South Texas Poison Center reaccredited as regional poison center

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SAN ANTONIO (Nov. 10, 2014) — For 19 years, the South Texas Poison Center has been taking calls from frantic parents and panicked individuals who are worried about poisoning emergencies. One thing these Texans don’t have to worry about is someone answering the poison center number: 800-222-1222.

Once again, the South Texas Poison Center has earned its reaccreditation as a regional poison center by the American Association of Poison Control Centers. The South Texas Poison Center, part of the Department of Emergency Medicine at The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, is one of six certified poison centers in Texas and 52 in the United States. It is supported by state and federal funding.

Miguel Fernández, M.D., medical director for the poison center, said accreditation represents a major accomplishment and means this center has met national standards of excellence for poison centers.

“I’m especially proud of the quality of our staff members who work daily to respond to calls and serve as a resource for health care providers and the public,” Dr. Fernández said. “It is exciting to be celebrating our 19th anniversary of taking calls and our reaccreditation as a poison center.”

The South Texas Poison Center provides life-saving poison information and treatment recommendations to families and health care professionals across Texas. Each year, the center handles more than 26,000 human exposure calls and more than 14,000 poison information calls.

The center is contacted daily by parents, grandparents, child care providers, teachers, health care providers, pharmacists, nurses and physicians in every area of practice regarding poisonings with medications, household and industrial products, and other potentially dangerous substances.

The South Texas Poison Center employs nine specialists in poison information who are all certified. The center maintains the most stable poison center staff in the country, with no health care provider turnover in more than 10 years.

To be accredited by the American Association of Poison Control Centers, the local center was required to meet strict standards, including providing 24-hour poison information and telephone management to the public and health care professionals; employing physicians, nurses or pharmacists certified as specialists in poison information; employing a board-certified medical toxicologist to provide medical oversight and direction; providing an ongoing quality improvement program; developing and maintaining written guidelines for evaluation and management of toxic exposures, and offering public and professional educational programs.
The center provides free, confidential and multilingual services by calling 800-222-1222.

 

The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, one of the country’s leading health sciences universities, ranks in the top 13 percent of academic institutions receiving National Institutes of Health (NIH) funding. The university’s schools of medicine, nursing, dentistry, health professions and graduate biomedical sciences have produced more than 31,000 graduates. The $787.7 million operating budget supports eight campuses in San Antonio, Laredo, Harlingen and Edinburg. For more information on the many ways “We make lives better®,” visit www.uthscsa.edu.

Lung cancer screenings detect problems earlier, save lives

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SAN ANTONIO (Nov. 6, 2014) — Peter Jennings, the suave anchor and reporter of ABC News, died of it. So did movie stars Steve McQueen and Vincent Price, and one of opera’s most renowned divas, Beverly Sills.

An estimated 224,000 new cases of lung and bronchial cancer will be diagnosed in Americans this year, and the disease is expected to kill 159,000. Fellowship-trained thoracic surgeon Daniel DeArmond, M.D., of the School of Medicine at The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, said people need to be as vigilant about screening for lung cancer as they are for other types of cancer.

“We mainly screen for three cancers in the U.S. – colon, breast and prostate,” Dr. DeArmond said. “If you look at the stage at which we catch those, 60 percent to 70 percent have stage one or two cancer, which is very early disease. The treatment options are much broader and more likely to be successful.

“If you look at lung cancer, where there traditionally has not been any screening, we generally catch disease at stage three or four, when it is significantly advanced. We aren’t catching it at stage one or two when we can do something about it. Those statistics have not changed for decades.”

The South Texas Lung Institute, a multidisciplinary program established this year by Baptist Health System, is a collaboration of local imaging centers, area physicians, including UT Medicine San Antonio, health care resources and a nurse navigator focused on treating lung disease and lung cancer patients.

The South Texas Lung Institute, housed at St. Luke’s Baptist Hospital, is a unique resource for the community and the region, bringing together lung specialists, cancer specialists, surgeons, radiologists, pulmonologists, pathologists and primary care physicians from the medical school and the greater medical community of San Antonio. “The South Texas Lung Institute is a whole system that knows how to take care of people,” Dr. DeArmond said.

The process may begin with a referral from a primary care physician for a low-dose screening CT scan of the chest and, if cancer is suspected, a prospective discussion of the case at the multidisciplinary South Texas Lung Institute thoracic tumor board. Surgery is performed, if indicated, and clinical follow-up completes the process.

