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Founded in 1919, Houston Methodist is a nonprofit healthcare system consistently named a top hospital in Texas and one of the best in providing exceptional patient care, making it an excellent place for nurses and other healthcare workers. Health professionals at Houston Methodist practice leading medicine, and the facility provides academic programs to train the next generation of diverse and dynamic practitioners.
Houston Methodist Locations
Houston Methodist operates 100s of healthcare facilities throughout the metropolitan area and surrounding suburbs, offering employees a wide range of options for work settings. The health system encompasses seven hospitals, including an academic medical center in Houston and six local community hospitals.
Houston Methodist’s flagship hospital at 6565 Fannin Street in the Texas Medical Center employs 8,428 area residents and has 946 operating beds. However, the entire health system boasts an estimated 21,000 employees and 5,500 contracted physicians.
It also encompasses two comprehensive care centers, primary and specialty care practices, same-day primary care clinics and urgent and emergency care centers. Additional locations include the Breast Care Center and Imaging Center.
Facility Mission and Top Specialties
Houston Methodist Hospital’s mission is “To provide high quality, cost-effective healthcare that delivers the best value to the people we serve in a spiritual environment of caring in association with internationally recognized teaching and research.”
It has established a global reputation distinguished by patient care, innovation and research and established through its “I CARE” values, which stand for:
- Integrity
- Compassion
- Accountability
- Respect
- Excellence
The hospital strives to uphold these values and encourages employees to do the same.
Houston Methodist Hospital has global recognition in several key specialty areas. These include organ transplantation, treatment of epilepsy and seizure disorders, cancer care and cardiovascular surgery. It’s been nationally ranked in 10 specialty areas, more than any other hospital in the state, including:
- Urology
- Pulmonary and Lung Surgery
- Orthopedics
- Obstetrics and Gynecology
- Neurology and Neurosurgery
- Gastroenterology and GI Surgery
- Endocrinology and Diabetes
- Cardiology and Heart Surgery
- Cancer Care
Notable Rankings, Awards and Honors
Houston Methodist Hospital and Houston Methodist Willowbrook Hospital have received Magnet Recognition from the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC). This designation recognizes organizations with outstanding patient care, nursing excellence and safe, positive employee environments. The ANCC is part of the American Nurses Association.
The hospital also received the Bernard A. Birnbaum, MD, Quality Leadership Award from Vizient, a healthcare alliance of more than 300 academic medical centers and affiliates. This honor reflects the health system’s high patient satisfaction scores and quality care delivery.
Methodist is also a past recipient of the PRISM (Premier Recognition In the Specialty of Med-Surg) award co-sponsored by the Academy of Medical-Surgical Nurses and the Medical-Surgical Nursing Certification Board. Outstanding acute care/med-surg units or adult/pediatric units classified as med-surg may receive this award. Houston Methodist Hospital’s Main 7SW unit received this honor in 2015 and the Jones 10 unit received it in 2022.
U.S. News and World Report consistently ranks Houston Methodist among the top hospitals in the state and the top 20 in the nation. The facility has maintained the number one spot in Texas for 11 consecutive years and earned the No. 15 spot nationally in 2022-2023. Besides receiving national rankings in 10 adult specialties, Houston Methodist Hospital also received high-performing designations for 18 procedures or conditions.
Diversity and Inclusion Initiatives
Houston, Texas, is one of the most diverse areas in the nation, with more than 90 languages spoken by area residents. Houston Methodist has several initiatives focused on supporting and caring for the many communities who call the metro area home.
The Office of Community Benefits at Houston Methodist focuses on improving access to care for underserved racial, ethnic and social minorities throughout the metropolitan area. The hospital provided more than $1 billion in community benefit programs and charity care in 2020 alone.
Houston Methodist has identified these key priorities in healthcare access:
- Promoting healthy lifestyle behaviors to reduce the risk of chronic disease
- Removing barriers to mental healthcare access
- Expanding access to primary and specialty care services
- Helping underserved communities develop healthy initiatives
- Facilitating economic and educational empowerment in underserved communities
The health system has also established diversity, equity and inclusion objectives that include:
- Community network engagement and measurement of impact on surrounding communities
- Education programs for employees that cover inclusion, equity, diversity, anti-bias and antiracism
- Programs that encourage workforce diversity and increase the proportion of underrepresented groups among leadership and staff
- Activities that promote competency, humility, compassion and cultural openness and awareness
Perks of Working at Houston Methodist Hospital
Employees at Houston Methodist Hospital are eligible for a full range of employee benefits, including:
- Medical, dental, vision and prescription drug coverage
- Covered emergency medical transportation
- Short-term and long-term disability insurance
- Life and accidental death and dismemberment insurance with additional compassionate care benefit
- Retirement savings plans with employer match
- Dependent and healthcare flexible spending accounts
- Eight to 10 paid holidays a year, including a floating holiday to honor diversity and inclusion
- Free subsidized transportation or parking, with your choice of a complimentary parking pass or METRO rail or bus pass
- Mental health support, including an Employee Assistance Program
- Wellness programs including on-site gyms at all hospital locations and a free wearable fitness device provided annually to each team member
- Complementary legal assistance
- 10 backup days a year to use for childcare or elder care
- Up to $20,000 in lifetime coverage of fertility treatment, surrogacy and adoption expenses
- Student loan management assistance
- Scholarship programs for the higher education of children of Houston Methodist employees
- Tuition assistance in which the hospital pays your college or university directly rather than requiring reimbursement
- Employee discounts for local businesses
These benefits start on your first day of employment at Houston Methodist as long as your position requires you to work at least 20 hours a week. In comparison, many employers offer certain benefits, like health insurance, only to full-time workers employed for at least 40 hours a week.
