Cigarroa praises benefactors’ ‘generous and lasting statement’

2008 State of the University Address lauds record year in philanthropy

SAN ANTONIO (Jan. 29, 2008)—Buoyed by a landmark $25 million gift from The Greehey Family Foundation, The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio raised far more philanthropic support in the 2007 fiscal year—$55 million—than in any fiscal year in its history, Health Science Center President Francisco G. Cigarroa, M.D., said in his annual State of the University Address today.

Dr. Cigarroa also noted that the 2008 fiscal year, which is about half complete since the state of Texas fiscal year runs from Sept. 1 to Aug. 31, has tremendous potential because of a transformative $25 million gift at the end of December from Joe R. and Teresa Lozano Long and the recent acquisition of the Cancer Therapy & Research Center (CTRC) with its endowments.

Dr. Cigarroa spoke to 300 people, mostly faculty, staff and students, about achievements of the past year and prospects for the remainder of 2008. He discussed financials; philanthropy; capital expansion; awards, honors and recognitions; recruitments; developments in the Health Science Center’s five schools; the acquisition of the CTRC; and future initiatives.

“The Greehey Family and our many other friends in the private sector have made a generous and lasting statement,” Dr. Cigarroa said. “They have shown that they believe in the education of quality health care professionals, in the training of Nobel laureate-quality research scientists and in the programs that improve the health of communities, which are all missions of The UT Health Science Center at San Antonio. As we make lives better, these wonderful supporters are moving this institution from a good Health Science Center to a great one.”

The president also praised the Health Science Center faculty’s excellent performance in attracting sponsored program awards, largely from the National Institutes of Health ($84 million) but also from other federal and non-federal funding sources.

Sponsored program awards rose to $170 million in fiscal 2007, the second-highest total in university history exceeded only by fiscal 2005. Research expenditures climbed to $141 million in fiscal 2007 and have risen every year except one since fiscal 2000.

National Institutes of Health grants to the Health Science Center increased $7 million over fiscal 2006, even as the NIH budget did not increase. “The NIH budget actually reduced in terms of inflation, but we were able to increase our awards,” Dr. Cigarroa said. “That speaks volumes about the quality of our scientific programs.”

Dr. Cigarroa also thanked the 80th Texas Legislature for $24.7 million the legislators allocated in general revenue and special item funding.

New initiatives in 2008 will include development of a Center for Patient Safety and Health Policy to integrate quality and safety concepts into medicine, and the continuing construction of the Medical Arts and Research Center, he said.

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The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio is the leading research institution in South Texas and one of the major health sciences universities in the world. With an operating budget of $576 million, the Health Science Center is the chief catalyst for the $15.3 billion biosciences and health care sector in San Antonio’s economy. The Health Science Center has had an estimated $35 billion impact on the region since inception and has expanded to six campuses in San Antonio, Laredo, Harlingen and Edinburg. More than 22,000 graduates (physicians, dentists, nurses, scientists and allied health professionals) serve in their fields, including many in Texas. Health Science Center faculty are international leaders in cancer, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, aging, stroke prevention, kidney disease, orthopaedics, research imaging, transplant surgery, psychiatry and clinical neurosciences, pain management, genetics, nursing, allied health, dentistry and many other fields.



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