Giving Back

A hospital and the community it serves are woven together. More than many organizations, a hospital-with its care in time of need-is part of the fabric that helps a community support its people.

Baylor Medical Center at Waxahachie and the Waxahachie area have grown together-often quite quickly, and the growth shows no signs of letting up. The Waxahachie area population is expected to grow 18.2 percent between 2005 and 2010, outstripping Texas at 8.6 percent and the U.S. average at 4.9 percent. And with 9.1 percent of the population over age 65, the demand for medical care will be high.

With Ellis County cities and towns growing at such a fast pace, the hospital has found itself adding technology, equipment, space and personnel to keep up with needs. Thanks to the support of a generous community, Baylor Waxahachie has been able to keep up with the demand.

"The community plays a very important role in providing the services we need," says Jay Fox, president of Baylor Waxahachie. "And we make sure we get feedback from the community."

Here are a few developments the hospital has made in the past couple of years to support the growing community:

Chapel. A new chapel was designed and built to replace the old chapel, which was eliminated during an expansion project.

Red Oak Imaging Center. This imaging center offers advanced technology and trained specialists in the high-growth southern corridor.

Doctors. Physicians have been added to the medical staff to treat patients throughout Ellis County. "We continue to look at the different services needed to make sure we have the physicians and the staff," Fox says.

Medical Office Building. This building, which opened earlier this year, houses offices for primary care physicians and a variety of specialists under one roof.

While the community at large supports the hospital, the employees and auxiliary donate generously as well. People who work at Baylor Waxahachie are not only committed to providing quality patient care, they also personally support the hospital through their gifts. Last year, 59 percent of the staff contributed to the employee giving campaign, and this year the auxiliary gave $100,000 toward equipment and education.

By Stephanie Thurrott

Want to help? Call 1-800-4BAYLOR to learn how you can support Baylor Waxahachie.