Dr. DeArmond and colleagues Scott Johnson, M.D., fellowship-trained thoracic surgeon with UT Medicine, and medical oncologist Ahmad Wehbi, M.D., of the Cancer Therapy & Research Center at the UT Health Science Center at San Antonio, would like to shift the pendulum toward detection of lung cancer at an early stage so that surgical cure is still possible.

Lung cancer is a very aggressive cancer, but it can still be cured if treated early. Dr. DeArmond said a large, multicenter clinical research study, the National Lung Screening Trial, demonstrated that, even in heavy smokers who smoked a pack a day for 30 years or more, diagnosis of cancers in stages one or two (early) could increase five-year survival in lung cancer patients from just 5 percent to at least 60 percent.

“The South Texas Lung Institute exists to do this service, to spare many from unnecessary suffering and premature death,” Dr. DeArmond said.

Individuals and physicians who are interested in the screening program are invited to call the institute, located at St. Luke’s Baptist Hospital, at 210-297-LUNG (5864).

University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio to Teach “Stem Cells 101” at Free Education Day with World Stem Cell Summit

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SAN ANTONIO, Nov. 4, 2014 – The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio has partnered with the World Stem Cell Summit (WSCS14) to offer a free Public Education Day on December 2, one day before the 10th annual World Stem Cell Summit #WSCS14, December 3-5.

The Stem Cells and Regenerative Medicine Public Education Day, which is free and open to the public, will be Tuesday, December 2, at the Holly Auditorium on The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio campus, 7703 Floyd Curl Drive, San Antonio, Texas 78229.

Leading scientists, doctors and patient advocates will present workshops geared toward the general public at The Stem Cells and Regenerative Medicine Public Education Day, presented by The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio and the World Stem Cell Summit. Attendees will learn about the latest scientific breakthroughs, experience hands-on lab activities, discover how stem cell discoveries translate into medicine, and get the tools they need to protect their family from the risks of unproven, unsafe stem cell treatments. Experts will discuss new applications for stem cells in diabetes, cancer, wound care, neurological and muscle disorders, and other conditions.

There are two parts to the event: a Special Public Lecture at 9 a.m. by Elaine Fuchs, Ph.D., and a series of speaker panels and exhibits from 1 to 4 p.m. All members of the community, including students, teachers, doctors and patients, are welcome at these free events. View the complete schedule at http://worldstemcellsummit.com/2014-world-stem-cell-summit-free-public-education-day/.

Dr. Fuchs is an endowed professor at Rockefeller University and a member of the Institute of Medicine and National Academy of Sciences. She specializes in skin stem cells, and her laboratory studies where adult stem cells originate, how they make tissues, how they repair wounds and how they malfunction in cancers. Dr. Fuchs has received the 2014 Pezcoller Foundation Award for Cancer Research, 2013 Pasarow Award for Cancer Research, 2013 Kligman-Frost Leadership Award, 2013 American Skin Association Lifetime Achievement Award, 2012 March of Dimes Prize in Developmental Biology and many other honors.

Bernard Siegel, Executive Director of Genetics Policy Institute (GPI) and co-chair of the World Stem Cell Summit, said, “The World Stem Cell Summit is pleased to incorporate a day of public events for the community to learn more about this emerging field, which is the future of medicine. After more than 10 years of stem cell advocacy, we continue to build awareness about stem cell research and the extraordinary potential applications to treat disease and injury.”

“Stem cells offer tremendous potential to treat and alleviate many disorders, including diabetes, cancer and neurodegenerative diseases,” said Christi A. Walter, Ph.D., Professor and Chair, Department of Cellular and Structural Biology, at The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio. “It is important to understand the potential of stem cells and the rigorous work that must precede clinical applications to ensure efficacy and safety. We look forward to sharing information about the important stem cell research that is being done here and across the world with the San Antonio community at the World Stem Cell Summit Public Education Day.” Dr. Walter is the chair of the UT Health Science Center Public Education Day Committee.

The World Stem Cell Summit is the regenerative medicine community’s best networking event, pulling together a diverse, interdisciplinary mix of experts: researchers, clinicians, hospital administrators, regulators, philanthropists, venture capitalists, journalists, lawyers and patient advocates. More than 200 speakers and panelists will discuss the latest scientific discoveries, business models, translational issues, best practices, and legal and regulatory solutions. At least 1,200 attendees from 40 nations are expected to attend.

About Genetics Policy Institute (GPI): The Genetics Policy Institute is a 501(c)3 non-profit that supports stem cell research to develop therapeutics and cures. GPI pursues its mission by producing the World Stem Cell Summit, honoring community leaders through the Stem Cell Action Awards, publishing the peer-reviewed World Stem Cell Report with Mary Ann Liebert Publishers, organizing educational initiatives and fostering strategic collaborations. GPI maintains offices in Florida, California and Washington, D.C. For more information about GPI, visit genpol.org.

