The Methodist Hospital

The Methodist Hospital is a hospital located in the Texas Medical Center in Houston, Texas. Established in 1919 as an outreach ministry of The United Methodist Church, Methodist is one of the most comprehensive teaching hospitals in the United States, with leading specialists in every field of medicine. The hospital has consistently ranked as "One of America's Best Hospitals" according to U.S. News and World Report. The hospital has earned worldwide recognition in multiple specialties including cardiovascular surgery, cancer and epilepsy treatment and organ transplatation.

Primarily affiliated with Weill Medical College of Cornell University and New York-Presbyterian Hospital, the hospital directs millions of research dollars into patient care and offers the latest innovations in medical, surgical and diagnostic techniques. The hospital also has affilitions with The Menninger Clinic, and Baylor College of Medicine.

The Methodist Hospital system was named one of "Fortune 100 Best Companies to Work For" in 2006 and ranked ninth in the "Top 10 Companies to Work For" in 2007 according to Fortune Magazine.

History
Originally located near downtown Houston, the hospital relocated to the Texas Medical Center and opened a 300 bed facility in 1951.

Surgeon Michael DeBakey performed the first removal of a carotid artery blockage (1950); the first aorto-coronary bypass surgery (1964); the first use of a ventricular assist device to pump blood and support a diseased heart (1966); and some of the first U.S. heart transplants (1968 and 1969) at the hospital.

Howard Hughes died en route to the hospital on April 5, 1976 on an airplane that departed Mexico.

The Methodist Hospital System, consisting of the existing Texas Medical Center facility and several newly constructed regional hospitals, was established in 1996 to extend Methodist’s health services beyond the Texas Medical Center and into communities throughout Houston.

Research
Methodist’s reputation for excellence in patient care and its commitment to improving patient outcomes represent a significant motivation in the development of The Methodist Hospital Research Institute, Methodist DeBakey Heart Center and Methodist Neurological Institute.

The Methodist Hospital, the University of Houston, and Weill Medical College of Cornell University jointly founded the Institute for Biomedical Imaging Science. The institute will create interdisciplinary programs in biomedical imaging and will develop joint training programs to produce basic and applied scientists.

Hospital system
Beginning in the 1990s, The Methodist Hospital opened community hospitals in the areas surrounding Houston. As of October 12, 2006, hospital locations include the Willowbrook area of north Houston and the communities of Sugar Land and Baytown.