Making childhood better: one child at a time

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KnudsenMS
Jessica Knudsen, president and CEO, Clarity Child Guidance Center

Did you know that one-in-four children in Bexar County suffers with mental health issues?

“An alarming number of children suffer from psychotic disorders due to bullying and other stressful situations,” said Jessica Knudsen, president and CEO of Clarity Child Guidance Center. “We’ve seen increased numbers of kids referred to us from the local school districts and even the San Antonio Police Department,”

Clarity Child Guidance Center is the region’s only nonprofit provider of mental health care exclusively for children and adolescents age 3-17. Knudsen is an experienced clinician who first noticed the sharp rise in mental health issues among poverty-stricken kids while teaching in various public schools. She received a Bachelor of Science in Psychology from the University of North Carolina and a Master of Science in Social Work from the University of Texas at Austin.

“I really enjoyed teaching, but I found my calling when I started working as an inpatient therapist,” said Knudsen. She has been serving as the president and CEO of  Clarity Child Guidance Center since February 2019.

Clarity’s  33,750 square-foot outpatient clinic opened its doors in 2016. It allows Clarity to consolidate its resources and provide more efficient care for its young patients. Children who receive treatment in Clarity’s hospital or day treatment center stay on the main campus for their continuum of care without going off-site to another facility.

Clarity has partnered with UT Health San Antonio for more than 20 years.

“Clarity is a complete treatment facility and UT Health San Antonio also has a huge role in our efforts in providing the most effective treatment for our patients,” said Knudsen. “We have six residents from UT Health San Antonio who actively participate in clinical rotations here. These residents work with our staff psychiatrists and nurse practitioners. It’s a perfect example of how our partnership with UT Health San Antonio has made a huge difference in helping children in our community.”

Last year alone, Clarity Child Guidance Center treated more than 7,000 kids, including 2,500 children on an inpatient basis. “We never question the parent’s ability to pay for the treatment of their child at Clarity Child Guidance Center. Our goal is that children and adolescent patients are saved before a crisis takes place where they can hurt themselves or their loved ones. It’s our goal to ensure safety for all our patients, and help them through proper treatment and continued outpatient therapy,” Knudsen said.

The 8-acre Clarity facility has 66 inpatient beds, playground, gymnasium and cafeteria, as well as a pool so that the patients can experience a childhood that’s free of the burdens and rigors that come with mental health issues.

“We encourage everyone to take a tour of the facility,” Knudsen said. “The center has various volunteer programs for those interested. One of those programs is called ‘Food for the Soul,’ an event where local volunteer groups make delicious and nutritious meals for patients.Eating great food and interacting with volunteers brings out a smile with everyone involved. It helps kids enjoy being kids again.”

Clarity also actively educates the local community on the rising number of behavioral disorders in children and promotes mental health awareness among adolescents.

“Parents and teachers may not realize or distinguish a difference between mental health and behavioral issues,” Knudsen said. “It can be very frustrating and a treatment facility is the last place that comes to parent’s minds. That’s why education on child mental health is an important part of our organization’s efforts. We want to make sure that we are here to help when parents run out of ideas since there is a limited number of child-focused mental health treatment facilities in South Texas.”

Knudsen knows how fragile a child’s mind can be. “Mental health issues in children know no socio-economic boundaries. We see a broad spectrum of patients within our community. And it usually takes parents by surprise, since many parents are ill-prepared for such dire situations,” she said.

Clarity Child Guidance Center and UT Health San Antonio have been serving as a beacon of hope for children with mental health issues for several decades. Visit www.claritycgc.org if you would like to volunteer or donate towards the effort of making lives better for children of Bexar County.

Rockwood honored as an AOA Pillar of the Orthopaedic Profession

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Charles A. Rockwood Jr., M.D., FAOA

Charles A. Rockwood, Jr., M.D., FAOA, of UT Health San Antonio has been honored by the American Orthopaedic Association as an AOA Pillar of the Orthopaedic Profession for his tremendous contributions to orthopaedic surgery. The effort to recognize Dr. Rockwood was led by Bernard F. Morrey, M.D., FAOA, with the generous support of many colleagues, friends and the Alamo Orthopaedic Society, which includes several of Dr. Rockwood’s former residents.

“I commend the AOA for establishing the AOA Pillar of the Orthopaedic Profession Program, and I can think of no one more deserving to be in the first group of giants so honored than Charley Rockwood,” Dr. Morrey said. “Not only did he establish a premier orthopaedic program and thereby touch the lives of numerous trainees, but his classic textbook, Rockwood and Green’s Fractures in Adults, has benefited orthopaedic surgeons worldwide.”

Dr. Rockwood graduated from the University of Oklahoma School of Medicine in 1956 and completed his orthopaedic residency at the Department of Orthopaedics at the University of Oklahoma and affiliated hospitals in 1961. He came to The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio (now called UT Health San Antonio) in 1966 as founder of what would become the Department of Orthopaedics. In 1967, he participated in the AOA American-British-Canadian (ABC) Traveling Fellowship program and often speaks of the strong impact this experience had on his career.

Over the years, Dr. Rockwood focused his private practice to the study and treatment of shoulder problems. He worked diligently to develop a shoulder arthroplasty system and a post-operative home-based exercise rehabilitation program for the shoulder. In addition, he has led his team of investigators in developing the fracture prosthesis specifically designed to treat fractures of the shoulder, as well as the conservative anatomical prosthesis and the cuff tear arthropathy head.

