St. Joseph Launches an Obstetrics Hospitalist Program

Bryan, Texas, September 14, 2015 - As St. Joseph continues to enhance services expectant women in the Brazos Valley, we are pleased to announce we have introduced an obstetrics (OB) hospitalist program at St. Joseph Regional Health Center that began September 1. Hospitalist programs staff physicians who work on site in a hospital, instead of working on an on-call basis or traveling back and forth between offices. This staffing model improves patient care and safety by ensuring medical professionals are available and on site when patients need them. At St. Joseph, this means that we now have an OB physician at the hospital 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year to provide care at all times including emergency OB cases, such as high-risk pregnancies. These physicians will treat obstetric or gynecological emergencies within the hospital. We are the only health system to provide this level of care in our region. This new program is the result of many months of collaboration and planning. To staff the additional hospitalist physicians, St. Joseph has partnered with Emergency Service Partners (ESP) and Brazos Valley Obstetric Hospitalists. We also work with ESP to staff our Emergency Department. We’re excited to welcome our new OB hospitalist team members: physicians, Katie Brading, MD, Hector Chapa, MD, Michael Hodnett, MD, Renee Zimmerman, MD, led by Medical Director, Daniel Dawson MD, MBA, FACOG. Our longstanding partnerships with OB physicians in our community and the Brazos Valley Women’s Center will continue as we look to further expand our women's services.

About St. Joseph Health System Established in 1936, St. Joseph Health System is a faith-based, not-for-profit health system committed to excellence and compassion in caring for the mind, body and spirit while creating healthier communities. St. Joseph Health System is comprised of five hospital facilities across the Brazos Valley, including St. Joseph Regional Health Center, the region’s highest level trauma center. St. Joseph Physician Associates operates more than a dozen primary and specialty care clinics around the region, offering expert care, closer to home. St. Joseph Health System is a part of Catholic Health Initiatives (CHI), one of the nation’s largest health systems. For more information, visit st-joseph.org. St. Joseph Health System is a part of Catholic Health Initiatives (CHI), one of the nation’s largest health systems. Headquartered in Englewood, Colorado, CHI operates in 18 states and comprises more than 90 hospitals, including four academic medical centers and teaching hospitals; 24 critical-access facilities; community health services organizations; accredited nursing colleges; home health agencies; and other services that span the inpatient and outpatient continuum of care.