“Wherever the art of Medicine is loved, there is also a love of Humanity.” –Hippocrates

This quote by Greek physician Hippocrates of Kos (c. 460 BC – c. 370 BC), known traditionally as the Father of Medicine, accurately describes the mindset and passion that drive the leadership, medical staff, and personnel of Huntsville Memorial Hospital. The hospital was chartered on April 4, 1927, almost 100 years ago, as a memorial honoring the military heroes of World War I. The original mission of the hospital was to provide “benevolent and charitable services” to those in need. Over the years, the hospital has undergone many changes and continues its quest for excellence under new management by Community Hospital Corporation (CHC). As CEO Patrick Shannon explains, “We started in 2020 right before Covid hit, and after weathering that unusual event, began implementing our business plans for growth, with one of the goals being to increase the service lines to meet Walker County needs.”

HMH is supported by a staff of almost 200 physicians, including independent and community physicians, Emergency Department physicians, surgeons, hospitalists, Primary Care physicians, and specialists, all working toward the goal of providing quality medical care for patients. Physicians employed by the hospital include:

• Dr. Jeff Spaw – Orthopedics
• Dr. Curtis Montgomery – OB/GYN
• Dr. Ashley Taylor – General Surgery
• Dr. Sharad Sharma – Vascular/Dialysis Access Surgery

HMH recently held their election for positions on the Medical Executive Committee, and the election results are: Chief of Staff – Stephen Antwi, MD; Vice Chief of Staff – Stavan Parmar, MD; Past Chief of Staff – Sudhir Sehgal, MD; MEC elected positions – Specialists: Dr. Shukla, Dr. Kenworthy, and Dr. Khurana; and Primary Care: Dr. Aiena, Dr. Young, and Dr. Rollins. These new newly elected positions are effective January 2024.

Dr. Townes Leigh leads both the HMH Primary Care Clinic and the Family Medical Residency program, a three-year training program for Family Medicine Residents–with the hope that after graduation, many will stay in Huntsville to practice. The four Family Medicine Residents, Dr. Steven Munassi, Dr. Jordan Clark, Dr. Yumna Shams, and Dr. Kerolos Youssef, currently provide patient care at both the Primary Care Clinic and hospital. Plans are to increase the enrollment of this program to twelve residents. Nurse Practitioners are also a part of the Family Residents program. The hospital is currently recruiting additional physicians in the fields of OB/GYN, orthopedics, vascular, and spine surgery, and is adding neurology. These have all been identified as needs in the community.

Other planned improvements include increasing full-time physician coverage in the hospital and continuing to add more state-of-the-art medical and surgical equipment. Recent additions include new surgical towers, new anesthesia and endoscopy machines, as well as a Velys robot and an Aquablation Therapy machine. Dr. Spaw utilizes the Velys robot to achieve maximum accuracy in orthopedic procedures, and the Aquablation machine allows Dr. Kenworthy and others trained on this equipment to perform prostate surgery with no or very minimal side effects to the patient. The HMH Women’s Health Clinic also utilizes top-of-the-field equipment to produce 3D tomography, a highly accurate mammogram procedure.

Emergency and outpatient services handle over 22,000 visits per year, with the number of surgeries up 40% year over year. The Emergency Department (ED) is a Level IV Trauma Center available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and is staffed by board-certified emergency physicians and Certified Emergency Nurses. Lead physicians and physician assistants are certified in Advanced Trauma Life Support and all members hold certification in Advanced Cardiac Life Support. In 2023, HMH received the Gold Plus Stroke Award from the American Heart Association. This is awarded to hospitals that have shown a commitment to ensuring that stroke patients receive the most appropriate treatment according to nationally recognized, research-based guidelines. As a result, more lives are saved, and disabilities are reduced.

