There's a saying among those who have lived in Dallas for a long time: "If you catch a cold, go to the local clinic; if it's serious, go to Baylor."

While not everyone feels this way, Baylor Scott & White Medical Center in Dallas is known as a highly trusted hospital in the area.

You can think of it like a university hospital in Korea, where people say, "Oh, that place is good... if it's that hospital, I trust it."

This hospital is located in East Dallas, just east of downtown Dallas.

The address is 3500 Gaston Ave, Dallas, TX 75246. Surrounding it are major medical institutions, including UT Southwestern, making this area a medical hub in Dallas. As you pass by the hospital, you might wonder, "Is this a hospital or a small city?" due to the concentration of medical facilities.

Baylor Scott & White is the largest nonprofit healthcare system in Texas. It's not just a hospital; it operates dozens of hospitals and hundreds of clinics across Texas, so it's common to find yourself saying, "Oh? Another Baylor?" no matter where you go. There are many affiliated clinics in the Dallas metro area, making it relatively easy to find a primary care physician.

One reason this hospital is famous is its expertise in organ transplantation. It receives national recognition for kidney, liver, and heart transplants, as well as complex surgeries. The saying, "Their organ transplant skills are top-notch," didn't come out of nowhere. Of course, the best scenario is to never need to use such skills in your lifetime.

Treatment for heart disease is also a strong point. Many patients seek Baylor when they experience chest pain or heart-related issues.

With extensive experience in cardiac surgery and interventional procedures, along with the continuous introduction of the latest equipment, it is regarded as one of the top heart treatment hospitals in Texas.

Cancer treatment is another area of strength. The Charles A. Samuels Cancer Center operates a multidisciplinary system where medical oncologists, radiation therapists, and surgeons collaborate to treat patients. In simple terms, instead of doctors working separately, they form a team to decide on treatment directions, allowing for a much more systematic approach to patient care.

Some may wonder why the hospital's name is so long. Originally, there were two large medical institutions: Baylor Healthcare System and Scott & White Healthcare. The name 'Baylor Scott & White Health' was created when the two organizations merged in 2013.

First-time listeners might joke, "I'd get better just trying to remember the hospital's name," but in Dallas, just saying "Baylor" is enough for most people to understand.

It's also a hospital that many Korean Americans are familiar with. In Dallas, there are Korean doctors practicing at Baylor-affiliated clinics, and there are quite a few Korean patients as well.

So, depending on the situation, there's a chance you could meet medical staff who can provide consultations in Korean. Especially for newly arrived Korean Americans, it's common to find a Baylor-affiliated primary care physician (PCP) nearby.

Making appointments has also become much more convenient than before.

Using the MyBSWHealth online portal, you can handle most tasks from home, including making appointments, checking test results, managing prescriptions, and viewing medical records.

In the U.S., it can be difficult to get through to hospitals by phone, but the online system is well-established, saving you time.

In emergencies, you can use the 24-hour emergency room, and there are Baylor-affiliated urgent care clinics throughout Dallas. Of course, if you rush to the emergency room for just a cold, you might be shocked by the bill, so for mild symptoms, it's much more economical to visit a nearby primary care physician or urgent care center.

Ultimately, Baylor Scott & White Dallas is one of the representative medical institutions in Texas.

While it's best to stay healthy in everyday life, if a situation arises that requires significant treatment, you'll understand why people say, "At least there's Baylor, so I feel a bit reassured."

Taking care of your health regularly and knowing about hospitals in advance seems to be the best insurance in American life.