CTMC now offering Wellness Network channels
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
February 6, 2013
FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT:
Rachel Nelson 512-753-3616
CTMC NOW OFFERING WELLNESS NETWORK CHANNELS
SAN MARCOS, TX – Keeping patients informed about health-related topics is one way Central Texas Medical Center (CTMC) extends its mission. Recently, CTMC began offering patient television channels that can be viewed in hospital rooms during a patient’s stay, and the programming is available on demand via the Internet after they are released from the hospital.
“Offering these channels strengthens the quality and safety of our patients’ environment inside the hospital and beyond,” said CTMC Executive Director of PR/Marketing Clay DeStefano. “With the education provided through the Wellness Network, patients are better able to make informed decisions related to their health care.”
Currently, CTMC offers two channels from the Wellness Network: the Patient Channel and the Newborn Channel. While in the hospital, patients can flip to channel 9 to access the adult patient education channel, which addresses topics such as hospital infection, patient safety, preventative health measures and medical conditions such as diabetes, depression, heart disease and more.
The Newborn Channel can be found in-hospital on channels 11 and 12, where it is available in English and Spanish. It delivers essential newborn and parenting information to help prepare new moms in areas including infant and mom care, siblings and family living, work-life balance and more.
All content on the patient education channels is aligned with standards set by The Joint Commission, which accredits and certifies more than 19,000 health care institutions and organizations in the United States.
With the online feature, patients can access both channels 24-7 in English and Spanish by logging in with a hospital specific password. The networks are compatible with all personal computing devices including smartphones, laptops and tablets, and viewers are able search for programs alphabetically or by category. The technology also allows the nursing staff to promote and prescribe programs to patients before, during and after hospitalization. After viewing a program, the user has the option to print a program specific viewing certificate.
For more information about services offered at CTMC, and to access a calendar of healthy living classes, visit www.ctmc.org.
About CTMC
The hospital, which originated in 1923 as Hays County Soldiers, Sailors and Marines Memorial Hospital, was restructured in 1960. The present facility was opened at its current Wonder World Drive location in 1983. The CTMC staff of more than 700 employees works with more than 220 active and consulting physicians to provide quality services to patients and their families. In addition, over 200 community members and interns from area educational institutions volunteer their services to the hospital. In 2010 and again in 2011, CTMC was named The Best Hospital in Hays County. In addition, CTMC added a certified Chest Pain Center to its ER capabilities in 2011. In 2012, CTMC became the first operating room along the IH-35 corridor between Austin and San Antonio to be equipped with a da Vinci robotic-assisted surgery suite.
CTMC is a member of the Adventist Health System (AHS), a not-for-profit healthcare organization that emphasizes Christ at the center of care. Founded in 1973, AHS has quickly grown to become the largest not-for-profit Protestant healthcare provider in the nation. Today, AHS supports 43 hospitals and employs 55,000 individuals. AHS hospitals are comprised of 7,700 licensed beds, providing care for 4 million patients each year in inpatient, outpatient and emergency room visits.
