Harlingen Medical Center - 20th Year Anniversary Magazine

Harlingen Medical Center

Commitment. Our Community.

Harlingen Medical Center

Your Community Hospital

CARING FOR RIO GRANDE VALLEY RESIDENTS SINCE 2002

Harlingen Medical Center (HMC) is a nationally-recognized, award-winning community hospital, which practices patient-focused care, putting the needs and comfort of its patients first. The design, management, staffing, and operation of our hospital are focused on your needs and overall comfort. Each caregiver is highly skilled and cross-trained in various fields, in order to provide high-quality care to our patients.

Harlingen Medical Center is open 24 hours per day / 7 days a week, providing emergency care through a 22-bay state-of-the-art emergency department / Level IV Trauma Center. HMC also specializes in cardiology, critical / intensive care, gastroenterology, internal medicine, nephrology, neurology, orthopedics, obstetrics and gynecology, radiology, respiratory care, sleep studies, speech pathology surgery, weight loss, and wound healing care.

In addition, Harlingen Medical Center is a leader in providing patient education through a multi-disciplinary team which works to address all of the healthcare needs of our patients.

Harlingen Medical Center welcomes you and invites you to learn more about our wide array of healthcare services, as we continue to provide life-saving care, every day and every night, for you and for our community.

Our Commitment. Our Community.

Harlingen Medical Center is proud to announce it’s 20th anniversary event to be held on Wednesday, October 5th at the hospital campus.

Harlingen Medical Center is a 112-bed full service, acute care facility serving the city of Harlingen and surrounding communities. Over 673 employees and 360 physicians and providers care for the members of our community.

Since 2002, the facility has served the community through excellent care provision. The facility is designated as a Level IV Trauma Center by the State of Texas, a primary Chest Pain Center with PCI by the American College of Cardiology, and a primary Stroke Center by The Joint Commission. Additionally, the facility provides exception maternal and neonatal care and is designated as a Level II Maternal and Level II Neonatal provider by the State of Texas. The facility is a Leapfrog A patient safety

organization and has received CMS 4-Star quality for the most recent period.

Harlingen Medical Center has also received numerous awards from Healthgrades Operating Company Inc., known simply as Healthgrades.

Healthgrades is a US company that provides information about physicians, hospitals, and health care providers, and it has amassed information on over three million U.S. healthcare providers.

Healthgrades awards recently presented to Harlingen Medical Center include:

• America’s 100 Best Hospitals for Orthopedic Surgery Award (2022)

• America’s 100 Best Hospitals for Coronary Intervention Excellence Award (2022)

• Coronary Intervention Excellence Award (2022)

• Top 10% in the Nation for Coronary Interventional Procedures (2021-2022)

• Five-Star Recipient for Coronary

Interventional Procedures (2021-2022)

• Five-Star Recipient for Treatment of Heart Attack (2021-2022) New in 2021

• Five-Star Recipient for Pacemaker Procedures (2021-2022) New in 2021

• One of Healthgrades America’s 100 Best Hospitals for Orthopedic Surgery™ for 9 Years (2014-2022)

• Five-Star Recipient for Total Knee Replacement for 4 Years (2019-2022)

• Five-Star Recipient for Hip Fracture Treatment for 14 Years (2008-2022)

• Five- Star Recipient for Spinal Fusion for 3 Years (2020-2022)

• Five-Star Recipient for Gallbladder Removal Surgery for 5 Years (2018-2022)

• Five-Star Recipient for Appendectomy for 10 Years (2013-2022)

• Healthgrades Gynecologic Surgery Excellence Award™ for 5 Years (20182022)

• Five-Star Recipient for Gynecologic Procedures for 4 Years (2019-2022)

• Five-Star Recipient for Hysterectomy for 5 Years (2018-2022)

• Five-Star Recipient for Vaginal Delivery for 3 Years (2020-2022)

• Five-Star Recipient for C-Section Delivery for 7 Years (2015-2022)

Other awards recently bestowed on Harlingen Medical Center include:

• American Stroke Association – Get with the Guidelines: GOLD Plus with Type 2 Diabetes Honor Roll Achievement Award

• Fortune and IBM Watson Health-50 TopPerforming Cardiovascular Hospitals

Patient experience and satisfaction is at the heart of what we do at Harlingen Medical Center. Our purpose is to serve the community and ensure the most comprehensive, quality care is provided to all patients. We utilize the GREAT Model for patient care delivery and superior patient service.