The signs of a stroke are:

1. Balance – watch for sudden loss of balance
2. Eyes – check for vision loss
3. Face – look for an uneven smile
4. Arm – check for weakness in one arm
5. Speech – listen for slurred speech
6. Time – call 911 right away

The ED has worked tirelessly to improve its LWBS (left without being seen) metric from 12% to under 1% which is better than the national average, with their Google Star rating rising from 1.9 to 4.1. In addition to this improvement, they now have a locked-down correctional care unit for offenders away from the general population. The following conditions are among those considered to be medical emergencies and require a trip to the Emergency Room: (more information is available on the website)

• Signs of stroke or heart attack
• Serious traumas or injuries
• Loss of consciousness, unexplained disorientation, dizziness, or fainting
• Difficulty breathing, severe allergic reactions
• Severe pain impeding normal functions
• Continuous bleeding, ingestion of harmful chemicals
• Suicidal feelings

The hospital undergoes two regularly scheduled assessments, one being an accreditation evaluation by the Center for Improvement in Healthcare Quality (CIHQ) aimed at ensuring that patient care is above minimum standards as set forth by the federal government. The second critique is a Community Health Needs Assessment (CHNA), part of the Affordable Care Act, requiring tax-exempt hospitals to complete a needs assessment every three years to identify the greatest health needs in the community. Implementing changes according to these findings assures the community that our hospital is striving to provide the highest quality patient care possible. In addition to these assessments, the following three boards provide guidance for the health of the hospital: the Walker County Hospital District, the Community Health Corporation board, and a local advisory board of community leaders. As medical and infrastructure needs are identified, HMH is moving forward to provide answers to these areas of need including the installation of new elevators and HVAC systems.

The total patient experience is important to HMH personnel, and this includes providing services for visiting family members. A Patient Experience Coordinator is available to help families through this challenging journey and can act as a liaison between the patient and hospital staff. For those non-English speaking patients, languages are no problem with an international service line that can translate almost any language, including ASL (American Sign Language). Other services include a cafeteria that is open to the public for breakfast and lunch (Taco Tuesday and the salad bar are favorites) and a well-stocked gift shop where you can find that perfect gift to brighten the day of your loved one. HMH is also in the process of rebuilding its Volunteer Auxiliary service. These members are a critical part of the life of any hospital, and those who may be interested are encouraged to call HMH to become a part of this vital service. On a financial note, the hospital accepts Medicare, Medicaid, and most insurances. For other financial questions, check the website or call 936-293-4464 to set up an appointment with a Financial Counselor.

Visitors are encouraged, and visitation hours are posted on the hospital website. To improve the experience at HMH, each patient receives a visit each day from someone on the medical team or on the leadership team of the hospital. Don’t be surprised if the CEO drops by your bedside to check on you. The leadership team includes:

• Patrick Shannon – Chief Executive Officer
• Ian Gibson – Chief Operating Officer
• Jose Guerra – Chief Nursing Officer
• Mary Bevier – Chief Financial Officer

The Board of Directors includes Ray Hernandez (Chair), Joe Sapp (Vice Chair), Sudhir Sehgal, MD, Joe Thomason, Judy Upshaw, Trey Wharton, and Trey Young, MD.

Hippocrates, along with us, would give a hearty thumbs up to all the good things happening at Huntsville Memorial Hospital. If you have further questions, don’t hesitate to contact a member of this team of professionals who care about you and your loved ones, and making your lives as whole and healthy as possible. We are grateful for HMH and their services to our community!

Huntsville Memorial Hospital
110 Memorial Hospital Drive
Huntsville, TX 77340
Main: 936-291-3411
www.huntsvillememorial.com

PHYSICIAN OFFICES:

• Primary Care Clinic: 936-291-3219
• Orthopedics and Sports Medicine: 936-400-7221
• Women’s Health Clinic OBGYN: 936-439-1457
• General Surgery: 936-755-4690
• Dialysis Access Clinic: 936-304-1700

OUTPATIENT SERVICES:
• Radiology Scheduling: 936-435-7577
• Women’s Imaging Center: 936-291-4826
• Outpatient Rehab (PT, OT, Speech): 936-291-4300
• Cardiac Rehab: 936-291-4598
• Infusion Services: 936-291-4570