Prostate cancer clinical trial expands to Monterrey, Mexico

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San Antonio (July 6, 2004) – The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio’s SABOR prostate cancer research program moved south of the border recently to enroll 655 men in Monterrey, Mexico. SABOR is short for San Antonio Center of Biomarkers of Risk for Prostate Cancer.

The SABOR staff interviewed the men about their medical histories and drew blood samples June 26-27. The Health Science Center partnered with the University of Nuevo Leon Medical School, which has a large genetics research group. One Mexican physician said he thought this was the first prostate cancer screening clinic ever held in Mexico. The screening was offered at four sites in Monterrey and a urologist was present at each site.

“We are answering the call to our neighbors to the South,” said Betsy Higgins, SABOR project coordinator in the Health Science Center department of surgery.

SABOR, funded by the National Cancer Institute, is a long-term study that seeks to identify genetic, dietary and other factors that confer higher risk of prostate cancer in minority and Caucasian men. SABOR is based at the Health Science Center.

Ian Thompson, M.D., is principal investigator on the SABOR project and chief of urology at the Health Science Center. SABOR has enrolled 3,000 men from San Antonio and South Texas and has one of the highest percentages of minority representation (on the order of 51 percent Hispanic and black) of any clinical research trial of its type.

The samples were brought to San Antonio in ice chests in the cargo hold of an American Airlines jet, and the airline “was kind enough to waive the excess baggage fee,” Higgins said.

San Antonio men interested in SABOR may call (210) 567-0214. Men from surrounding counties may call toll-free 1-800-335-4594.

Health Science Center physicians celebrate Top 50 ranking in 5 categories

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The Health Science Center provides all the physicians to staff University Health System facilities, which collectively were recognized among America’s Best Hospitals in the July 5 edition of the newsmagazine.

San Antonio (July 6, 2004) – Thanks in large part to innovative faculty physicians of The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, Bexar County’s University Health System this week was named one of the Top 50 hospitals in the country in five clinical specialties by U.S. News & World Report.

The Health Science Center provides all the physicians to staff University Health System facilities, which collectively were recognized among America’s Best Hospitals in the July 5 edition of the newsmagazine. The Health System has been listed in the rankings every year since 2000.

This year, Health Science Center faculty earned Top 50 honors in five medical/surgical specialties: endocrinology including diabetes care, a first-time ranking; heart and heart surgery, also for the first time; kidney disease, which was listed in 2003; orthopedics, listed in 2003; and another repeat area, respiratory disorders.

University Health System, the primary teaching hospital system for the Health Science Center, is the only San Antonio hospital system included in the rankings. “The standards for ranking in Best Hospitals are rigorous,” U.S. News reported. “Of all 6,012 U.S. medical centers, only 177, or fewer than 1 in 30, were of high-enough quality to be ranked in even a single specialty this year.”

These 177 hospitals:

  • Perform large numbers of complex procedures
  • Adhere more closely to advanced treatment guidelines
  • Incorporate new findings into patient care
  • Conduct research that gives desperately ill patients more options
  • Are members of the Council of Teaching Hospitals, affiliated with a medical school (such as the Health Science Center’s) or provide services in at least nine of the 17 listed specialties.

The National Opinion Research Center at the University of Chicago created the model for ranking America’s Best Hospitals.

 

Asthma disease management study opens to Austin residents

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San Antonio (June 29, 2004) – A four-year asthma disease management study at The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio is being expanded to include Travis and surrounding counties, the study director, Autumn Dawn Galbreath, M.D., M.B.A., assistant professor of medicine at The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, said today.

“We will be partnering with the Community Care Services Department of the city of Austin,” Dr. Galbreath said. “The department has multiple clinics throughout Austin and we will be using space in those clinics to see our patients.” Nearly 50,000 people in Travis County have asthma, including 10,600 children and 37,900 adults, she said.

Through the support and leadership of U.S. Rep. Henry Bonilla, the asthma study received $2.5 million earlier this year from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and $2.8 million in 2003. The study, which randomly places participants into three groups receiving different levels of intervention to help them monitor their asthma, is expected to benefit the daily lives of 1,053 individuals from San Antonio and now Austin. It will help the federal government, which administers Medicare, Medicaid and military dependent programs, to make decisions about disease management services for chronic diseases such as asthma.

“This is the largest disease management study in the country and one of the only ones being done at an academic medical center,” Dr. Galbreath said. “The point of this study is to test the concept of disease management of asthma in an objective fashion so that tax dollars can be spent in an educated way.”

The study intentionally targets the underserved, minority population – Medicare and Medicaid recipients and military dependents – and this is a population that has not been part of previous disease management research, Dr. Galbreath said.
The purpose is twofold: to improve the health of patients by preventing adverse events related to their asthma and to reduce the health care costs associated with emergency room visits and hospitalizations.

The co-principal investigators from the Health Science Center are Gregory Freeman, M.D., professor of medicine; Jay Peters, M.D., professor of medicine; and Stephen Inscore, M.D., associate professor of pediatrics. Associate investigators are David Shelledy, Ph.D., professor and chair of respiratory care; Pamela Wood, M.D., professor of pediatrics; Terry LeGrand, Ph.D., associate professor of respiratory care; and several physicians in the military.