The facility is lead by Candi Constantine-Castillo, Chief Executive Officer, a nurse. “Looking through the eyes of the patient and ensuring care and quality is the primary focus of all we do is what sets Harlingen Medical Center apart from other hospitals. It is a true partnership with our physicians and providers to ensure we not only meet the medical and physical needs, but also the service expectations for each patient we serve”, says Candi.

Executive

Harlingen Medical Center’s executive team is committed to providing patients excellent service and high-quality care in every visit. To realize this commitment, HMC partners with highly experienced and highly skilled physicians, nurses, staff and volunteers. With each and every patient, HMC collectively endeavors to provide comprehensive, quality healthcare in a convenient, compassionate and cost effective manner.

Harlingen Medical Center is known for creating unparalleled experiences for its patients from the moment they walk through its doors: a compassionate team of professionals, committed to providing you excellence in the service and care patients need to get and stay well.

Candi Constantine-Castillo Chief Executive Officer

Candi Constantine-Castillo brings over thirty years of administrative and clinical operations experience to the facility and has served the Rio Grande Valley since 1998. She served as the System Chief Nursing Officer for South Texas Health System from March of 2008 until December of 2020. Prior to that she served as the hospital administrator for Dolly Vinsant Memorial Hospital. Most recently, she has served Cornell University as a facilitator and program lead for the post-graduate Executive Healthcare Leadership certificate program.

Candi Constantine-Castillo holds numerous national board certifications and is a Fellow in the American College of Healthcare Executives. She earned her undergraduate nursing degrees from East Tennessee State University, as well as a Master of Business Administration from Andrew Jackson University, a post-graduate certificate in Nursing Administration from the University of Texas-Arlington, a Doctor of Health Administration with a specialization in Health Care Leadership from Capella University, and a Doctor of Nursing Practice from Purdue University.

Candi Constantine-Castillo has resided in the Rio Grande Valley since 1998 and is married to Lt. Carlos Castillo of the Harlingen Fire Department, a native of Harlingen. They have two children, Madison and Nia, and reside in Harlingen. The family enjoys traveling, hosting events and gatherings with family and friends, and animal rescue.

Michael Bergstrom Chief Financial Officer

Michael Bergstrom received a Bachelor of Business AdministrationFinance from The University of Texas Pan-American in August 2000, and a Master of Science in Healthcare Administration with a Minor in Human Resource Management from Houston Baptist University in February 2005. He has been employed as a Financial Analyst/Staff Accountant, Senior Financial Analyst-Decisions Support, Director of Financial Operations-Ambulatory/Ancillary, and Assistant Chief Financial Officer by VBHS/Tenet Health Systems. Michael has served his community through Leadership Harlingen, Knapp Medical Center Volunteer, Weslaco Chamber of Commerce Volunteer, American Heart Association member and American Cancer Society Member.

A very distinguished physician, Dr. Padmini Bhadriraju, serves as the Chief Medical Officer at Harlingen Medical Center. Dr. Padmini is a board-certified internal medicine physician who has a passion for providing the highest quality of care to the community in the Rio Grande Valley. She is experienced at providing excellent management of chronic diseases for adult and senior patients. She is committed to helping patients, including seniors, in maximizing their potential to achieve a higher quality of life, through optimal healthcare services.

