Making a Difference in Lives
By Mary Alys Cherry
Located in Baytown, Houston Methodist San Jacinto Hospital was named one of the best hospitals in the Houston metro area for 2013-14 by U.S. News & World Report. The hospital continuously strives to improve the quality, satisfaction and health care services while remaining committed to making a difference in the lives of the patients it serves.
In March, 2013, the hospital opened a new ambulatory surgery center (ASC) providing services to patients that do not require an overnight stay. The most common surgeries include orthopedics, pain management, plastic surgery, podiatry, ear, nose, throat and gynecological procedures.
Houston Methodist San Jacinto Hospital’s Ambulatory Care team consists of specially trained nurses, dedicated care coordinators, and surgeons dedicated to providing excellent care in a safe and comfortable setting capitalizing on the skills of the physicians utilizing advanced technology for better patient outcomes.
At the ASC, many surgical procedures are performed annually with the majority of patients requiring orthopedic surgeries. Dedicated, board certified orthopedic surgeons work with patients to improve their quality of life, relieve pain and improve recovery times.
Some of the surgeries specific to orthopedics performed at the ASC include:
- ACL and ligament repair
- Arthroscopy
- Anterior hip replacement
- Fractures and traumatic injuries
- Hip, knee and shoulder replacement
- Meniscus repair
- Rotator cuff repair
- Shoulder injuries
Many of the orthopedic surgeries at the ASC are performed by Drs. Mark E. Franklin, James Kevin Horn, and James C. Pyle. All are experts in their field and give their patients outstanding care offering the best possible surgical opportunities for their individualized treatment plan.
Dr. Mark Franklin
Dr. Mark FranklinA general orthopedic surgeon with a special interest in arthroscopic and adult reconstructive surgery, Dr. Franklin is a native Texan who graduated summa cum laude from Texas A&I University with a B.S. in Biology before earning his Doctorate of Medicine from the University of Texas Medical School in Houston, where he also served his internship in general surgery and his residency in orthopedic surgery.
As chief resident, he was presented the Resident Scholarship Award.
Dr. Franklin’s interests include arthroscopic reconstructive procedures of the shoulder and knee as well as joint replacement procedures of the knee, hip, and shoulder. He has served the Greater Houston area for over 20 years and was instrumental in the development and implementation of The Joint Program at San Jacinto Houston Methodist Hospital.
He has an extensive background in management of fractures and traumatic injuries and has been recognized by the Castle Connolly’s peer review survey as a “Top Doctor” from 2008 to the present, as reported by U.S.News & World Report.
Dr. Franklin is certified by the American Board of Orthopaedic Surgery, is a former clinical assistant professor in the Baylor College of Medicine Department of Orthopedic Surgery and has memberships in the American and Texas Medical Associations, Harris County Medical Society and is a fellow in the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons. His office is in Suite 107, 4201 Garth Road. Phone 281-427-7400.
Dr. James Kevin Horn
Dr. James Kevin HornDr. Horn, another member of the hospital’s team of orthopedic surgeons, received his Bachelor of Arts degree in 1985 from Austin College in Sherman, Texas, which he attended on a Trustee Academic Scholarship, and where he served on the Student Development Board and was elected the Student Government representative.
He earned his medical degree at the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston in 1989 while making the National Dean’s List 1986-89 and earning Surgery Honors in 1988. He also was elected to Alpha Omega Alpha and was awarded both academic and military scholarships.
Next stop was Greenville, S.C., where he served his internship and then his residency in orthopedic surgery from 1989 to 1994 before joining the U.S. Air Force and rising to the rank of major while serving at Minot AFB in North Dakota as an orthopedic surgeon.
Returning to Texas in early 1997, he joined the Fondren Orthopedic Group in Houston, where he still practices today, specializing in knee and shoulder surgery and sports medicine. He was elected to the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons and was certified by the American Board of Orthopaedic Surgery.
His office is at 2635 Baker Road in Baytown. Phone 281-837-8559.
Dr. James G. Pyle
Dr. James G. PyleDr. Pyle is an orthopedic surgeon practicing general orthopedics, who maintains active staff privileges at Houston Methodist San Jacinto Hospital.
Dr. Pyle received his Bachelor’s Degree from Indiana University and his Medical Doctorate from the Medical College of Wisconsin in Milwaukee.
He completed a rotating internship at John Peter Smith Hospital in Fort Worth and did his residency in orthopedic surgery at Fort Worth Affiliated Hospitals, also in Fort Worth.
He is certified by the American Board of Orthopaedic Surgery and is a fellow in the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons. He is also a member of the Harris County Medical Society, the Texas Medical Association and the American Medical Association. He also has been a “Top Doctor” from 2008 to the present.
Besides his work at San Jacinto Hospital, he also is on staff at Texas Orthopedic Hospital and is affiliated with Fondren Orthopedic Group.
To request an appointment with Dr. Pyle, call 281-427-7400.
Houston Methodist San Jacinto Hospital, you might say, was born in the oil patch, back in 1944 when Humble Oil and Refining Co. contributed $500,000 to build a hospital in Baytown. Local businesses, organizations and individuals matched the oil giant’s gift with $1.2 million and the hospital’s doors opened four years later. It became part of the Houston Methodist system in 1983.
Today the hospital has 275 beds on three campuses and 1,700 employees who provide inpatient and outpatient services to thousands of patients each year – around 13,000.
In 2011, the hospital had 3,300 inpatient surgeries, 6,000 outpatient surgeries, 1,900 births and 38,500 outpatient visits, according to the American Hospital Directory.
The new surgery center provides services to patients for procedures that do not require an overnight stay. The most common surgeries include orthopedics, pain management, plastic surgery, podiatry, ear, nose and throat and gynecological procedures. It has five surgical bays and an observation/recovery room for patients coming out of surgery – even a healing garden along the side the building where patients can enjoy some quiet time.
In 2012, the hospital received a Distinguished Hospital Award for Clinical Excellence from HealthGrades, placing it in the top 5 percent of the nation’s hospitals for the fifth straight year.
Then, this past summer, the hospital was again ranked No. 8 in the Houston metro area as one of the best hospitals for 2013-14 and No. 24 in Texas by U.S. News & World Report, which evaluates hospitals in 16 adult specialties, ranking the nation’s top 50 hospitals.
“A hospital that emerges from our analysis as one of the best has much to be proud of,” said Avery Comarow, the magazine’s health ranking editor. “Only about 15 percent of hospitals are recognized for their high performance as among their region’s best. Just 3 percent of all hospitals earn a national ranking in any specialty.”
The magazine said it publishes the rankings “as a guide for patients who need a high level of care because they face a particularly difficult surgery, a challenging condition or added risk because of other health problems or age. Objective measures such as patient survival and safety data, the adequacy of nurse staffing levels and other data largely determine the rankings in most specialties.”
The rankings are produced for the magazine by RTI International, a leading research organization based in Research Triangle Park, N.C. Using the same data, U.S. News produced the state and metro rankings.
