Lunch and Breakfast to be served at the Medical School

The Medical School community has waited six years, but it’s back – food service in the Medical School.

The French Corner at the Medical School will be located on the ground floor, with its grand opening set for Monday, July 16. The grab-n-go location will feature pre-prepared salads and sandwiches, Seattle’s Best Coffee and specialty drinks, chips, fruit, croissants, and Danishes. The café will be open 7 a.m. – 4 p.m. during the week, excluding university holidays, but the hours may be modified depending on demand, according to Diane Collard, manager of food and travel services, Auxiliary Enterprises.

“Catering will still be done through The French Corner at the School of Nursing. However, the Medical School location often times will be able to accommodate catering for coffee, cookies, and Danishes. If the management at the School of Nursing cannot accommodate your request, they will refer you to The French Corner’s main location which is not ‘under contract’ with the university,” Collard explained.

The restaurant phone numbers: Medical School: 713.500.0607; School of Nursing: 713.500.9103.

-D. Brown

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Cardiologist Champions Care for Heart Attack Patients

When it comes to care for heart attack patients, a system developed in part by physicians at the Medical School and implemented at Memorial Hermann-Texas Medical Center could serve as a national model.

In a “Physician Perspective” published July 10 in the print edition of Circulation, a journal of the American Heart Association, seven physicians weighed in on ideal systems of care for ST-segment-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI). Dr. Richard Smalling, professor in the Division of Cardiology, served as co-chair of the writing panel.

“We are championing definitive care that is faster and improves outcomes for heart attack patients,” said Smalling, director of interventional cardiovascular medicine at Memorial Hermann-TMC. “We’re already doing this here and it works.”

According to the “Physician Perspective,” an effective STEMI care system relies on a team of multiple physicians, nurses, emergency medical services personnel, and other providers to work in an efficient, collaborative manner to deliver optimal patient care.

In order to do this, physicians must be committed to providing timely care for patients with acute myocardial infarction. They must obtain full cooperation from hospital and medical staff at local, referral and regional levels; implement innovative team-based methods for overcoming barriers to ideal STEMI treatment, and use credible clinical information systems for prompt data collection and feedback.

STEMI, or acute myocardial infarction, is a type of severe heart attack caused by a prolonged period of blocked blood supply. It affects a large area of the heart muscle. According to the American Heart Association, nearly 400,000 patients suffer this type of heart attack every year and can benefit greatly by having potential heart damage reduced if their blocked artery is opened in time.

The ideal STEMI care system begins with community education. Physicians should promote early recognition of heart attack and the need to call 9-1-1 quickly at the onset of chest discomfort. Paramedics and emergency physicians should be trained to accurately interpret electrocardiogram readings and promptly initiate appropriate care.

Smalling, holder of the Jay Brent Sterling Professorship in Cardiovascular Medicine at the UT Medical School at Houston, stressed that funding is a major challenge in creating the optimal system of care for heart attack patients. Funds are needed to conduct research that establishes the best protocols of care and then to implement those systems at hospitals in Houston and around the country.

For a copy of the “Physician Perspective,” visit http://www.circulationaha.org.

-M. Raine


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TMC aerial image available for free to Medical School community

Interim Dean Jerry Wolinsky has announced that he is making one new aerial photograph available to all Medical School faculty, staff, and students for their presentation needs.

“I agree with faculty who have said that they need a new aerial for their PowerPoint presentations when they are presenting their research around the country and the world,” he said. “It’s important to let people know about the Medical School and the expansive Texas Medical Center.”

The new aerial photographs were taken by the photography staff of the Office of Communications – Ester Fant, Dwight Andrews, and Eric Rasch. The Office of Communications is a Dean’s Office and a cost-recovery office, which has to bring in jobs to make up salaries, benefits, and operating costs.

“Renting a helicopter for even just 30 minutes is very expensive. We had to partner with several institutions throughout the Texas Medical Center in order to take these photographs,” explained Darla Brown, director of the office.

More than 800 photos of the Texas Medical Center and surrounding area were taken. The images, which are at the highest resolution and include all rights, are available for $19.95. The free downloadable image (for the Medical School community) and other images are available for preview at http://med.uth.tmc.edu/comm/services.htm.

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