Padmini Bhadriraju, MD Chief Medical Officer

Dr. Padmini previously served as Chief Medical Officer and Hospitalist for Knapp Medical Center in Weslaco. She also serves as a Clinical Assistant Professor for the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston, and as the founder physician for Harmony Internal Medicine and Family Practice in Edinburg.

In addition, Dr. Padmini previously served as a Clinical Instructor at Michigan State University’s College of Human Medicine. She also served needy patients as a relieving physician at a United Nations Development Program clinic in Ghana, West Africa.

Dr. Padmini completed a Residency in Internal Medicine at McLaren Regional Medical Center in Flint, Michigan. She completed an internship and medical school at Andhra Medical College and King George Hospital in Visakhapatnam, India.

Trusted Care. Right Now.

Timely care when your family is most in need

When your family needs emergency care, the patient-friendly Harlingen Medical Center Emergency Room is easily accessible and conveniently located on the Expressway in Harlingen, staffed by experienced, highly-trained emergency physicians and clinical support staff who are ready to care for your loved ones.

The staff of Harlingen Medical Center have built a reputation for providing ER patients with efficient and effective medical care, while being compassionate and supportive during every patient interaction.

The expanded, state-of-the-art Emergency Room at Harlingen Medical Center is designated as a Level IV Trauma Center and offers treatment for severe medical conditions, including heart attack, chest pain, difficulty breathing, fainting or loss of consciousness, orthopedic and other

injuries, automobile accidents, poisoning, seizures, abdominal pain, asthma, cuts, loss of consciousness, garbled speech, vomiting blood, and other serious illnesses and injuries.

Please remember to call 911 immediately during medical emergencies.

Urgent Medical Services:

• Adult and pediatric emergency care.

• Early recognition and treatment of Chest Pain and Cardiac Emergencies.

• Percutaneous Coronary Intervention Capable

• Primary Stroke Center

• Assessment and stabilization of orthopedic injuries.

•

Rapid treatment and support of respiratory emergencies.

• Participation in all area Emergency Medical Services (EMS) ambulance rotations.

A leader in keeping patients safe, while providing the highest-quality care

When it comes to patient safety and quality, Harlingen Medical Center is a leading hospital in the Rio Grande Valley and in the nation. In fact, Harlingen Medical Center received the 2022 Patient Safety Excellence Award™ from Healthgrades -- a distinction that places HMC among the top 5% of all acute care hospitals in the nation for patient safety.

Harlingen Medical Center also received an “A” grade for patient safety in the Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade ratings, for two consecutive years. The “A” grade is a national distinction which recognizes HMC’s achievements in protecting patients from errors, injuries, accidents and infections.

“As our health care system continues to feel the strain of the pandemic, I thank the workforce and leadership of Harlingen Medical Center for sustained commitment to patient safety, day in and day out,” said Leah Binder, president and CEO of The Leapfrog Group, which is based in Washington, D.C.. “An ‘A’ Safety Grade is an outstanding achievement -- and one that is not possible without a 24 / 7 effort by the entire health care workforce to protect patients from harm. This community should be proud.”

“We are honored to have earned a grade A on Leapfrog’s Hospital Safety Score for two years in a row,” said Candi Constantine-Castillo, CEO of Harlingen Medical Center.

Mrs. Constantine-Castillo added that the hospital’s multiple awards are a testament to the work of physicians, nurses and other healthcare professionals who are dedicated to providing “the highest-quality healthcare to residents of the Rio Grande Valley – every patient, every time.”

In addition, Harlingen Medical Center’s parent company, Prime Healthcare, was recently named the recipient of a prestigious national award for improving patient safety and healthcare quality (the John M. Eisenberg Patient Safety and Quality Award, presented by The Joint Commission and National Quality Forum).

Also, in terms of quality healthcare, Harlingen Medical Center has been named as one of the nation’s 50 top cardiovascular hospitals by Fortune and IBM Watson Health – and as one of America’s 100 Best Hospitals™ for Orthopedic Surgery for nine years in a row by the “Becker’s Spine Review” publication.