The three subcontractors are National Jewish Medical and Research Center, Denver, Colo., which provides telephone and mail patient support; Pulmonary Therapies, San Antonio, which sends licensed respiratory therapists to do home visits; and the Altarum Institute, San Antonio office, which provides data analysis support.

Individuals and families in Austin and surrounding counties may call the toll-free number, 1-888-699-4877, for more study information.

UT Health Science Center Fertility Center listed among best in U.S.

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The cover of the July issue of Town & Country magazine.

San Antonio (June 29, 2004) – The South Texas Fertility Center at The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio is recognized as one of “America’s Top Infertility Clinics” in the July issue of Town & Country magazine. The article lists Robert S. Schenken, M.D., professor and chairman of the department of obstetrics and gynecology at the Health Science Center, as a noted physician who sees patients at the San Antonio center. The Health Science Center is the only center in the Southwest and among only 12 centers to make the list.

The other centers include those at Johns Hopkins, the Cleveland Clinic and Stanford.

“It is a significant honor to be included with these centers that are recognized around the country and around the world as the best centers for reproductive endocrinology and infertility (REI),” said Craig A. Witz, M.D., associate professor of obstetrics and gynecology and director of the REI division. “All of the personnel in our center, from nurses to physicians to laboratory personnel to secretaries, take this work very seriously. The people who come to us feel they have received personalized care from an entire health care team that cares for them.”

What should patients look for in choosing a top-notch center? “Programs should offer a broad range of services and not specialize in just one type of treatment,” said Robert Brzyski, M.D., Ph.D., associate professor of obstetrics and gynecology at Health Science Center and director of the in vitro fertilization (IVF) program at the South Texas Fertility Center. “Patients also should look for their physicians to participate in professional organizations such as the Society for Assisted Reproduction Technology and to be certified by the American Board of Obstetrics and Gynecology with subspecialty certification in reproductive endocrinology and infertility. That reflects extensive training and experience. Ongoing certification on an annual basis ensures continuing quality.”

All of the Health Science Center faculty physicians in the South Texas Fertility Center – Drs. Schenken, Witz and Brzyski – have the REI subspecialty certification.

The fertility center averages 340 patient visits a month, said Jana Lee Normandin, clinic manager. The center offers comprehensive diagnostic and therapeutic options for couples. Treatment includes endoscopic surgery, microsurgery, ovulation induction and various methods of IVF, including with sperm donation and/or egg donation. The fertility procedures are performed on site.

“Our Health Science Center affiliation affords us greater opportunities for collaboration in reproductive research,” Dr. Brzyski added. “One specific area is research in polycystic ovary syndrome, a condition that is associated with multiple health risks, including infertility.”

Hensler named to international Serotonin Club Council

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San Antonio (June 29, 2004) – Julie Hensler, Ph.D., associate professor in the department of pharmacology at The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, recently was elected as a U.S. councilor to the Serotonin Club, an international organization that promotes research into serotonin.

The biology of serotonin, a neurotransmitter that enables communication among brain cells, is a crucial topic in neuroscience. Medications such as fluoxetine (Prozac®, registered trademark of Eli Lilly & Co.) treat depression and other conditions by altering serotonin activity in the brain. Dr. Hensler is among 11 of the world’s foremost scientists who were invited to serve on the Serotonin Club Council, including five from Europe, four from the United States and two from other parts of the world.

Dr. Hensler received her Ph.D. from Northwestern University. “Because the treatment of many psychiatric disorders involves long-term pharmacological intervention, I am interested in the molecular mechanisms by which neurotransmitter receptor systems compensate (or regulate) following drug treatment,” she said. “My research group has focused primarily on the regulation of serotonin receptor function. The serotonergic system in the brain has been implicated in substance abuse and addiction, as well as many psychiatric disorders. This is really quite an honor to serve on the Serotonin Club Council with such esteemed colleagues.”

Dr. Hensler’s laboratory has received continuous research funding from the National Institute of Mental Health. Her work also has been supported by awards from the National Alliance for Research on Schizophrenia and Depression, the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America Foundation, the San Antonio Area Foundation and the South Texas Health Research Center. Her term on the Serotonin Club Council is for four years.

Agricultural rescue class to prepare volunteer firefighters, emergency responders

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San Antonio (June 22, 2004) – Emergencies involving people trapped in farm equipment require specialized knowledge and skills. The department of emergency medical technology (EMT) instructors and students from The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, in conjunction with the East Central Citizens Forum, are sponsoring an agricultural rescue class to train volunteer firefighters and emergency responders how to extricate victims caught in farm equipment. The class is from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, June 26, at the East Central High School agricultural barn, 7173 FM 1628.

Extrication specialists from the San Antonio Fire Department’s Station 11 rescue team, who are experts with farm equipment operation, are volunteering to teach the participants how to safely work around farm equipment, how to shut the equipment down and, if necessary, lift, move or rip it open to get to a victim. Tractors, hay bailers, posthole diggers and other equipment for the program have been donated by Bill’s Tractor Supply and Southeast Bexar County citizens.

“Working in and around farm equipment is a highly specialized skill and is not taught on a regular basis,” said Geoffrey Smith, EMT instructor at the Health Science Center and program organizer, who has been in emergency medical services for 14 years. “The volunteer agencies do not get the training opportunities that the big municipalities do and I want to increase public awareness about agricultural safety.”

Courses in how to get an ambulance to a rural location more effectively, snake bite treatment and basic first aid using household products will also be included in the class.