“We want our patients to feel like we provided them with exceptional service, and we want them to feel like they were taken care of when they visit Valley Baptist,” said Lily Orive, a mammogram, and ultrasound tech at Valley Baptist Medical Center – Brownsville. “The thing with a patient is, I believe, the experience is enhanced when we communicate effectively with them, make eye contact, show kindness, and are empathetic. And, we strive to provide that for all our patients.”
According to employees and physicians at the award-winning and nationally recognized hospital in Brownsville – that is what is at the center of its success and longevity as the historical hospital nears its centennial celebration in 2023. Today, a part of the Valley Baptist Health System, Valley Baptist – Brownsville boasts sophisticated medical equipment which offers advanced clinical care to patients. Most recently, the hospital upgraded its surgical system in its operating room and incorporated the da Vinci™ Xi Surgical System, which allows the robotic system mobility to better accommodate procedures for patients and for the physician driving the robot.
“One of the things that I [appreciate] about Valley Baptist – Brownsville is that we have a lot of advanced medicine protocols and capabilities,” said Dr. Beverly Zavaleta, family medicine and physician advisor at Valley Baptist Medical Center – Brownsville.
Whether that’s in the cath lab or in our imaging department, it makes me happy because I know we can care for my patients here, and they do not have to travel somewhere else for medical care, she added.
The 200+ licensed bed hospital was recently awarded the Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade “A.” The letter grade is a top marking for patient safety in the areas of minimal to no errors, minimal to no injuries, accidents, and/or infections in the line of patient care. The hospital was also recently voted as the Best Hospital and Best Emergency Room by The Brownsville Herald’s Reader’s Choice Award.
“I have been practicing with Valley Baptist – Brownsville for more than two decades,” said Dr. Magdalena Flores, OB-GYN at Valley Baptist Medical Center – Brownsville. “Once I started practicing [as a physician], I saw my patients having a baby, then years later I saw those babies having their own children. I’m at a point in my career where I am already delivering the second generation. That confidence in our hospital means a lot to us.”
Dr. Flores noted she has been with the hospital for so long because of the support and care that she receives from both her fellow physicians and from the administration team at the hospital.
We are a very tight physician community here. When one of us asks for help, everyone rallies around us and around our patient. We all work together to create the best possible outcome for the patient. That to me makes all the difference, added Dr. Flores.
The support and care to patients does not stop in one department or unit; it extends throughout the hospital. The level of commitment shown by the front line staff to the foodservice team to the environmental services team – hand-in-hand with the nursing and physician teams, resonates throughout Valley Baptist.
Ms. Orive, for example, has been with the hospital for 27-years. During that time, she stated she had held the hands of patients when they come in for a diagnostic mammogram when they receive the good or bad news. She tries to comfort them and educate them on how things can be better – when the news isn’t so great. During these life-altering moments in these patients’ lives, Orive believes that compassion and empathy are vital in providing patient care.
“We always try to make sure that we treat [patients] as if they’re a part of our personal family. Once they start having their [mammogram] screenings here at Valley Baptist, they become part of our family,” added Orive.
It is no secret that patients that go to Valley Baptist for care will receive some of the best medical care in South Texas. Their ability to achieve advancement in healthcare and national recognition is through the community they helped to build.
“I think that Valley Baptist — Brownsville is long-lasting in this community because it has grown out of the community and the people that work here. When you come here — your own friends, your own neighbors are the people taking care of you,” said Dr. Zavaleta.