About World Stem Cell Summit: The annual World Stem Cell Summit (#WSCS14) is the flagship meeting of the international stem cell community. The 10th Annual World Stem Cell Summit is organized by Genetics Policy Institute (GPI), The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, Mayo Clinic, Kyoto University Institute for Integrated Cell-Material Sciences (iCeMS), BioBridge Global, Baylor College of Medicine and the Regenerative Medicine Foundation. The goal of the Summit is to accelerate the discovery and development of lifesaving cures and therapies, bringing global stakeholders together to solve global challenges. The Summit forges collaborations to advance cell therapies, while creating a supportive environment of regulation, legislation, financing, reimbursement and patient advocacy. Register and become a sponsor at worldstemcellsummit.com. For more information about the first annual RegMed Capital Conference at WSCS14, visit regmedcapital.com. Follow @WSCSummit on Twitter.

The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, one of the country’s leading health sciences universities, ranks in the top 13 percent of academic institutions receiving National Institutes of Health (NIH) funding. The university’s schools of medicine, nursing, dentistry, health professions and graduate biomedical sciences have produced more than 29,000 graduates. The $787 million operating budget supports eight campuses in San Antonio, Laredo, Harlingen and Edinburg. For more information on the many ways “We make lives better®,” visit www.uthscsa.edu.

Media Contacts:

Joseph Dawson
Genetics Policy Institute
Communications & Marketing Manager
(561) 578-5975
Will Sansom
UT Health Science Center at San Antonio
Executive Director of Media Communications
(210) 567-2579

$600,000 grant to UT Health Science Center nursing clinics will expand health care to thousands of patients

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WHAT:

The UT Nursing Clinical Enterprise, part of the School of Nursing at the UT Health Science Center San Antonio, has received a $600,000 grant from the Rita and Alex Hillman Foundation. Dr. Julie Novak, vice dean of the School of Nursing, is the grant principal investigator.

The grant ― one of only two awarded nationally from among 260 applications ― will help the nurse-led clinical enterprise expand its successful partnership with AVANCE-San Antonio’s Early Head Start Child Development Center at 2642 Castroville Road, and open two more clinics with AVANCE.

Services will expand from primary and preventive health care to include mental health services and nutritional counseling. The number of patients served has the potential to increase from the 300 children from birth to age 3 served at the Castroville Road location to thousands of children and family members at all three locations.

Expanded services will begin at the Castroville Road site Nov. 24.

Health care services will begin in early 2015 at AVANCE’s Fenley Center Head Start at Fenley Elementary School, 934 Flanders Ave., and Wintergarden Early Head Start/Head Start program at 217 W. Nopal St. in Uvalde.

WHEN:

10 a.m. Thursday, Nov. 6, 2014.

WHERE:

AVANCE-San Antonio health clinic, 2642 W. Castroville Road

WHO:

Media will be able to tour the child and adult clinic and conduct interviews in English and Spanish with:

• Julie Novak, D.N.Sc., RN, CPNP, FAANP, FAAN, vice dean of practice and engagement and executive director of the UT Nursing Clinical Enterprise; and

• Two additional pediatric nurse practitioners and a nutritionist, as well as parents whose children currently receive care at the clinic.

 

The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, one of the country’s leading health sciences universities, ranks in the top 13 percent of academic institutions receiving National Institutes of Health (NIH) funding. The university’s schools of medicine, nursing, dentistry, health professions and graduate biomedical sciences have produced more than 31,000 graduates. The $787.7 million operating budget supports eight campuses in San Antonio, Laredo, Harlingen and Edinburg. For more information on the many ways “We make lives better®,” visit www.uthscsa.edu.

1,500 teens to get hands-on introduction to health careers

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WHAT:

The 2014 Health Professions Fair & Science Expo is a morning of hands-on activities at The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio. The event will introduce high school and college students to the wide range of health-related and biomedical professions open to them.

At least 1,500 students from schools throughout South Texas will learn how to intubate manikins, start an intravenous (IV) line, immobilize a patient like paramedics do before loading the patient into an ambulance, administer visual acuity and respiratory function tests and much more.

WHEN:

Media are invited to come from 9:30 a.m. to 11 a.m. on Saturday, Nov. 8, 2014.

WHERE:

Sessions will be held in various locations at the Joe R. and Teresa Lozano Long Campus, 7703 Floyd Curl Drive. Call on-site contact Will Sansom at 210-275-2160 for assistance.