Providing the High-Quality Screening and Test Results that You & Your Doctor Need

The Radiology and Imaging Department at Harlingen Medical Center provides a full range of important diagnostic imaging services, including multiple-slice computer tomography (CT scan), MRI, 2D and 3D digital mammography, ultrasound (including color doppler, echo cardiology, and non-invasive vascular imaging), nuclear medicine, radiography (including X-rays), and fluoroscopy.

Harlingen Medical Center offers specialized services in several areas, including:

• breast imaging

• cardiovascular radiology

• emergency radiology

• gastrointestinal radiology

• genitourinary radiology

• head and neck radiology

• musculoskeletal radiology

• neuroradiology

• pediatric radiology

• thoracic radiology

In addition, Harlingen Medical Center is home to a very important screening tool for heart disease, the HeartSaver CT Scan, for Valley residents who would like to determine if they may be at risk for heart disease.

The HeartSaver is recommended for anyone who has one or more risk factors for heart disease, including age (women over 55 and men over 45), obesity, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes, family history of heart disease, history of smoking, and being physically inactive.

The HeartSaver exam is a convenient and noninvasive way of evaluating whether you may be at increased risk for a heart attack. The HeartSaver exam provides a score which can indicate calcium or plaque build-up in the coronary arteries. The exam takes little time, causes no pain, and does not require injection of contrast material.

The score correlates with the risk of coronary artery disease (CAD). A low score basically correlates with a low risk of having significant coronary artery disease. An intermediate or high score correlates with coronary disease, possibly with significant obstructive coronary disease. With this test, detection of heart disease is possible before symptoms occur. With this information, the patient’s physician can recommend appropriate treatment, including diet and lifestyle changes, medication, and / or further testing.

Harlingen Medical Center is making this important screening more accessible to Valley residents by offering if for a low cash price of $75. For more information, or to schedule an appointment for a Heart Saver CT scan, please call the outpatient Imaging Center at HMC at (956) 365-1839.

Harlingen Medical Center’s team of highly skilled physicians (radiologists) and experienced, state-certified technologists are available to provide services for both inpatients and outpatients. For more information, please contact Roy Castillo, Director of the HMC Radiology Department & Imaging Center, at 956-365-1039 or at RCastillo2@primehealthcare.com.

Care & treatment to get you back on track

Gastrointestinal care at Harlingen Medical Center is designed to get you back to your regular lifestyle without having to worry about digestive diseases and disorders. We offer a wide range of services and integrate inpatient and outpatient programs and state-of-the-art technology -- along with clinical experts to create the best possible treatment option for you, the patient.

The gastrointestinal system is an extensive network of tubes and specialized organs that allow us to digest our food, remove nutrients and dispose of waste. Because of its complexity and the foreign matter we ingest every day, the system is susceptible to problems.

In fact, nearly 70 million Americans suffer from gastrointestinal disorders, which are responsible for the hospitalization of more people in this

country than any other group of diseases.

From screenings (including important colonoscopy screenings) and diagnosis to advanced treatment and research, gastrointestinal care at Harlingen Medical Center is about providing the highest level of quality care for each and every patient. For more information, please call 956-365-1000.

Community Health & Wellness

Harlingen Medical Center offers health and wellness programs to keep you informed and healthy. For more information, please follow us on social media or call 956-365-1888.

• “Doc Talks” Lecture Series

• Childbirth Classes

• Health Fairs

• Education

MINIMALLY-INVASIVE, MAXIMUM RESULTS.

Surgeons maximize precision with da Vinci® Si HD Surgical System

Harlingen Medical Center is proud to offer patients robotic-assisted surgeries, in which surgeons maximize precision utilizing the da Vinci Si HD Surgical System. This system is designed to further advance the technology used in minimally-invasive surgery in the areas of gynecology, urology, thoracic, cardiac and general surgery.

