Hendrick Health

The holiday season is a good time to remember the generosity of Ida and Thomas Gould “T.G.” Hendrick, the healthcare system’s namesake. The Depression that gripped the nation created financial difficulties for West Texas Baptist Sanitarium a decade after it opened. A $100,000 contribution from the Hendricks enabled the hospital to not only avoid bankruptcy and pay off its debt, but also add a much-needed four-story East Wing. Fittingly, in 1936 the facility became Hendrick Memorial Hospital. Their gift was foundational in securing local, accessible healthcare to the Abilene community. #Hendrick100 Hendrick100.org

Last night, we celebrated Christmas with the Abilene Young Professionals. Members and their families enjoyed decorating cookies, pictures with Santa, making ornaments and learning about Hendrick Health's 100-year history.

Congratulations to Dr. Jaxon Jordan and team on performing his 100th cochlear implant surgery! This milestone represents life-changing moments for patients who now have improved hearing. To learn more about cochlear implants, visit b.link/92waeb3r.

Last night, we continued our celebration of Hendrick Health's 100-year history with a special presentation and launch of our new centennial book. Abilene historian Jay Moore and author of "Hendrick Health: A Century of Healing Ministry," highlighted milestones found throughout the book to more than 275 people, many of whom are featured in its pages. Thank you to the men and women who lived out the mission of Hendrick Health making it what it is today.

Congratulations to the Hendrick Health neurosurgery team, led by Dr. Kristopher Lyon and Dr. Leslie Hutchins, on successfully performing its first deep brain stimulation procedure. This groundbreaking surgery improves the movement symptoms for patients with Parkinson’s Disease and essential tremor. We are proud to support innovative care and advancements that make a difference in our patients’ lives.

Hendrick Health is proud to recognize #NationalRuralHealthDay and celebrate the #PowerOfRural in support of rural hospitals and physician clinics who work tirelessly to provide quality healthcare to their communities. Rural healthcare providers face growing challenges daily, yet they continue to deliver higher quality and more robust healthcare services than ever before. Today, only 10 percent of our population lives in rural Texas, but rural Texas accounts for almost 90 percent of the state’s landmass. That means Hendrick Health’s 24-county service area is roughly the size of the entire state of West Virginia. Hendrick Health’s partnership with 18 hospitals and dozens of rural health clinics spans the West Central Texas region - stretching from Aspermont, Knox City and Haskell to the north, to Brady and Lampasas to the south, to Colorado City and Snyder to the west and to Breckenridge, Eastland and Comanche to the east. On behalf of Hendrick Health employees, we appreciate you and thank you for the tremendous work you do for patients in the region. 

Recently, Hendrick Health employees joined local business leaders and fellow nonprofit organizations at Community Foundation of Abilene’s annual luncheon. Community Foundation of Abilene supports local nonprofits, provides scholarships to hometown graduates and helps families strategically reinvest back into the Big Country and the surrounding region. At Hendrick, we appreciate CFA’s partnership in building a better, healthier community. 

Congratulations, Pam!

This week, we broke ground on the new Hendrick Clinic Gastroenterology and Hendrick Endoscopy Center. This 24,700-square-foot facility is the first of several key Centennial Expansion initiatives. An existing building will be renovated and expanded for the physician clinic, while the endoscopy center will be all new construction. By moving routine endoscopy and GI cases out of the hospital, more space will be freed up for other patient procedures. As Hendrick Health continues to meet the growing needs of our region, we remain committed to creating easier access to care for our patients and their families.

Congratulations to our structural heart team for completing the first minimally invasive tricuspid edge-to-edge repair (TEER) procedure at Hendrick Health and in the region. The Abbott TriClip™ System is the first-of-its-kind device to treat patients with severe tricuspid regurgitation (TR), a disorder in which the valve between the two right heart chambers does not close properly. TR is often debilitating, causing symptoms such as shortness of breath and fatigue, and when left untreated, may progress into conditions such as atrial fibrillation and heart failure. Traditionally, the only treatment option for TR has been surgery. Visit hendrickhealth.org to learn more about the innovative heart and vascular services available at Hendrick Health.