Healthcare providers who work at Houston Methodist Hospital can potentially participate in research initiatives at one of the nation’s top academic medical centers. The Academic Institute’s 100s of ongoing clinical trials drive innovations in clinical areas such as diabetes, neuroscience, infectious disease, cancer and heart disease.
Clinical employees also have access to the Houston Methodist Institute for Technology, Innovation and Education, a 35,000-square-foot surgical center and virtual hospital. This state-of-the-art training environment incorporates image guidance, robotics and other advanced simulation technologies.
Physical and occupational therapists can complete accredited postgraduate fellowships at Houston Methodist. Practitioners can specialize in various areas, such as sports medicine, orthopedics, acute care, critical care and hand therapy.
The hospital’s Nurse Residency Program helps facilitate the transition from the classroom to clinical practice for new nursing school graduates. If you plan to further your education, you can also attend classes at world-class Houston institutions like nearby Rice University.
Getting to Houston Methodist Hospital
Houston residents have an average commute of about 27 minutes, so it shouldn’t take too long to get to your job at Houston Methodist Hospital. The medical center has five garages where you can self-park your vehicle, including two Texas Medical Center locations and three owned by Houston Methodist. If you prefer to take public transportation to work, you can access the health system from the Dryden/Texas Medical Center stop on the Metro Rail line.
Hospital Campus Amenities
Amenities on the main Houston Methodist Hospital campus include a variety of dining options, such as:
- Dunn Tower cafeteria
- Einstein Bros. Bagels
- Fannin Street Café featuring Starbucks coffee
- Blue Water Café and Espresso Bar in the Outpatient Center
- Bistro 6501 featuring Starbucks coffee in Jones Tower
- Miller’s Café in Scurlock Tower
- Poblano’s Restaurant in Scurlock Tower
- Murphy’s Deli in Scurlock Tower
- Al Vetro Coffee and Espresso Bar in Scurlock Tower
- Texas Sky Cafe in Walter Tower
- Alonti Café in Smith Tower
The hospital has four ATMs and three full-service banking locations (JP Morgan Chase, PrimeWay Federal Credit Union and Fidelity Investments). You’ll also find an optical center and pharmacy inside Scurlock Tower and two post office locations on campus.
Working as a Travel Nurse at Houston Methodist
Houston Methodist hires travel nurses to join its float pool and work in various settings throughout the health system. This program offers competitive PRN rates and flexible schedules. You can enroll as a travel nurse if you have at least 12 months of clinical experience. Most assignments last 13 weeks, but some locations have shorter contracts. Some positions at Houston Methodist offer sign-on and referral bonuses of up to $15,000.
Float nurses can also take advantage of the hospital’s convenient self-scheduling system. Once the calendar opens, about two months before each shift, you can adjust your own schedule until three days before the shift.
The neighborhood surrounding the primary medical center has several large grocery and department stores, including Kroger and Target. You’ll find places of worship with Muslim, multidenominational, nondenominational and Greek Orthodox services within a few blocks of the hospital.
What Houston Has to Offer
Houston offers plenty of attractions and sites to visit near the Houston Methodist campus. The city’s renowned museum and theater district is just a short walk away. It features more than a dozen cultural institutions within blocks of each other, offering a great way to spend the day in downtown Houston. The Houston Museum of Natural Science and the Houston Zoo are two popular picks.
The city is also home to a thriving dining scene with 1,000s of enticing restaurants to try. In addition to Houston’s renowned Tex-Mex fare, you’ll find barbecue, Pakistani, Vietnamese, Louisiana Creole and many more cuisines from around the world.
Houston is a huge metropolis with lots to offer long-time residents and newcomers alike. Explore all the other exciting Texas cities that await you in our guide to The Lone Star State.
