BAPTIST HEALTH SYSTEM

Baptist Health System staff are participating in a blood drive challenge to encourage others to donate.

The World Health Organization recommends exclusively breastfeeding babies for the first six months of life and continuing for up to two years old or longer with nutritious solid foods.

With record-breaking heat in Texas, staying hydrated can play a key role in your health.

Baptist Health System now has nine neighborhood hospitals located throughout Bexar County.

Summertime is here, and temperatures are on the rise. That’s why it’s important to protect against heat illness.

Health professionals at Northeast Baptist Hospital are passionate about fighting hunger and are putting their energy into the 9th annual “Healthy Over Hungry” cereal drive.

Baptist Health System will hold another hiring event to help provide job opportunities for Texas Vista employees after news surfaced that the medical center is closing on May 1.

Dr. Leo Edwards has spent the past 40 years in the East Side community where he was born and raised, helping and healing.

It’s Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and while breast cancer may not cause any symptoms in the early stages, it’s important to perform self exams and mammograms to catch it early.

In the early beginnings of your pregnancy journey, you may not know where to start and what services you’ll need along the way.

It’s back-to-school time, and that means young athletes are hitting the books and the playing field.

Baptist Health System officials say a new program will mentor and prepare incoming nurses for a field that draws in many but pushes out some people early in their careers.

During the summer, it’s important for parents to stay educated when it comes to heat and water safety.

The number of heat-related calls has more than doubled at some medical facilities in the San Antonio area.

Stroke is the fifth leading cause of death in the United States. A stroke, also called a brain attack, occurs when blood flow to the brain is disrupted.

The Baptist Health System is leading an effort to help children and adults struggling with hunger.

A local hospital system is urging people to take precautions to avoid weather-related injuries in the current wintry weather conditions.

Baptist Health System is sharing the story of one of its newly-hired licensed nurses, hoping to encourage others to join the field and help alleviate the shortage of healthcare workers.

The 23-acre campus will sit at the Northwest corner of Interstate 10 and State Highway 46.

Everyone is getting in the Halloween spirit, including Baptist Health System staff members.

Baptist Health System is looking to recruit a variety of healthcare professionals at a hiring event Tuesday for its South Side hospital located in the Brooks area.

Baptist Health System healthcare workers and staff took time Friday to Texans who have lost their life to the COVID-19 virus.

With the recent surge of COVID cases in the San Antonio area, Baptist Health System hosted a hiring event Tuesday for numerous medical positions with signing bonuses up to $20,000.

As hospitalization numbers continued to shoot up Thursday, driven by unvaccinated residents, hospitals in the San Antonio area are feeling the squeeze.

The Baptist Health System has announced that COVID-19 vaccines will be required for all staff as San Antonio has seen an increase in infections.

Local hospitals are seeing an increase in hospitalizations for COVID-19 in younger adults.

June is Men’s Health Awareness Month, and a local health system is sharing all about some critical medical issues in men, and new technology and how it can help fix them.

Timing is crucial, especially in a medical emergency, and with a stroke, every second counts.

SAN ANTONIO – Timing is crucial, especially in a medical emergency, and with a stroke, every second counts. Stroke is the fifth leading cause of death in the United States, according to Baptist Health System. To better serve the community, Baptist Health System’s Brain and Stroke Network provides San Antonio and surrounding counties with increased access to higher acuity stroke and neurosurgical services. Michele Patterson, a comprehensive clinical stroke director for Baptist Health System, has tips on how to recognize stroke symptoms:What are the symptoms of a stroke? An important part about stroke recovery is it’s a marathon and not a sprint so it takes a lot of persistence and a lot of perseverance.

February is Heart Month and it’s very important to know the signs of a heart attack so as to not delay care, especially during the coronavirus pandemic. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, heart disease is the leading cause of death for men, women, and people of most racial and ethnic groups in the United States. The CDC also reports that about 655,000 Americans die from heart disease each year; that’s one in every four deaths. Pollard said it’s of utmost importance to contact your physician, or even go to the emergency room if needed, when having heart attack symptoms. If you are interested in virtual classes on hearth health, breastfeeding, stroke awareness, baby care, car seat safety or newborn care, click or tap here.

A woman walks through falling snow in San Antonio, Sunday, Feb. 14, 2021. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)SAN ANTONIO – Baptist Health System officials say some of their hospitals are dealing with the effects of the weather conditions -- including low water pressure at the downtown hospital. A spokesperson tells KSAT that hospitals remain fully staffed and well supplied to care for both non-COVID and COVID patients. The icy weather caused low water pressure at the Baptist Medical Center downtown. You can get the very latest forecast anytime by bookmarking our weather page and downloading the KSAT Weather Authority App - available for both Apple and Android devices.