Physicians at HMC who are specifically-trained and certified on the da Vinci Si HD Surgical System -- together with the state-of-theart robotics technology -- are transforming healthcare, by offering patients more effective minimally-invasive surgery options that result in less trauma on the body and faster recovery times.

The da Vinci technology enables your surgeon to operate with enhanced vision, precision and control. During minimally-invasive surgery, surgeons operate through a few small incisions using long instruments and a tiny camera to

guide them during surgery. The da Vinci Si HD Surgical System features special surgical instruments that bend and rotate far more than is possible with the human hand.

The surgeon sits at a console and performs the procedure using a magnified vision system, which gives your physician a 3D HD view inside your body.

Robotic-assisted surgery with the da Vinci Si HD Surgical System offers the following potential benefits compared to other methods:

Shorter hospital stay

Less pain

Less blood loss

Fewer complications

Smaller incision, resulting in less scarring

Faster return to daily activities

Your surgeon remains in control of the procedure 100% of time; the robotic device only assists the surgeon.

Healing feet and toes, saving limbs, preventing amputations

The Wound Healing Center at Harlingen Medical Center is helping to save limbs and prevent amputations for many patients with difficult, nonhealing wounds -- which are often made worse by diabetes and other conditions.

The Wound Healing Center features expert care for a full spectrum of wound care services, ranging from hyperbaric oxygen therapy to “debridement”, which removes damaged tissue and promotes the growth of underlying healthy tissue.

Board-certified wound care physicians and a highly-trained staff focus on accelerating the wound healing process by using the newest and most successful treatments and technologies available – including products with “growth factors”, so the skin can grow again and cover and close the wound.

Patients undergo a thorough diagnostic examination to identify the type of wound they have, along with underlying problems causing the wound. After this, a program specifically tailored to each patient’s individualized needs is initiated, based on the most effective treatment options.

One of the goals of the Wound Healing Center at Harlingen Medical Center is a quick turn-around time in treating wounds -- so that patients can leave with better outcomes. “We are going to heal the patient as fast as possible,” said Mary Wallace, RN

Director of the Wound Healing Center at HMC. “We try to use all of the technology and tools available to us -- so that our patients can get back to their lives.”

“It’s very rewarding to see what somebody comes in with … and the incredible difference it makes when we are able to heal them,” Mrs. Wallace added.

To learn more about the Wound Healing Center at Harlingen Medical Center, please call (956) 425-4325, email Mary Wallace at MWallace@primehealthcare.com, or visit our Wound Healing Center page.

Dr. Jose Rodriguez, Medical Director, Wound Healing Center at HMC

Dr. Roselle C. Pettorino, Wound Care Physician

Dr. Prasad J. Pilli, Wound Care Physician

Dr. Luis Venegas, Wound Care Physician

Giving Valley residents a new lease on life

Living healthier … for some, taking that path begins with losing weight. It may not be easy, but it can be done. And, for a certain group of people, surgical weight loss can be a launching pad for a new, healthier life.

Weight loss will assist patients in becoming more active physically, and improving their overall quality of life.

The Weight Loss Center at Harlingen Medical Center offers the gastric bypass and gastric sleeve surgeries, as well as a non-surgical option, the intragastric balloon outpatient procedure. Weight loss procedures are designed to alter the anatomy of a patient’s stomach, limiting their ability to take in food.

The ideal candidate for surgical weight loss is someone who is 100 pounds or more over their ideal weight; and suffers from co-morbidities, such as diabetes, high blood pressure, and/or osteo-arthritis.

Surgical weight loss can improve the health status of a patient, in many cases – especially if the patient follows specific dietary, exercise and vitamin instructions after the surgery. In some instances, surgical weight loss has been shown to reduce blood pressure and / or eliminate diabetes.

