Texas Health Harris Methodist Hospital Hurst-Euless-Bedford has enhanced its neuroscience and surgical programs as part of the facility’s commitment to offering convenient access to advanced care for the treatment of complex brain and spinal cord conditions, the hospital said in a news release.
The investment includes expanding the hospital’s surgery department by nearly 5,000 square feet.
“To put that number into perspective, our new surgical area is slightly larger than one NBA basketball court, and it took just over three years to complete,” said Fraser Hay, FACHE, Texas Health HEB president.
“The expansion project has enhanced several areas, including the pre- and post-surgical areas and the Sterile Processing Department. It even allows us to increase the size of our eight operating rooms, going from 500 to 720 square feet each. With more space for complex cases, people in the Northeast Tarrant County area can stay local for more complex care,” Hay said in the news release.
Texas Health HEB has a total of eight ORs — three for general use that are also neuro-focused, two for robotic surgery, two for orthopedic surgery and one for cardiac procedures. The enhanced space enables physicians on the medical staff to perform more complex procedures — such as those dealing with brain, spine and nervous system disorders.
Now offering the community a robust neuroscience program, Texas Health HEB recently welcomed Rob Hruska, M.D., into the community. A neurosurgeon with North Texas Neurosurgical & Spine Center, a Texas Health Physicians Group practice, Hruska uses complex and minimally invasive surgical techniques to address spinal and nervous system conditions that include spine tumors, degenerative spine disorders and cervical spine deformities. Hruska also will help neurologists on the medical staff at Texas Health HEB care for stroke patients.
With stroke ending someone’s life once every four minutes in the U.S., it comes as no surprise that it’s the country’s fifth leading cause of death, according to the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association.
In Texas, it’s even higher — third among the leading causes of death. And for those who survive, a stroke can cause permanent, debilitating medical issues if they’re not treated quickly and with advanced therapies. Through the completion of its expansion project and with a dedicated neurosurgeon located on campus, Texas Health HEB has invested in improving how it responds to, cares for and helps patients recover from stroke.
“We are elevating the acuity of the services we provide that also help complement our communities’ needs for timely care, such as stroke interventions,” Hay said.
“Providing care in a centralized location minimizes unnecessary travel for the patient and maintains cohesive treatment and immediate communication among the care team with everyone easily accessible on the same campus,” said Stephen Hurlbut, M.D., a neurologist on the hospital’s medical staff and a member of Neurology Specialists of North Texas, a Texas Health Physicians Group practice. “It’s great for the patient and for the care team as well.”
Another component strengthening the hospital’s surgical program involves the addition of a vascular surgeon to the medical staff who is also certified as a registered physician in vascular interpretation.
This specialized certification means that Collin Gandillon, M.D., a vascular surgeon with Texas Health Vascular Surgical Specialists, a Texas Health Physicians Group practice, is medically trained to evaluate and make proficient diagnoses in the area of vascular disease using noninvasive techniques.
He specializes in advanced vascular techniques that address stroke prevention, carotid revascularization for carotid occlusive disease and the treatment of deep vein thrombosis blood clots.
As a certified primary stroke center, Texas Health HEB also has a dedicated inpatient rehabilitation unit and a comprehensive outpatient rehab unit, along with wellness programs for individuals recovering from neurological disease and neuro trauma.
In addition to enhancing stroke management, Hruska and Hurlbut partner together to achieve successful outcomes through a conservative, personalized approach to other neuroscience conditions.
“Many times, patients, such as those with severe nerve issues in the neck, don’t need surgery, just physical therapy,” Hruska said. “But when physical therapy and pain management don’t rectify a patient’s condition, we have the advanced surgical capabilities to address those hard to fix problems,” Hurlbut said.
“When that compressed nerve shoots severe pain down a patient’s leg, and it can be eradicated with a small, surgical procedure, that’s a great feeling for the patient and the physician,” Hruska said. “Having a patient walk out of the hospital, pain-free, is the most gratifying thing I do on a daily basis. That’s why I got into medicine.”