WHO:

The event is organized through the UT Health Science Center’s Office of Recruitment and Science Outreach, led by director Irene Chapa, Ph.D. Joining her in the effort are medical, dental, nursing, basic science and health professions faculty members and students.

NOTES:

The event is full and registration for 2014 is closed; however, members of the media are welcome to attend. A Spanish-language spokesperson will be available for interview.

This is the 12th consecutive year that the event has been held
at the UT Health Science Center.

Dr. Chapa had fond memories of working at the expo when she was a student here. When she took on her current role at the Health Science Center she brought back the event, which had been on hiatus. “I thought it was a great way to expose a lot of students to everything the Health Science Center offers at one event,” she said. “And it was a great opportunity for our Health Science Center students to really put their knowledge into practice by teaching.”

 

The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, one of the country’s leading health sciences universities, ranks in the top 13 percent of academic institutions receiving National Institutes of Health (NIH) funding. The university’s schools of medicine, nursing, dentistry, health professions and graduate biomedical sciences have produced more than 31,000 graduates. The $787.7 million operating budget supports eight campuses in San Antonio, Laredo, Harlingen and Edinburg. For more information on the many ways “We make lives better®,” visit www.uthscsa.edu.

Phil Klay, author of National Book Award finalist “Redeployment,” speaks at Health Science Center

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SAN ANTONIO (Oct. 27, 2014) — Phil Klay, M.F.A., a Marine-turned-author whose short story collection, “Redeployment,” is a National Book Award finalist, speaks at noon Thursday at The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio. His visit is the culmination of One Community/One Book 2014.

Klay will speak in the Holly Auditorium, 7703 Floyd Curl Drive. The event, followed by a reception and book signing, is free and open to the public. Those planning to attend can register at www.texashumanities.org.

After graduating from Dartmouth College, Klay enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps and deployed to the Anbar Province of Iraq as a public affairs officer during the 2007 troop surge. “Redeployment” is a collection of fictional short stories based on his experiences.

The word “redeployment” has two meanings: a return home after combat or the beginning of a new tour of duty. Klay explores both scenarios and the traumas inherent to each of them.

The book is often compared with defining literary works of other wars, notably “The Things They Carried,” Tim O’Brien’s acclaimed short story collection on the Vietnam War. On Oct. 15, “Redeployment” was named one of five finalists for the National Book Award for Fiction; the winner will be announced Nov. 19.

“This is a riveting collection of short stories that conveys the profound impact of war on the human psyche,” said Ruth Berggren, M.D., FACP, director of the Center for Medical Humanities & Ethics at the Health Science Center. “The stories both horrified and amazed me. Most importantly, they helped me begin to understand what it means to be a soldier or veteran of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars and, therefore, made me a better-prepared, more empathic physician.”

One Community/One Book is a partnership of the Center for Medical Humanities & Ethics, the Health Science Center Libraries and the STRONG STAR Multidisciplinary PTSD Research Consortium, which studies combat-related post-traumatic stress disorder.

Klay will be introduced at the event by STRONG STAR Director Alan L. Peterson, Ph.D. ABPP, a clinical psychologist and retired Air Force lieutenant colonel who served in Iraq.

“There is tremendous gratitude for the sacrifices made by service members and veterans, but it’s difficult for those who have never seen combat to truly understand the experience of our nation’s military,” Dr. Peterson said. “A book like ‘Redeployment’ serves as a starting point for conversations that ultimately lead to better understanding.”

Redeployment is the seventh book featured as a One Community/One Book selection of the Health Science Center.

“One Community/One Book has taken off at the Health Science Center,” said Rajia Tobia, A.M.L.S., executive director of the Libraries. “Literature is a window into a person’s experiences, and discussing a book can lead to additional insights. Recognizing that people are shaped by their experiences is especially important for health professionals, making One Community/One Book a valuable resource for the South Texas Medical Center, as well as San Antonio at large.”

The One Community/One Book project received generous support from David and Marisela Kepes, as well as a gift made by Jerald Winakur, M.D., and his wife, Lee Robinson, to honor the memory of Velma Marie Twiner. This program was made possible in part with a grant from Humanities Texas, the state affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities.

 

The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, one of the country’s leading health sciences universities, ranks in the top 13 percent of academic institutions receiving National Institutes of Health (NIH) funding. The university’s schools of medicine, nursing, dentistry, health professions and graduate biomedical sciences have produced more than 31,000 graduates. The $787.7 million operating budget supports eight campuses in San Antonio, Laredo, Harlingen and Edinburg. For more information on the many ways “We make lives better®,” visit www.uthscsa.edu.