Cancer Center
The Cancer Center serves as resource for educational information on a broad range of cancer topics and support services.
It sponsors the Cancer Family Support Meeting every Thursday from 3:00 p.m. to 4 p.m. in the Main Building, room 899. Families and friends of cancer patients are invited to attend. Also available is the Cancer Awareness Network, channel 29 on the in-house television system, which provides 10 hours of programming on a variety of cancer-related topics including early detection, treatment and support. If you need information about cancer services, call the Cancer Line at 713-790-2700.
Spiritual Care
The Spiritual Care and Education department is staffed by clergy representing many different denominations. Spanish-speaking clergy are also available.
If you would like to speak with a chaplain, ask your nurse or call 713-790-2381. Hospital chaplains are on duty 24 hours a day to respond to your needs. After hours, on weekends and on holidays, you can reach the on-call chaplain by calling 713-790-2201 and asking for the on-call chaplain to be paged.
Worship services are conducted in the Wiess Memorial Chapel, located on the first floor of the Dunn Tower:
- Sunday, 10:00 a.m. – Interdenominational Protestant Service
- Sunday, 11:00 a.m. – Roman Catholic Mass
- Monday – Friday, 8:20 a.m. – Morning Prayer Service
- Wednesday, Noon – Interfaith Service
- Thursday, 8:20 a.m. – Holy Communion Service
- Friday, Noon – Roman Catholic Mass
The Muslim Prayer Center is located on the first floor of the Fondren Brown Building and is open 24 hours a day. Prayer timings are posted by the Center doors as well as on television Channel 5 in the patient rooms.
Additional services and spiritual care information is also listed on Channel 5.
International Patient Services
Our International Patient Services department is dedicated to serving our international patients and their guests. Our multilingual staff, available 24 hours a day, provides a number of services such as interpreting languages, organizing physician appointments and facilitating the admission and discharge process. For information or to request a visit from a representative, please call 713-441-2340.
Patient Education
Patient educators specializing in diabetes, enterostomal and oncology education are available to explain complex treatments and procedures and increase the patient's ability to participate in his or her own care. Services are provided at bedside or on an outpatient basis. For more information or for a referral, please contact your physician or unit nurse.
Services for Deaf and Hearing-Impaired Patients
The hospital offers many services for patients who are deaf or hearing-impaired. These include sign language interpreters and telecommunications devices (TDD's).
For more information, ask your nurse or call Social Services at 713-790-3116. When calling from outside Methodist, you may contact Social Services during working hours through Relay Texas at 1-800-735-2989.
You may contact the hospital directly by TDD at 713-790-3530. Your message will be given to Social Services.
Medical Resources
Blood Donations
The hospital's blood supply is acquired entirely from volunteer donors. Donors are screened through a medical history and mini physical and every unit of blood undergoes numerous tests to ensure that it is the safest blood possible.
While visiting a friend or family member here at Methodist, be sure to take some time to give the gift of life. Parking is validated for the time of donation. Should you receive a transfusion, a replacement donation can be made in your name by relatives and friends. For each donation of blood, you receive credit(s) on your hospital bill.
The Blood Donor Center is located on the first floor of the Fondren-Brown Building room F102, and is open Monday-Friday, 8:30 a.m. – 5:30 p.m. For more information, call the Eileen Murphree McMillin Blood Donor Center at 713-790-3415.
Nursing Staff
You will be cared for by registered nurses (RN's) and licensed vocational nurses (LVN's), nursing assistants and ward clerks. These professionals work as a team with your doctor to ensure that you receive the best possible care.
If you have any questions or concerns during your stay at Methodist, please let your nurse know. He or she will be glad to assist you.
Organ Donation
If you would like to fill out a donor card or would like more information about organ donation, call Life Gift, the organ procurement agency for Houston and southeast Texas, at 713-523.4438.
Pharmacy Services
Pharmacy services are provided from central areas and also by individual pharmacists assigned to patient care areas. These individual pharmacists are called "Unit-Based Pharmacists." For your convenience, the hospital also operates Scurlock Tower Pharmacy, where you may have your discharge prescriptions filled.
During your stay at Methodist, your medications are usually provided to you by our Unit-Based Pharmacists who are located throughout the complex. Charges for medications administered while in the hospital will be billed to you.
Medications prescribed for home use following your procedure or hospital stay are generally not covered by hospitalization insurance. You have a choice of where your prescriptions or supplies are filled. For your convenience, Scurlock Tower Pharmacy — on the second level of Scurlock Tower — is available to help you obtain supplies or fill prescriptions. Prescriptions are filled on a cash-and-carry basis, and personal checks and major credit cards are accepted.
Arrangements can be made for your medications to be delivered to your room before you leave.
If you have further questions about your medications, ask for your Unit-Based Pharmacist, or call the Pharmacy Drug Information Center at 713-790-4190.
Pharmacy: Inpatient medications
Hours: 24 hours/7 days a week
Phone number: Phone: 713-790-5364 or 713-790-5365
Pharmacy: Scurlock Tower Pharmacy
Hours: 7:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m./Mon. – Fri.
Phone number: extension 6350
(Discharge prescriptions)
Will fill and deliver discharge medications to patient's room
Physician referral
For your convenience, we offer a physician referral and health information service in English and Spanish. Please call extension 3333. Outside Methodist, please call 713-790-3333.
Social services
Our social workers can help ease any stress and anxiety caused by your illness, thus enhancing your recovery.
Social workers are available to provide counseling, guidance and assistance with interpersonal, emotional and financial problems. They can help you make decisions about your care after you leave the hospital, assist you in obtaining community services, arrange for sign language interpreters, help you locate appropriate nursing facilities and answer questions about Living Wills and Durable Powers of Attorney. To request a visit from a social worker, ask your nurse or call 713-790-3116.
Surgical services
Patients requiring surgery need special staff, facilities and services for their assessment and care. Due to the special needs of surgical patients, the following guidelines apply:
- Visitors are not allowed in the operating rooms or recovery areas; they may stay in a special waiting area nearby.
- During the day shift, a patient liaison is available in the waiting area to keep relatives and friends informed of the patient's progress during surgery.
- If a patient liaison is not available, the nursing staff from the patient's unit may be contacted.
- The surgeon may come to the waiting area to visit with family and friends following surgery.
