Community hospitals offer quality care and convenience By George Kovacik
Cindy Dworaczyk’s life turned upside down when she heard the word. “Incurable.” She thought she was going to die within a couple of months. Now, two years later, Zworaczyk reflects on that life-changing moment and says her faith, determination and the expert medical care she received at Methodist Sugar Land Hospital are what saved her. For two months after being diagnosed with inflammatory breast cancer, a rare and aggressive form of the disease, Dworaczyk stopped at Methodist Sugar Land Cancer Center on her way to work where she received a dose of radiation. “I had the opportunity to go to a hospital in the medical center for treatment early on, but the care and compassion I received at Methodist Sugar Land was second-to-none,” she says. She calls the conveniences of Methodist Sugar Land Hospital a blessing. From free proximal parking to avoiding Houston traffic — these all-important amenities lessened her stress at a time when her cancer fueled enormous anxiety. “I never would have made it through the treatments if I would have had to drive to the Texas Medical Center every day,” she says. “The stress alone would have killed me before the cancer did.” Dworaczyk and thousands of patients around the greater Houston area have learned that The Methodist Hospital System®’s network of community hospitals — Methodist Sugar Land,
Methodist Willowbrook and San Jacinto Methodist — offer patients the ability to receive state-of-the-art care close to home. Last year alone, the three hospitals collectively logged nearly 400,000 patient visits.
“ Our collaborative approach is personalized to meet each patient’s needs.” “Patients who go to Methodist’s community cancer centers are treated by oncologists and staff with years of training and experience,” says Dr. Kathy Shadle, medical director of the Methodist Willowbrook Cancer Center, located in northwest Harris County. “Our collaborative approach is personalized to meet each patient’s needs. From wellness programs focused on nutrition and stress relief to advanced medical therapies, patients benefit from our comprehensive services.” San Jacinto Methodist’s cancer center, which is located in Baytown, offers a number of support programs — Road to Recovery, Reach to Recovery, Look Good Feel Better and Dialogue Support Group — and provides a complementary consultation with ancillary staff such as dietitians and hospital clergy.
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