When you think of Texas you might picture cowboys, oil fields, longhorn steers, BBQ joints, honkytonks, and high school football, but you might not conjure up images of lab coats and stethoscopes.
Yet, Texas is home to the world’s largest medical complex, along with one of the world’s most respected cancer care and treatment centers, and the healthcare industry accounted for more than $50+ billion in the North Texas economy, alone.
“While some may not know that Texas is a major player in global healthcare, the state is increasingly recognized as a vital player in the industry,” says the Texas Capital Living & Travel Guide. “When names like MD Anderson Cancer Center or Baylor College of Medicine are mentioned, people know exactly what they are talking about; and very often they do not realize that these organizations were born here.”
NASA, Johnson Space Center, and moon exploration made Houston a household word around the globe, but today the city is better known as the home to the largest medical center in the world.
In true Texas tradition, the Texas Medical Center (TMC) is massive, sprawling over 2 square miles and home to 61 different institutions, including 21 different hospitals with many of them ranked among the best in the U.S. and around the world.
The statistics of the TMC are mind-boggling:
TMC is home to both the world’s largest children’s hospital (Texas Children’s) and the world’s largest cancer hospital (MD Anderson).
“TMC has played a pivotal role in shaping the future of healthcare. Today, TMC is on a mission to further accelerate the pace of healing by harnessing our collective expertise in innovation, research, development, production, and patient care within a single, centralized medical ecosystem,” says TMC.
On that list included:
o Cardiology and heart surgery
o Pulmonology
o Neurology and neurosurgery
o Neonatology
o Nephrology
o Oncology
o Gastroenterology and gastrointestinal (GI) surgery
o Diabetes and endocrinology
o Urology
o Orthopedics
o Pediatric genetics
o Pulmonology
o Endocrinology
o Pulmonology
o Nephrology
o Neurosurgery
o Rehabilitation
o Neonatology
o Oncology
o Cardiology and heart surgery
o Diabetes and endocrinology
o Gastroenterology and GI surgery
o Neurology and neurosurgery
o Nephrology
o Urology
o Orthopedics
o Pulmonology and lung surgery
o Cancer care
o Cardiology and heart surgery
o Diabetes and endocrinology
o Neurology and neurosurgery
o Orthopedics
o Pulmonology and lung surgery
Texas is home to one of the world’s most respected centers devoted exclusively to cancer patient care, research, education, and prevention: the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center.
MD Anderson provides cancer care at several locations throughout the Greater Houston area and collaborates with health systems nationwide through MD Anderson Cancer Network.
MD Anderson was created in 1941 as part of The University of Texas System. The institution is one of the nation’s original three comprehensive cancer centers designated by the National Cancer Act of 1971 and is one of 51 National Cancer Institute-designated comprehensive cancer centers today.
U.S. News & World Report's "Best Hospitals" rankings have named MD Anderson the nation's top hospital for cancer care. The institution has been named one of the nation's top two hospitals for cancer care every year since the survey began in 1990.
Other MD Anderson Cancer Center facts:
The Texas Medical Center in Houston is also home to the Baylor College of Medicine, a global leader in biomedical education, innovative research, and cure discovery.
The primary private adult teaching hospital is Baylor St. Luke’s Medical Center in the TMC. Baylor physicians and trainees also care for patients at:
In late 2020, Baylor College of Medicine announced a new affiliation with another Texas healthcare standout, Baylor Scott & White Health. The result will be the development of a new regional medical school campus in Temple, Texas.