (MCCG) are pleased to announce their agreement to create a strategic alignment that will benefit the central Georgia region. Both organizations will remain independent, but will collaborate in a formal affiliation that HHC and MCCG leaders believe will enhance the level of healthcare delivery in central Georgia.

Based on results of a recent on-site inspection as part of the CAP's Accreditation Programs, Perry Hospital's Main Laboratory, (Perry, Georgia) has received accreditation from the College of American Pathologists.

In continuing our mission of providing patient-focused care, Houston Medical Center recently became a Charter member of the American Joint Replacement Registry (AJRR), an independent, not-for-profit database designed to store comprehensive data about joint replacement procedures and to help physicians and artificial joint manufacturers improve the experiences of patients who undergo joint replacement surgery.

ATLANTA – Houston Medical Center has been named to the Georgia Hospital Association’s (GHA) Hospital Engagement Network (HEN) Safety Leaders Circle, which recognizes hospitals’ improvements in patient care throughout the 2012 year. Houston Medical Center is one of 13 hospitals in Georgia to place in the Elite Circle, the highest on the list.

Houston Medical Center has achieved a place on Healthgrades America’s 100 Best™ hospital list for the second year in a row. Healthgrades, the leading online resource that helps consumers search, evaluate, compare and connect with physicians and hospitals, evaluated nearly 4,500 hospitals nationwide based on objective measures of clinical performance. This represents six years of advanced and continuous clinical quality excellence and patient care for Houston Medical Center.

Statement made by Houston Healthcare CEO, Cary Martin regarding the FDA recall of medications.

Jefferson U. Davis, D.D.S., M.D. has been named Vice President of Medical Affairs and Chief Medical Officer for Houston Healthcare.

Houston Healthcare will welcome its first class of resident physicians in July as part of its new Family Medicine Residency Program.

Horatio V. Cabasares, MD, FACS, general surgeon on the medical staff of Houston Healthcare and member of the Houston Hospitals Board, was recently honored with a “Heroes Among Us” award from Rotary International.

Houston Medical Center has been recognized for demonstrating superior and sustained clinical quality, placing it among an elite group of hospitals in the United States: HealthGrades® America’s 100 Best™ Hospitals for 2012.

Houston Healthcare introduces its new Healthy Living initiative, which is designed to encourage individuals and families to be active participants in improving their health and the health of their loved ones

Houston Medical Center has earned The Joint Commission’s Gold Seal of ApprovalTM for its Total Knee and Total Hip Replacements by demonstrating compliance with The Joint Commission’s national standards for health care quality and safety in disease-specific care.