Dr. Rockwood has authored numerous journal articles and audiovisual presentations and has served as editor of several textbooks, including seven editions of the three-volume text, Fractures (with David P. Green, M.D.) and four editions of the two-volume text, The Shoulder (with Frederick A. Matsen III, M.D.). He served as president of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS) in 1984-85 and president of the American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons in 1985-87. He also served as a colonel in the United States Air Force Reserve, and as a civilian national consultant to the surgeon general of the U.S. Air Force.

In 2016, Dr. Rockwood, professor and chairman emeritus, Department of Orthopaedics, and director of the Shoulder Service, celebrated 50 years of service to UT Health San Antonio. In his private practice, he continued to perform complex shoulder surgery and, as a consultant, shared his expertise with other orthopaedic surgeons throughout the country.

Dr. Rockwood made a generous commitment in 2018 in the amount of $150,000 to the AOA, with $125,000 in support of the AOA’s ABC Traveling Fellowship in recognition of his passion for the program.

“Charley was masterful in establishing effective working relationships with other orthopaedic leaders, and by example he taught many the importance of that skill,” Dr. Morrey said. “On a personal level, Charley is beloved by all and has been one of the most recognized ambassadors of U.S. orthopaedic surgery. He is and has truly been a pillar of our specialty.”

The AOA acknowledges Dr. Rockwood’s legacy and congratulates him on being recognized as an AOA Pillar of the Orthopaedic Profession. He was honored during the AOA Annual Leadership Meetings in San Diego on June 28, 2019. The short video that was shown at the meeting is available here.

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The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, now called UT Health San Antonio®, is one of the country’s leading health sciences universities. With missions of teaching, research, healing and community engagement, its schools of medicine, nursing, dentistry, health professions and graduate biomedical sciences have produced 36,500 alumni who are leading change, advancing their fields and renewing hope for patients and their families throughout South Texas and the world. To learn about the many ways “We make lives better®,” visit www.uthscsa.edu.

 

Flu shots available through Wellness 360

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Wellness 360, comprehensive health care for employees and students, is offering flu shots at several locations in September.

Shots will be available at the MARC, Conference Room B, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Sept. 17, 23 and 30. They will be available at the Mays Cancer Center, Mabee Conference Room, from 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., on Sept. 20. And they will be available in the Center for Oral Health Care and Research, Conference Room 2001, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., on Sept. 27.

Shots are also available in the Wellness 360 facility on the first floor of the School of Nursing, suite 1.422. Please make an appointment by calling 210-567-2788. Same-day appointments are often available.

Please bring your insurance card and ID badge with you. We accept BCBS UT Select, any PPO health insurance plan and Tricare standard. Contact Wellness 360 with any questions or concerns. Phone 210-567-2788, fax 210-567-2779.

 

 

 

Registration open for Combat PTSD Conference

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Registration is open for the fourth annual San Antonio Combat PTSD Conference taking place Oct. 23-24 at the Henry B. González Convention Center. The event will feature leaders in the field reporting advances in the assessment and treatment of combat-related post-traumatic stress disorder and co-occurring conditions.

The only national scientific event of its type, the conference is presented by the UT Health San Antonio-led STRONG STAR Consortium and Consortium to Alleviate PTSD (CAP). Registration is free until Sept. 30. Participants also have the option of paying to receive continuing education credits for attending the conference and/or its pre-conference educational events.

This year’s conference is expected to draw more than 600 attendees, including a national and international audience of researchers, clinicians, leaders, and policy makers within the Departments of Defense and Veterans Affairs as well as from academia and the civilian sector. Many other active duty military, veterans, and community members with an interest in the mental health needs of our nation’s war fighters also will be on hand.

Attendees will hear from investigators with STRONG STAR and CAP, who will share their most recent study findings, along with other prominent speakers from around the United States discussing their own research and other topics.

Alan Peterson, PhD, professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at UT Health San Antonio and director of STRONG STAR and CAP, thanked the Bob Woodruff Foundation for its help in providing such a compelling program free of charge or for a nominal fee. The foundation, which invests in programs helping impacted veterans, service members and their families thrive, is supporting the conference this year as a presenting sponsor.

“Our conference is rapidly growing and becoming the premier scientific meeting of its kind,” said Dr. Peterson. “Having a major sponsor like the Bob Woodruff Foundation allows us to continue that growth while keeping our costs down. That is important to us. We want as many people as possible to attend so that we can get information into the hands of people who need it, but we also want to hear from attendees about current clinical needs and research gaps. That will help guide us as we formulate ideas for future research.”

For more information on the San Antonio Combat PTSD Conference or to register, visit www.combatPTSDconference.com

 

Volunteers needed for 2019 Science Expo

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Faculty, staff and students are invited to volunteer and share their expertise with the health care professionals and researchers of tomorrow during the annual Science Expo, to be held Saturday, Nov. 2.

Each year, about 1,500 high school and college students from San Antonio and South Texas arrive on our campus for interactive, hands-on activities and presentations that give them a unique insight into what it would be like to enter the health professions and/or pursue research careers.

Representatives from the Long School of Medicine, School of Dentistry, School of Health Professions, School of Nursing and Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences are needed to lead discussions, demonstrations, dissections and labs.

Expo cannot be a success without a large number of volunteers.

If you can present a lecture, conduct a lab, host a table display or help with crowd control, please register online at www.uthscsa.edu/outreach or directly via the link below.

https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/2Z5STK9

Please contact Irene Chapa, Ph.D., at 210-567-3941 or chapai@uthscsa.edu, if you have any questions.