The Weight Loss Surgery Center at

Harlingen Medical Center

The Weight Loss Center at Harlingen Medical Center offers multi-disciplinary support before, during, and after surgery. In many cases, the program and resources -- combined with the highly-experienced surgeons and staff at Harlingen Medical Center – can give patients their best opportunity for successful long-term weight loss and improved health.

Those who would like more information -including upcoming dates for free information seminars on weight loss -- may contact Lisa De La Fuente, RN, BSN, Program Coordinator for The Weight Loss Center at Harlingen Medical Center, at 956-365-1888 or 956-792-9960; or at larnold2@primehealthcare.com.

FREE Weight Loss Surgery Seminar

Find out why people all over the Rio Grande Valley choose to have their procedure done at Harlingen Medical Center.

Care & support for Valley families during their happiest moments!

Families preparing for the birth of a child will find a warm welcome at the Women’s Center at Harlingen Medical Center, where experienced obstetrician - gynecologists and a team of caring nurses provide individualized and compassionate care in a family-centered environment.

At Harlingen Medical Center, we strive to make the birthing experience the best possible experience for mom and the whole family. In doing so, we try to keep care one-to-one between our speciallytrained registered nurses and the new mother. This is personalized care -- with the same nurse caring for the same patient as long as possible.

Harlingen Medical Center’s clinical team is neonatal-certified and highly-skilled in women’s healthcare, offering hospitality and an awardwinning level of care for mothers and babies. HMC is committed to excellence while caring for a broad range of women’s health issues, from the child-bearing years through menopause.

The aesthetically-pleasing Women’s Center at HMC features six home-like labor and delivery rooms, private post-partum suites (including a very special VIP room), a 21-bassinet Level II newborn nursery,

two state-of-the-art obstetrics and gynecological operating suites, and a classroom for childbirth and breast-feeding classes. HMC is designated as a Level II Maternal Center by the Texas Department of State Health Services.

As part of our efforts to encourage breastfeeding, Harlingen Medical Center teaches mothers about “skin-to-skin” breastfeeding during the “golden hour,” the first hour after the baby is born. This also helps to make bonding closer between mom and baby. At HMC, there is continuous support for breastfeeding from all of our nurses, because it is a learning process.

You’re invited to come see the Women’s Center at HMC for yourself ! For a free tour, or to learn more about our services or educational classes, please call (956) 365-1139 or contact Ursula Villarreal, RN, Director of the Women’s Center at uvillarreal@primehealthcare.com; or visit our Women’s Center page.

Delivering

at Harlingen Medical Center

The birth of a child is perhaps the most sacred moment in a woman’s life. Where you choose to have your baby is an important choice. To ensure that you have a wonderful and memorable experience, choose Harlingen Medical Center.

Nationally recognized for their clinical excellence in Maternity Care, Harlingen Medical Center, o ers caring, experienced sta , beautiful surroundings and state-of-the-art technology to make parenthood as wonderful as possible.

a quick look at why every year thousands of families choose Harlingen Medical Center:

• Experienced RN sta

• Family-centered approach- we encourage the support of husbands or support persons during childbirth. Grandparents, siblings, other family and friends are welcome visitors following baby’s birth

• 6 spacious Labor/Delivery/Recovery rooms open to couples anticipating a vaginal birth

• Two operating rooms conveniently located in Labor and Delivery if your baby is delivered by cesarean section.

Harlingen Medical Center

• Celebratory dinner to celebrate your little one’s arrival.

• Parent education- a full range of childbirth and newborn classes. In-house breastfeeding classes are o ered by our certi ed lactation consultant.

Mommy’s

Harlingen, TX

Your Hospital, Your Delivery

The award-winning Women’s Center at Harlingen Medical Center is committed to providing excellence in healthcare for women beginning with the miraculous childbearing experience. Our maternity home suite combines the comfort of knowing you have chosen an award-winning medical facility with a touch of luxury to create the memory of a lifetime.

Maternity Home Suite Amenities

Helping patients to walk and move again without pain

Many Rio Grande Valley patients with arthritis and other conditions are being empowered to be able to walk again without pain, though award-winning orthopedic care at Harlingen Medical Center.

