Methodist Hospital

Chartered in 1955, Methodist Hospital became the first hospital built in the South Texas Medical Center. A group of businessmen known as the Five Oaks donated 40 acres for the development of a world-class medical hub. A groundbreaking ceremony was held in 1960 featuring a mock nuclear blast to showcase the design plans of the hospital: the world’s first nuclear-age hospital with two floors built completely underground to ensure vital services were available in the event of a nuclear attack. The hospital opened in 1963 and welcomed the first baby born in the Medical Center. Methodist Hospital now delivers more than 5,000 babies annually. In addition to its outstanding obstetrics program, Methodist Hospital is also known for its outstanding neurology and neurosurgical care as well as orthopedics, bone marrow transplants, emergency services and an oncology program which includes South Texas’ only Gamma Knife® Center. Methodist Hospital is accredited by the Joint Commission in stroke care and is one of two Texas hospitals to receive the highest quality award from the Texas medical Foundation Health Quality Institute: The Texas Medical Foundation Gold Award for Health Care Improvement.