Hello,
The first quarter of 2024 is almost over, and before we turn the calendar to April 1, I’d like you to join me in thinking about the wonderful physicians you and your family have encountered over the years. National Doctors' Day is celebrated each year on March 30, but I believe that the work that they do, day in and day out, deserves recognition throughout the year. We have more than 380 employed and 1,600 clinically aligned network providers, and more than 21,000 employees, providers, and interns associated with St. Luke’s Health, each providing and contributing to outstanding patient care. Below, you’ll find some recent stories of their compassionate and exceptional care.
When Dr. Gabriel Loor and other doctors at Baylor St. Luke's Medical Center were referred a patient from Honolulu who couldn't get the double lung transplant he needed, they arranged a medical flight to Baylor St. Luke’s Medical Center. After a six-hour surgery, Dr. Loor said the new lungs made a dramatic difference for 54-year-old Benjamin Calimbas. "It was almost like changing a battery," the surgeon said. "Once he had that, he was up, he was sitting in a chair, then walking."
Parkinson's disease brought a couple together. Brain surgery is the next chapter in their love story. At just 37 years old, a Parkinson’s disease diagnosis and divine intervention put Allison Toepperwein on a path to remarkable athletic achievements and the love of her life, another young person with the disease. Now married, Allison and Steven recently underwent deep brain stimulation together at Baylor St. Luke's Medical Center. The successful procedures gave the couple the ability to take less medication and reduced their symptoms.
Kim Denkins thought it was just indigestion, but in reality, she was having a massive heart attack. Shortly after being transported via ambulance to Baylor St. Luke’s Medical Center, Dr. Dhaval Parekh found nearly 100% blockage in Denkins’ right coronary artery and 80% blockage in the left anterior descending artery. It took just 46 minutes from the time Denkins arrived at the emergency room door to when blood flow was restored to her heart. As a result, there was no damage to her heart muscle, Dr. Parekh said.
Crystal Horn has more than proved the point that early detection is cancer’s worst enemy. When she noticed a lump in her lower abdomen, she wasted no time. Eight days later, she was in surgery for ovarian cancer at the Dan L Duncan Comprehensive Cancer Center at Baylor St. Luke's Medical Center, under the care of Tracilyn Hall, MD, assistant professor of gynecologic oncology at Baylor College of Medicine. Seven months later, Crystal was cancer-free.
Triple-negative breast cancer is an aggressive tumor with a poor prognosis and limited therapeutic targets. Still, Baylor St. Luke's researchers in the Dan L Duncan Comprehensive Cancer Center have found that targeting the protein eIF4A shows promise for more effective treatment.
St. Luke’s Health has awarded $973,500 in grants to nonprofits in the communities it serves in Greater Houston, East Texas, and the Brazos Valley. The grants, through the CommonSpirit Health Community Health Improvement Grants program, are dedicated to improving the health and well-being of vulnerable and underserved populations.
I would love to hear from you about what topics are most interesting and will help you keep your colleagues and employees better informed about their healthcare options. I am very proud of the work we do at St. Luke’s Health and I am always looking for more ways to share the news about our wonderful facilities and tremendous physicians. If you’re ever interested in finding some time to talk, please reach out to me at [email protected].
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