TEMPLE, Texas (FOX 44) – Temple’s Baylor Scott & White Medical Center is celebrating its 125th anniversary!

The company said that what started with a handshake and a clinic partnership has evolved into a nationally-recognized hospital and the largest academic medical program at Baylor Scott & White Health.

It all started in 1897, when Arthur C. Scott Sr., MD, and Raleigh R. White Jr., MD, formed a joint private practice clinic with high standards of care and a commitment to excellence. In 1904, the pair opened Temple Sanitarium and Temple Sanitarium Training School for Nurses. Temple Sanitarium became Scott & White Hospital in 1922. On the hospital’s 50th anniversary in 1954, it was announced that 340 acres was purchased for a new hospital facility. Once completed in December 1963, Scott & White Memorial Hospital moved to its current site – known as “The Hill.”

Growing the Legacy

From 1963 to 1999, Scott & White formed academic partnerships with the University of Mary Hardin Baylor and Texas A&M College of Medicine, and experienced robust growth. In 2000, Scott & White clinic, Scott & White hospital and Scott & White Health Plan merged into the Scott & White Health System – the start of a new era for Central Texas healthcare.

In 2011, the doors to the free-standing children’s hospital, Baylor Scott & White McLane Children’s Medical Center, opened to serve the rapidly increasing population in Central Texas. Baylor Scott & White McLane Children’s has maintained Level IV neonatal intensive care unit designation – the highest designation for premature infant care – and has achieved Magnet® nursing designation and a Level II pediatric trauma designation.

In 2014, Baylor Scott & White McLane Children’s expanded pediatric services with the opening of the 112,000-square-foot specialty clinic. Now covering 40 pediatric specialties, the medical staff provides care to thousands of patients annually and has a service area of up to 30,000 square miles across Texas.

The Scott & White Health System merged with Baylor Health Care System in 2013 for a shared vision of quality healthcare. Baylor Scott & White says it serves patients with the same dedication to excellence that drove Drs. Scott and White to create the clinic in Central Texas 125 years ago.

At the time of the merger, the new not-for-profit entity consisted of 43 hospitals, more than 500 patient care sites, more than 6,000 providers, 34,000 employees and the Scott & White Health Plan. Since 2013, Baylor Scott & White Health has grown to 51 hospitals and more than 1,100 access points.

The company says the Temple medical center continues to reach milestones, open and announce new facilities and affiliations, and strengthen its ability to offer quality care close to home.

• In 2020, Baylor Scott & White and Baylor College of Medicine announced an affiliation to enhance the organizations’ impact on the statewide effort to train more physicians. Additionally, the affiliation will allow for opportunities to expand research and program development, with the goal of improving health and healthcare for Texans. The 20-year relationship is anchored by the development of a progressive four-year regional medical school in Temple, where Baylor College of Medicine will offer a curriculum highlighted by an approach that fully integrates health system and university resources to deliver adaptive and personalized medical education.
  
• In 2022, Baylor Scott & White – Temple was recognized as a 2022 Fortune/Merative 100 Top Hospital and among the 15 Top Major Teaching Hospitals in the United States. Baylor Scott & White – Temple ranked No. 5 in the country and No. 1 in Texas, respectively, outperforming 2,549 peers on indicators such as clinical outcomes, operational efficiencies, patient experience and financial health.
  
• The American College of Surgeons Trauma Quality Improvement Program has recognized Baylor Scott & White – Temple among the top 10% of Level 1 trauma centers in North America. The medical center has earned a first decile ranking in overall trauma care for mortality and major complications for the fourth straight semi-annual report, dating back to fall 2019.
  
• The 2022 U.S. News & World Report “Best Hospitals” list ranked Baylor Scott & White – Temple No. 5 in Texas for medical expertise and good outcomes, with a national top 10% ranking for high-performing medical specialties, including cardiology and heart surgery, gastroenterology and GI surgery, orthopedics, pulmonology and lung surgery, and urology.
  
• In April of 2022, Baylor Scott & White Glenda Tanner Vasicek Cancer Treatment Center – Temple opened a new radiation oncology facility that benefits Central Texas cancer patients. Located on the Baylor Scott & White – Temple campus, the two-story, 27,800-square-foot facility is adjacent to the cancer center and allows patients to receive all cancer treatments in one location. The facility can treat up to 70 patients per day and features advanced radiation treatment equipment.
  
• The Baylor Scott & White – Temple heart transplant program recently reached a surgical milestone: 100 patients have received new hearts. As one of two heart transplant programs in the Baylor Scott & White system and the only heart transplant program between Austin and Dallas, the multidisciplinary heart transplant program has expanded quality, convenient and customized care to Central Texas residents. The medical center’s transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) program, which offers a minimally invasive heart procedure option for patients diagnosed with aortic stenosis, also will reach a milestone soon. By the end of 2022, more than 1,000 patients will have undergone TAVR procedures since the program started.

Strengthening Community Ties

Baylor Scott & White says its commitment to the community extends beyond the walls of the hospitals and clinics, with teams regularly volunteering at activities such as farmer’s markets, vaccination clinics and sporting events. These teams provide quality healthcare but also truly care about people. They are proud to keep friends and neighbors healthy.

While it was the railroad industry that brought Drs. Scott and White to Temple, today it is the community that drives the expansion of care provided through Baylor Scott & White – Temple.

Looking Toward the Future

Baylor Scott & White – Temple remains committed to putting patients and the community first by providing award-winning health and wellness services on the main hospital campus, the pediatric campus, a long-term care campus and through a network of area primary and specialty clinics, as well as pharmacies and outpatient centers.

The key to continued excellence is in the evolution of how care is offered, said Stephen Sibbitt, MD, chief medical officer, Baylor Scott & White – Temple.

In honor of the hospital’s 125th anniversary, a new hallway of history and heritage will be unveiled by 2023. While the rich history of this community and The Hill can never be shared fully in one walk down memory lane, this condensed version will be a nod to the success of medicine in Temple and the Baylor Scott & White system.