Memorial Hermann | Rockets Orthopedics

Dr. Hal Altman (Host): Welcome to Advancing health, Personalizing care. At Memorial Hermann, this is our mission. This podcast explores the science and stories behind those efforts. I'm your host, Dr. Hal Altman. Today, we will be speaking to Mr. Tim Couture, Vice President of the Orthopedic Service Line at Memorial Hermann. Mr. Couture will be discussing the partnership between Memorial Hermann and the Houston Rockets. We will explore the significance and impact of this new partnership on the orthopedic care that Memorial Hermann is able to bring to the entire community, athletes and the general public alike.

Tim, it's a pleasure to welcome you to the podcast.

Tim Couture, VP, Ortho Service Line (Guest): Thank you. Pleasure to be here.

Host: Before we get into the specifics on the partnership, Tim, can you introduce yourself and tell us about your role at Memorial Hermann.

Tim Couture: Sure. So my name, as Hal mentioned, is Tim Couture. I'm the Vice-President of the Orthopedic Service Line, as well as our Sports Medicine and Rehabilitation team. So, what that entails is strategy and growth for the orthopedic programming at Memorial Hermann and operational oversight of our sports medicine and rehabilitation portfolio of business across the entire Houston Metro area.

Host: That's great. Thanks for that overview. Please tell us more about the Orthopedic and Sports Medicine Program at Memorial Hermann, what is included in the program and what specific services and treatments are provided.

Tim Couture: Certainly. So we have a little over 120 orthopedic surgeons within our orthopedic network affiliated with Memorial Hermann Hospital. Memorial Hermann has an academic partner as well as several private groups in the market that are aligned and clinically integrated with Memorial Hermann Orthopedic Service Line. Some of the subspecialties that we offer within the orthopedic service line includes sports medicine care. We have affiliated total joint physicians across the Houston area. Other subspecialties include foot and ankle, pediatric orthopedics, as well as pediatric scoliosis. We have hand orthopedic oncology, as well as we even cover osseointegration with the Orthopedic Service Line programs. So, a full complement of subspecialties across the entire Houston area.

And then on the rehabilitation side, Memorial Hermann has 40 outpatient Sports Medicine and Rehabilitation facilities. Six of those facilities are what we call our Sports Medicine Institutes. We also have an outreach athletic training team that works with over 50 high schools and provides over 20,000 school physicals a year. Our collegiate affiliates include the University of Houston, Houston Baptist University, Sam Houston State University and St. Thomas University.

Memorial Hermann's Sports Medicine program has a research department as well as a sports and orthopedic residency program, an OT hand fellowship program as well as a D1 sports fellowship in partnership with the University of Houston. So all of that is a comprehensive look at our entire orthopedic and sports medicine portfolio.

Host: That's a very impressive and comprehensive program. So why did Memorial Hermann decide to partner with the Houston Rockets?

Tim Couture: Sure. Yeah. This partnership is an excellent opportunity to join together two industry leaders for the benefit of the Houston community. Both the Houston Rockets and the NBA believe in the expertise that Memorial Hermann's orthopedic program provides. We provide high-quality health care services to the players. And we also work to ensure that patients are aware of the services available to them throughout the Greater Houston area.

Host: And does Memorial Hermann still have a relationship with IRONMAN?

Tim Couture: We have ended our relationship with IRONMAN. The new partnership with the Houston Rockets supports our goals of providing comprehensive, patient-centered care and delivering the best possible outcomes and patient experience to adults and children throughout the community. The existing Memorial Hermann Ironman Sports Medicine Institute locations will remain open and serve patients without interruption. We will be changing signage to reflect our new partnership with the Houston Rockets as well as other brand affiliated products as well.

Host: So why is it important to have a brand other than Memorial Hermann associated with the Orthopedic Service Line?

Tim Couture: While we know that Memorial Hermann's name carries significant weight and credibility, we also think it's important to differentiate ourselves in a market that has several health care systems offering orthopedic services. We believe we provide a different, more comprehensive, innovative and personalized offering for all orthopedic health care needs. And therefore, I think it's important to demonstrate that to our patients by having our name stand out among the crowd as well.

Host: Specifically, what does this mean to patients?

Tim Couture: While our name has changed, the care we provide will remain the same. Patients will receive the same high- quality orthopedic care that is the core of Memorial Hermann, from physical therapy for broken bones to joint replacement surgery. Our affiliated specialists are leaders in orthopedic and sports medicine, bringing leading-edge capabilities for a broad range of medical needs.

Host: Does this mean that Memorial Hermann | Rockets Orthopedics only caters to athletes?

Tim Couture: No. Memorial Hermann is partnering with the Houston Rockets, but our orthopedic care is for everyone. No athletic ability is required. We are uniquely qualified to care for athletes, but we are dedicated to taking care of all orthopedic concerns for children and adults of all physical abilities.

Host: Well, thanks to you, Tim, and to our audience for participating in today's Advancing health, Personalizing care at Memorial Hermann.

Listeners can gain more information about Memorial Hermann | Rockets Orthopedics by visiting our website at www.memorialhermann.org/ortho-rockets.

Goodbye and thanks again for listening to Advancing health, Personalizing care at Memorial Hermann.