GALVESTON, Texas—The
University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston recently received two
significant contributions from George and Cynthia Mitchell, the first to
create an Alzheimer’s disease research program and a second to establish
an endowed distinguished chair in geriatric medicine. These two endowed
programs will bolster significantly the university’s renowned elderly
patient care and research programs.
The Mitchells recently committed $1 million to fund research for
Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and other age-related neurodegenerative
conditions. Called the George and Cynthia Mitchell Research Program in
Alzheimer’s Disease, the program’s focus will be to study new and emerging
research and treatment related to AD with a goal of preventing the disease
at the molecular level.
AD is an age-related brain disorder that, as it gradually occurs, leads to
behavior and personality changes, memory loss and impaired thinking
abilities. The disease, which typically appears in people diagnosed with
AD after age 60, causes the breakdown of nerve cell connections in the
brain and the eventual death of these cells. The course of this disease
and the rate of decline vary among individuals. According to the Texas
Department of Health, up to 4 million people in the United States
currently have AD, and 14 million are projected to be diagnosed by 2050.
An estimated 280,000 Texans have the disease.
In
addition to establishing an AD program at UTMB, the Mitchells gave funds
to establish a $1 million distinguished chair to support the university’s
aging program. This endowment, which the university will name the George
and Cynthia Mitchell Distinguished Chair in Geriatric Medicine, will
support ongoing research and education at the
UTMB Sealy Center on
Aging, a nationally recognized geriatric program.
With continuing medical advances, Texans are living longer and requiring
more age-related health care. U.S. Department of Commerce statistics
indicate that, between 2000 and 2010, more than 500,000 people over 65
will be added to the state’s population. The number of those 85 and older
living in the United States is predicted to increase from 12 million in
2000 to 19 million in 2030.
Dr. James S. Goodwin, who has been appointed to the distinguished chair,
said the Mitchells’ contribution would help advance the study of
geriatrics. “The Mitchell endowments are important for promoting aging
research and education at UTMB because they allow us to invest in
innovative programs that will result in advanced research and improved
care for the elderly,” said Goodwin, director of geriatric medicine.
George Mitchell said he was impressed by the enthusiasm at UTMB to advance
geriatric medicine.
“Cynthia and I are most honored that UTMB
has created a distinguished chair and a program in Alzheimer’s research in
our names,” Mitchell said. “As long-time supporters of the university, we
are honored to be associated with such an outstanding program as the Sealy
Center on Aging and its commitment to research and education in the fields
of geriatric medicine and neurological research.”
The Sealy Center has received the designation as a Claude D. Pepper Older
Americans Independence Center. UTMB is the only academic health center to
hold this designation in the Southwest and is one of just 10 in the
nation.
A national external review team composed of experts in geriatrics recently
conducted a comprehensive review of UTMB that recognized the university as
an outstanding national program in aging. Furthermore, the review team
stated the success of Goodwin’s organization of the UTMB geriatrics
program should serve as the benchmark for others across the country.
Through a generous donation in 1984, the Mitchells spearheaded UTMB’s
efforts to create a nationally recognized geriatrics program. In the
ensuing years, the geriatric program’s clinical care and research
capabilities grew to the point of being recognized in 1992 as one of
UTMB’s prestigious Sealy Centers for Excellence. The center anchors all
research and clinical care programs and instills collaborations among the
programs. Today, the Sealy
Center’s age research
includes the study of muscle function, hormone and nutrition
interventions, the impact of neurodegenerative conditions on aging and the
influence of positive attitudes on the incidence of stroke and other
diseases common in the aging population.
Dr. John D. Stobo,
UTMB president, praised the Mitchells for their latest gifts to the
academic health center. “George and Cynthia Mitchell have been outstanding
advocates and visionaries for Galveston and UTMB for many decades,” he
said. “Their longstanding support of UTMB and, in particular, geriatric
medicine has been instrumental in this program’s development into the
world-class center that it is today. We are honored by the continued
generosity and involvement of George and Cynthia Mitchell in the further
development of programs of excellence at UTMB.”
UTMB researchers each year receive approximately $12 million in federal
funding for age-related study. Since 1990, the amount of annual research
support the university receives from the National Institute on Aging has
grown from $1 million to $6 million.
UTMB continues to meet the needs of older citizens with the Sealy
Center’s strong geriatric medicine program. Serving approximately 10,000
patients annually, this clinical resource consists of physicians, social
workers, nurses, occupational and physical therapists and others who
provide specialized care for the elderly. In an uncommon practice by
today’s standards, these health care professionals actually make “house
calls” to senior citizens who cannot leave their homes. Special insurance
and pharmaceutical programs have been initiated to help economically
disadvantaged seniors. Various rehabilitation and educational programs
have also been started to help the elderly manage existing health
conditions.
UTMB is also reaching out to help care for seniors who live beyond
Galveston Island. In a telemedicine pilot project, UTMB partnered with
rural county hospitals by providing geriatric specialist expertise through
high-speed communication lines.
Older patients who require hospitalization may recover at a UTMB facility
specially designed for older patients. The Acute Care for the Elderly
(ACE) Unit is located on the 10th floor of John Sealy Hospital
and has a team of geriatric experts to provide comprehensive care. The
unit provides larger patient rooms with a home-like setting and other
accommodations to better serve geriatric patients.
George Mitchell, who was born in Galveston, has been a major contributor
to UTMB and the city. A legendary wildcatter and real estate visionary,
Mitchell built Mitchell Energy into one of the nation’s largest
independent gas and oil producers. In the 1960s, he created and developed
The Woodlands, a 25,000-acre planned community located 27 miles north of
downtown Houston and recognized as one of the premier master-planned
communities in the United States. In addition to founding and developing
The Cynthia Woods Mitchell Center for the Performing Arts in The
Woodlands, the Mitchells are credited with spawning the resurgence of
tourism and preservation on Galveston Island through their restoration of
the city’s historic Strand district and by reviving Mardi Gras
celebrations on the island. |