At University Hospital - where a primary mission is to "teach the next generation of health professionals" - you'll find excellent primary care and routine patient services side-by-side with nationally recognized centers of excellence.

Of 6,003 hospitals in the United States, only about 400 are teaching hospitals - "classrooms" for physicians, nurses, and other health professionals and providers.

Our collaboration with the UT Health Science Center San Antonio and others provides our patients with access to cutting edge research and medical breakthroughs, improving quality of care and patient outcomes.

The Journal of the American Medical Association (9/13/2000) reports that improved outcomes at teaching hospitals result from the higher acuity levels of their patients and the need to perform complex, high level, even breakthrough medical and surgical procedures.

The article also indicated that in teaching hospitals:

• The risk of death was 19% lower.
• Patients stay nearly 10% less time in the hospital for major illnesses such as heart attack and stroke.
• Elderly heart attack patients receive critical recommended therapy more often, and they are more likely to survive the heart attack-even years later.
• Patients with stroke, coronary artery disease and hip fracture have better survival rates.
• Women are more likely to have vaginal births after previously having a C-Section.

University Hospital is also a member of the Association of American Medical Colleges which seeks to improve the nation's health by enhancing the effectiveness of academic medicine.

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