Patients who have severe pain due to damage to the knee or hip joint, and whose activities and function are limited because of that pain, may be candidates for knee or hip replacement surgery at Harlingen Medical Center -- which is recognized as one of America’s 100 Best Hospitals™ for Orthopedic Surgery. Harlingen Medical Center has won the orthopedics award for nine years in a row (2014 through 2022) from Healthgrades, a national company which specializes in information about healthcare

Because of this outstanding accomplishment, Harlingen Medical Center was the only hospital in the Valley – and one of only two hospitals in the whole state of Texas -- to be recognized for winning the award for at least three years in a row in a national publication, “Becker’s Spine Review”.

The hospital’s multiple awards are a testament to the work of physicians, nurses and other healthcare professionals who are dedicated to providing “the highest-quality healthcare to residents of the Rio Grande Valley – every patient, every time,” said Candi Constantine-Castillo, CEO of Harlingen Medical Center.

Orthopedic surgeons at Harlingen Medical Center offer an array of procedures, including joint

replacement (including knee and hip surgery), hip fracture repair, neck and spine surgery, arthroscopic and minimally-invasive surgery, sports medicine, and hand and shoulder surgery.

For more information on award-winning orthopedic care in the Valley, please consult your physician, call 956-365-1000 or 956-255-8678 and visit https://www. harlingenmedicalcenter.com/our-services/ orthopedic/ and www.rgvorthocare.com/.

Harlingen Medical Center

Just like fingerprints, no two knees are the same. With Mako Robotic-Arm Assisted surgery at Harlingen Medical Center, each knee procedure is fully customized to you.

Makoplasty partial and total knee procedures are planned with 3-D model of your knee and performed with proven, highly accurate robotic arm technology. This innovative new technology selectively targets the damaged part of your knee while helping to spare the healthy bone and ligaments surrounding it.

Harlingen Medical

Stephanie Baker, MD Welcomes to OrthoCare

Dr. Stephanie Baker is an Orthopedic Surgeon specializing in joint replacement. She received her B.S. in Bioinformatics at Baylor and earned her Medical Degree from Texas Tech University in 2010. Dr. Baker completed her Orthopedic Surgery Residency at UT Southwestern in Dallas in 2015.

When Dr. Baker’s not in the office or the Operating Suite, she enjoys outdoor activities with her husband such as hiking and kayaking, and playing with their Vizsla.

Stephanie Baker, MD Orthopaedic Surgeon

Her dedication to patient centered care make her a great addition to our OthroCare team, where she will work alongside Dr. Jose Cobos to provide care to patients in the Rio Grande Valley.

The most experienced cardiologists in the Valley to care for your heart

Rio Grande Valley residents and visitors are very fortunate to have access to an award-winning Cardiovascular Center at Harlingen Medical Center, which is recognized as one of the most highly-respected heart centers in Texas and across the nation. Led by some of the most distinguished cardiologists and cardiovascular surgeons in South Texas, Harlingen Medical Center was named as one of the nation’s 50 top cardiovascular hospitals by Fortune and IBM Watson Health.

Every day, the highly-skilled and experienced cardiologists, electro-physiologists, cardiothoracic surgeons, and specialized cardiovascular teams at Harlingen Medical Center are helping to save the lives of South Texas patients and visitors who need

interventional cardiac catheterization procedures or cardiothoracic surgery.

The Cardiovascular Center at Harlingen Medical Center provides minimally-invasive diagnostic testing and treatment, as well as advanced cardiac and vascular interventions, such as angioplasty, stenting, cardiac ablation, open-heart surgery, minimally-invasive heart valve repair and replacement, coronary artery bypass graft, thoracic aneurysm repair, and abdominal aortic aneurysm repair.

To learn more about the Cardiovascular Center at Harlingen Medical Center, please call (956) 365-1042