UTMB Newsroom

 Medical News Today, Dec. 1, 2008

Bariatric surgery to reduce a person’s weight also seems to treat nonalcoholic fatty liver disease. UTMB’s Dr. Gagan K. Sood, lead author of a study, said, “Our team assessed and quantified this effect and found encouraging news: a majority of patients experience complete resolution of NAFLD after bariatric surgery, and the risk of progression of inflammatory changes and fibrosis seems to be minimal.”

 Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Nov. 27, 2008

This column urges that more attention be paid to Galveston and UTMB. “The sad part is that not many people know the extent of the damage caused by Ike. In a world of catastrophes, Galveston isn’t getting the attention or the assistance it deserves. Come on, Americans and the news media: This holiday season, give Galveston the gift it deserves - your attention and help.”

 Killeen Daily Herald, Dec. 1, 2008

UTMB’s Dr. Ben Raimer is quoted in this Associated Press article that discusses the impact of Hurricane Ike on health care for the state’s indigent and on surrounding counties that had contracts with UTMB to care for the indigent. “We don’t really know what level of indigent care we will now be able to provide,” Raimer said. Similar articles about the impact on Houston area hospitals because UTMB’s Level 1 trauma center is not open were published in several Southeast Texas papers, including this version in the Baytown Sun. http://baytownsun.com/story.lasso?ewcd=2325435dfebcedd4

GALVESTON, Texas - Inmates with a major mental illness are more likely than other offenders to be incarcerated repeatedly, according to a new study by Jacques Baillargeon, an epidemiologist and associate professor at the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston. (more)

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 Time Magazine, The Year in Medicine 2008

UTMB’s perinatal research division of the ob-gyn department participated in a study that was included in a special Time magazine edition called “The Year in Medicine.” The study involved the use of magnesium sulfate to help prevent cerebral palsy. Dr. Gary Hankins was the principal investigator and research and faculty involved in the study included Joan Moss, Janet Brandon, Berta Stratton, Dr. George Saade, Dr. Mary Munn, Dr. Gayle Olson, Dr. Hassan Harirah and Dr. Karen Smith.

 Austin American-Statesman, Nov. 26, 2008

The University of Texas System said that it did not violate the state Open Meetings Act when it discussed plans to lay off 3,800 UTMB employees behind closed doors. The Texas Daily Newspaper Association charged last week that the regents did not follow the law by meeting privately on the matter Nov. 12 at UT-El Paso. The Texas Faculty Association joined the criticism, suggesting that it might go to court. The associations contend that state law allows a governing board to meet privately on personnel matters involving individuals, not a class of employees. Lawyers for the UT system said that a “governing body may also consult with and receive advice from its attorneys under the legal issues exception. Captions under both exceptions … were publicly posted for the Nov. 12 meeting,” thus allowing discussion of such matters as the legal impact of authorizing layoffs, the UT System lawyers said. The Galveston County Daily News’ version of the article is at

http://galvnews.com/story.lasso?ewcd=c71d55b82aa1d2f3

 Galveston County Daily News, Nov. 26, 2008

The writer of this guest column said that residents need to vote to tax themselves and set up a hospital district to fend off efforts in Austin to further reduce the size of UTMB. The column quoted State Rep. Lois W. Kolkhorst as making the following statement before Hurricane Ike hit Galveston: “There is serious discussion up here about do we need a medical school at UTMB Galveston or do we need to just pick up and move to Austin. If the citizens of Galveston do not start participating in trying to help keep UTMB in Galveston - I can assure you that the state of Texas is going to abandon some of those buildings and move it to a more productive part of the State.”

 Galveston County Daily News, Nov. 26, 2008

In their Keeping Kids Healthy column, Drs. Sally Robinson and Keith Bly write that, with the nation’s economy still in disarray, Texas lawmakers need to be reminded that Texas has the highest rate of uninsured children in the nation, with one in every five children, 1.4 million, without coverage. “Half of these children are eligible for, but not enrolled in CHIP or Medicaid. More than 80 percent of uninsured children have working parents, but they cannot afford private coverage, which costs more than $900 a month according to the Texas Department of Insurance.” The doctors cite a recent report that makes numerous recommendations so that the children of Texas have a better chance of being insured. “Unhealthy children become unhealthy adults. We can work together to have change, to have health insurance for all children and to have a healthier tomorrow.”

GALVESTON, Texas - The Galveston Regional Maternal and Child Health Program will reopen at 8 a.m. Monday, Dec. 1 on the seventh floor of the University Hospitals clinics building, located next to the UTMB emergency room. Parking is available in Lot 2 on Harborside Drive. (more) (more…)

By Raul Reyes
UTMB Public Affairs

Zack Mahdavi has always been captivated by medicine and technology.

The third-year UTMB medical student wrote his first computer progam - a recipe manager for his mother - in BASIC when he was in the 5th grade.  And, in high school, he won first place in the Texas State Science Fair for a project on bacterial resistance to the antibacterial properties of essential oils.

So when Zack, who is in Austin for his third year of medical school, recently overheard doctors say that they wished someone would write a medical calculator application for the iPhone, he went to work.

About a month later, Mediquations was born. 

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