With Christmas just around the corner, Santa’s littlest helpers at Baptist Health System’s NICU are ready to celebrate in style! SAN ANTONIO – With Christmas just around the corner, Santa’s littlest helpers at Baptist Health System’s NICU are ready to celebrate in style! Santa's littlest helpers are getting ready for Christmas! “From all of us at Baptist, Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to these precious little ones and their families!” BHS said on its Facebook page. RELATED: NICU babies at Children’s Hospital of San Antonio dress up for their first Halloween

SAN ANTONIO – It’s a day San Antonio hospitals have been waiting for all year long, and for some, it’s finally here. CHRISTUS Santa Rosa Hospital - Medical Center, Brooke Army Medical Center, San Antonio State Hospital, and Baptist Health System received their first shipments of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine Thursday morning. At the Brooke Army Medical Center, the first staff member to receive the COVID-19 vaccine was Army Capt. So far, 110 Texas hospitals have received or will receive their first shipments of the vaccine by the end of this week. RELATED: Keep track of when and where the COVID-19 vaccine is being distributed in Texas2nd COVID-19 vaccine set for OK in US with panel endorsement

SAN ANTONIO – Baptist Health System is expected to receive 3,900 doses of the COVID-19 vaccine this week, and one doctor says she’s glad to be getting an extra layer of protection amid a rising number of cases in the area. “The virus has caused so much stress on people, but especially people being in the hospital setting,” said Dr. Jocelyn Juarez, a physician hospitalist at Baptist Health System. Baptist Health System frontline staff members will begin getting the COVID-19 vaccines on Thursday. “I had him in May, so that was a very scary time, especially being pregnant,” Juarez said. She said this vaccine will be an extra layer of protection for health care workers amid a surge in cases.

SAN ANTONIO – Baptist Health System in San Antonio has relaxed its policy for visitors during the COVID-19 pandemic. Starting Tuesday, patients in the emergency department, inpatient areas and outpatient areas are now allowed to have one visitor. Previously, only visitors deemed necessary were allowed to visit patients within the hospital system. Those included patients in pediatric care or NICU; patients in labor, delivery and postpartum care; patients with disabilities; and patients who may be at the end of life. Patients who are still in isolation due to the novel coronavirus are still not allowed to see visitors.

SAN ANTONIO As patients with COVID-19 fill San Antonio hospitals, monitoring them remotely has become critical. A physician in the eICU can then use that camera to zoom in and assess the patient without stepping into their room. The eICU program has been in place since 2008, and staff members say its been a crucial program during the COVID-19 pandemic. Its also a lot easier than having to translate whats going over the phone, Castro Natal said. Its definitely saving lives, Scott said about the program.

SAN ANTONIO – Nicole Miranda, 24, is quarantined after recently finding out she tested positive for COVID-19. On Thursday afternoon, local hospital leaders asked the community to do its part as hospitals inch closer to reaching capacity. “Please, please, please wear a mask,” said Matthew Stone, CEO of Baptist Health System. Allen Harrison, with Methodist Health Care System, said two weeks ago, they had 75 positive COVID-19 patients, and on Thursday, they were at 343. Methodist is currently taking care of 10 COVID-19 patients with this alternative respiratory treatment.

SAN ANTONIO Dr. Duane Hospenthal, medical director of infection control for Baptist Health System, said the hospital system has been treating COVID-19 patients with the antiviral drug remdesivir. San Antonio hospitals to receive antiviral drugs to treat coronavirusA spokesperson for Baptist Health System said a total of 21 patients have been treated with remdesivir. The hospital system received the antiviral drug from the University Health System and the Department of State Health Services (DSHS). Baptist Health System has received a total of 260 vials of the drug. Greg Abbott said DSHS is distributing remdesivir to 85 hospitals across 34 counties in Texas.

SAN ANTONIO – Micro-hospitals are built in areas where there’s a need but not a big enough demand for a traditional hospital. Baptist Health System is opening a micro-hospital called Baptist Emergency Hospital near Cupples Road and Highway 90. Micro-hospitals are good for minor emergencies, like if someone breaks a leg or if someone thinks they are having a heart attack. Stone said micro-hospitals are cheaper than full-service hospitals because they’re not as large, and they aren’t set up to treat everything. The Baptist Health System micro-hospital will open by the end of the month.

SAN ANTONIO – November is the month for turkeys, stuffing and delicious pumpkin pie, but did you know it's also Diabetes Awareness Month? Baptist Health System offers free resources including healthy recipes for individuals living with diabetes and for family members with the Mission Trail Baptist Hospital Diabetes Support Group. If you love sweets, and want to try a diabetic friendly dessert, check out the pumpkin praline mousse recipe from Baptist Health System! Toss pecans with melted margarine and brown sugar. Information courtesy of Baptist Health System.