"Breakthroughs" Segments on KHOU

Through a partnership with Memorial Hermann, KHOU Channel 11 presented weekly segments featuring breakthrough medicine, ground-breaking technology, unique processes and new partnerships at each of our facilities. Watch the segments by clicking any of the links below.

For more information, call 713.222.CARE (2273).

excelERate Offers Quicker Service in the Emergency Room

There’s something very different about the Emergency Center at Memorial Hermann Memorial City Medical Center  – it’s calm and quiet with no crowded waiting rooms.

Patients often turn to emergency rooms in their greatest time of need. But it is not uncommon to hear of patients waiting for three or more hours to be seen, depending on their situation.

In fact, it is a major source of patient dissatisfaction with many hospitals. But a new Memorial Hermann program is changing that.

It’s part of an innovative treatment model called excelERate that is being implemented by Jorge Trujillo, M.D., emergency services director at Memorial City.

His goal is to have every patient seen within five minutes and seen by a doctor within 15 minutes.

“The patients are being seen by a physician within five to 10 minutes of the time they arrive,” said Dr. Trujillo. “Once we’ve seen the patient, we decide if they need an X-ray or certain medication, and if they need certain laboratory services. Or we may decide the patient only needs a prescription.

“Our patient satisfaction and likelihood of recommendation to return to this Emergency Center has skyrocketed. In the last month, we were in the 99th percentile, which – for a facility that receives almost 40,000 patients annually – is an incredible turnaround from where we started.”

Because excelERate has proved so successful as a pilot program, it is now being implemented at many other Memorial Hermann hospitals.

Learn more about the program.

View the Breakthroughs segment.