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excellence has provided a way for us to address this issue in collaboration with our physicians, and our close working relationship with our physicians has been integral to our journey." A History of Growth As the most preferred and trusted healthcare provider in San Antonio, the Methodist Healthcare System has been recognized by the community for its outstanding team of nurses, medical professionals and physicians for more than 50 years. Since opening its first hospital in 1963, Methodist Healthcare has expanded its vision of world-class health care to residents of San Antonio and the 26 surrounding counties and to patients from around the world. Methodist Healthcare is the fifth- largest healthcare system in the country and the largest healthcare provider in South and Central Texas, with 27 facili- ties, including nine acute care hospitals serving more than 90,000 inpatients and 390,000 outpatients annually. Innovation has played an important role in Methodist Healthcare's develop- ment. The system's ownership structure is a 50/50 co-ow nersh ip bet ween not-for-profit Methodist Healthcare Ministries and investor-owned Hospital Corporation of America (HCA), a truly unique business model for hea lt h systems in the countr y. Methodist Hea lthcare Ministries is a private, faith-based, not-for-profit organiza- tion dedicated to providing medical and health-related human services to low-income families and the uninsured in South Texas. Methodist Healthcare Ministries is second only to the govern- ment in providing health care to the indigent population in a 26-county area. HCA, based in Tennessee, is the nation's leading provider of healthcare services, composed of 163 hospitals and 105 freestanding surgery centers in 20 states and England. A Journey to Excellence Methodist Healthcare's mission is "ser ving humanity to honor God by providing exceptional and cost-effective health care accessible to all." Led by the Methodist Excellence culture, the more than 8,000 staff and volunteers, combined with a medical staff of more than 2,500, dedicate themselves to continuous quality improvement by committing to live by the Methodist Excellence mission, vision and values. "Methodist Excellence is the founda- tion of all aspects of the healthcare system, from the hiring process to the strategic planning process," Wesolowski says. " This commitment to qua lit y a nd process improvement enables Methodist Healthcare to provide better service and outcomes to our patients. The Methodist Delivers Evidence-based, Quality- focused Patient Safety Measures E xc e l l enc e I nitiativ e COV ER FE AT UR E Jaime Wesolowski, President and CEO, Methodist Healthcare E XCE LLE NCE IS A journey, not a destination, and Methodist He a lt hc a re Sy stem i n Sa n A ntonio is using its awa rd- winning Methodist Excellence initiative to establish best practices that save lives. "Our vision is one of being a world- class healthcare provider, continually raising the standards of performance excellence and advancing the health status of the community," says Jaime Wesolow sk i, P resident a nd CEO, Methodist Healthcare. "In the health- care industry, we are all facing the same cost pressures. Whether a hospital or physician, we must provide high-quality care at a lower cost. Our journey to 6 | San Antonio MD NEWS ■ M D N E W S . CO M