With the toss of a coin, physicians from Mays Cancer Center, home to the UT Health San Antonio MD Anderson Cancer Center, kicked off a day dedicated to outstanding health care workers and sportsmanship.
As part of the UTSA Athletics Salute to Health Care Heroes initiative, the team with Kate Lathrop, MD, Associate Professor in the Division of Hematology and Oncology and Program Director for the Hematology Oncology Fellowship Program, and Shraddha Dalwadi, MD, Assistant Professor in the Department of Radiation Oncology and a breast radiation oncologist at Mays Cancer Center, celebrated the unflappable dedication of health care workers during the Oct. 19 homecoming game. To honor the occasion, Lathrop and Dawaldi participated in the coin toss to kick off the game.
“This celebration was especially important to us as we thanked all the health care workers who make UT Health San Antonio a leader in patient care across South Texas,” said Jeff Flowers, MBA, FACHE, Chief Executive Officer for UT Health San Antonio Multispecialty and Research Hospital. “We are thrilled to welcome the more than 300 health care workers who will help us open our UT Health San Antonio’s premier hospital this December.”
“With the merging of cutting-edge research, state-of-the art technology and patient-and-family-centered care, the hospital is poised to provide a level of connected care not before seen in this region,” said Robert Leverence, MD, FACP, Executive Vice Dean for clinical affairs for UT Health San Antonio and Executive Director of UT Health Physicians. Leverence also serves as the university’s acting Senior Vice President for Medical Affairs.
“No longer will patients in South Texas have to travel far to receive care for severe conditions,” Leverence said. “With this hospital’s opening, UT Health San Antonio patients gain access to world-class care, that rivals the highest global standards, right here in San Antonio.”
During the game, Flowers and Leverence were joined on the field by hospital executives Nancy Doolittle, DNP, Chief Nursing Officer; W. Allen Fink, DO, MHA, CPE, FACEP, FACHE, Chief Medical Officer; and Tim Evans, Chief Financial Officer, to thank health care workers and the community for their support and input in the creation of the hospital.
Flowers said having the existing Mays Cancer Center and now a cancer-focused hospital, gives South Texans access to an unprecedented level of connected, multidisciplinary cancer care. From cancer prevention, screening and early detection to complex surgery, targeted therapies and development of brand new treatments, UT Health San Antonio is revolutionizing cancer care in South Texas.
“This year, we’re celebrating 50 years of serving our community. We’re the only National Cancer Institute (NCI)-designated Cancer Center in our region. We also just recruited Lei Zheng, MD, a world-renowned pancreatic researcher from Johns Hopkins, as our Executive Director to lead our cancer program into the future,” said Mark Bonnen, MD, Mays Cancer Center chief medical officer.
UT Health San Antonio is the exclusive official health care partner of the Roadrunners’ athletic programs. The medical team comprised of Ken O. Kenneth-Nwosa, MD, the team physician, and orthopaedic surgeons Thomas DeBerardino, MD, Phil Jacobs, MD, and David Heath, MD, are on the sidelines during home games to offer care if needed.
The medical team focuses on preventing common injuries among all athletes, recognizing and treating concussions, understanding the role that proper stretching, hydration and nutrition play in keeping student-athletes healthy, performing surgery if needed and determining when a student has fully recovered and is safe to return to play. Student-athletes also have access to over 800 other specialists within UT Health San Antonio.
Learn more about the patient care available from UT Health San Antonio.