Wednesday, July 3, 2024
After working at hospitals in larger communities, Dr. Lance Ellis, an orthopedic surgeon, has found a home at Coryell Health, which he said blends all the best elements of quality medical care with a small-town personal touch.
Ellis spoke to the Gatesville Lions Club on June 14 and talked about what sets Coryell Health apart from many other healthcare providers in the area.
After previously working for Coryell Health, Ellis left to work for Providence Hospital in Waco for a while before having the opportunity to come back and work for Coryell Health again.
"It's kind of like the parable of the prodigal son," Ellis said. "When I left, David (Byrom, the chief executive officer for Coryell Health) told me I'd be back, and he was right. I am thankful to have the opportunity to come back.
"Coryell Health is an outlier. It's rare to have a 25-bed hospital that has some of the best state of the art care and services of any hospital. During my year working at Providence, about a third of the doctors asked me about my experience at working for Coryell Health and expressed an interest."
Ellis works closely with fellow orthopedic surgeon Dr. Jake Battle and said, "we provide some super high end quality services at Coryell Health. If there was a two-man Olympic medal for orthopedics, I'd put us up against anyone, and we'd have a good chance of earning gold medals.
"We've offered a lot of services before the hospitals in Waco did, like robot-assisted surgery for knee replacement. A computer model of an individual's anatomy is created, and we can really dial the plan in specifically to your anatomy. The robot and the computer are part of the process that allows us to get as close to perfect as possible."
While Ellis is a surgeon, he said every effort is made to treat people in other ways to improve their health before a surgery is performed.
"Our goal is to do a lot of other things to correct the problem before surgery," he said. "People won't get better care somewhere else. There are some service lines we don't offer, but what we do offer is outstanding. Coryell Health is really a gem in the community."
Ellis said the commitment to excellence and the quality of the staff at Coryell Health are what made him decide to work there when he first came five years ago and then when he returned.
"The doctors here are incredible," he said. "If my mom needed care and they offered it here, I would have no hesitation having her treated here. We not only have high quality physicians here, but the staff that supports them - I'd put them up against anybody."
Byrom, the Coryell Health CEO, said providing quick access to medical services as a primary goal.
"Access is important," he said. "When we make an appointment, we want to get in and not have to wait six weeks for an MRI. It's about doing the right thing for the community. The good Lord has blessed us and we're doing our best to treat people right."
