The building is the new home of UT Medicine San Antonio, the clinical practice of the School of Medicine at the Health Science Center
SAN ANTONIO (Oct. 22, 2009) — The newest attraction at The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio is a striking, eight-story building filled with the latest technology and featuring the medical practices of the same doctors who teach and conduct world-class research in the School of Medicine.
The Medical Arts & Research Center (MARC) is the home of UT Medicine San Antonio, the School of Medicine’s clinical practice and the largest medical practice in Central and South Texas. The MARC brings together Health Science Center doctors who previously practiced in various locations around the city.
“By its very design, the MARC cares for the whole patient,” said William L. Henrich, M.D., M.A.C.P., president of the Health Science Center. “The faculty-physicians of UT Medicine San Antonio are at the forefront of their profession, and the MARC makes collaboration among them seamless. The MARC brings together a group of doctors who are profoundly knowledgeable in a wide range of specialties, and UT Medicine’s patients benefit from their expertise and teamwork.”
The first clinics opened on Aug. 24. Most clinics are now up and running, with a few more scheduled to move to the MARC later this fall. To make an appointment, call (210) 450-9000.
Academic medical practices bring tremendous value to their communities. Through UT Medicine, patients see the same doctors who make discoveries of great significance at the School of Medicine, even as they train the next generation of health providers. The range of their work keeps these doctors up to speed on the latest treatments and therapies.
The expertise of UT Medicine doctors means that when residents of San Antonio and the surrounding area are diagnosed with complex conditions, they do not need to travel elsewhere for treatment because there are experts in town. The MARC offers everything from primary care to “super specialists” who are among the world’s leading authorities on certain rare conditions.
“The MARC is a major milestone in the history of the School of Medicine as we give the faculty practice plan, UT Medicine San Antonio, a new ‘clinical home,’” said Glenn A. Halff, M.D., interim dean of the School of Medicine. “It truly will be a premier patient destination for primary, specialty and sub-specialty medical care, housing more than 200 faculty members’ practices and showcasing 60 different specialties. As an academic medical practice, we see our faculty as a complement to the private specialists here in San Antonio, with a goal of providing the most comprehensive medical care to South Texas.”
Every detail of the MARC was crafted with patients in mind. State-of-the-art medical records allow clinics to share patient information with great efficiency, saving time and preventing patients from having to repeat tests with different doctors. On-site diagnostic and imaging systems mean that patients can be thoroughly evaluated without leaving the building. And customer service, always a priority of UT Medicine, is paramount at the MARC.
UT Medicine’s move to the MARC was overseen by Thomas C. Mayes, M.D., M.B.A., who was named president and CEO of the practice earlier this year.
“The MARC is both a facility and a concept that is long overdue for the faculty-physicians of the Health Science Center, the patients we serve and our community,” Dr. Mayes said. “UT Medicine at the MARC will be a valuable partner to community physicians, who are invited to refer their complex cases to our specialists and sub-specialists. We hope San Antonio’s medical community will enjoy increased interaction with School of Medicine doctors.”
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 $668 million, the Health Science Center is the chief catalyst for the $16.3 billion biosciences and health care sector in San Antonio’s economy. The Health Science Center has had an estimated $36 billion impact on the region since inception and has expanded to six campuses in San Antonio, Laredo, Harlingen and Edinburg. More than 25,600 graduates (physicians, dentists, nurses, scientists and other 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, dentistry and many other fields. For more information, visit www.uthscsa.edu.