The unveiling of two new Zen Rooms—one on the Galveston Campus and another on UTMB's League City Campus—coincided with Health System & Nurses Week, an annual week of recognition of UTMB’s hospital and nursing staff.
Board-certified allergy expert Dr. Jennifer McCracken joined Meagan Clanahan of the Houston Moms Blog to discuss helpful tips and tricks about seasonal allergies.
Pei-Yong Shi, a virologist at the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston, said omicron is really unique because it has an incredible ability to change or evolve in a way that allows it to just zoom past the immune system, and it does this very quickly. “In terms of the ability to evade antibodies, omicron is a master player,” Shi said. “It’s way more efficient than all the previous variants. Like, in this case, sometimes you just need one key mutation there that can totally flip things around.” But Shi emphasized that there's no sign this new variant causes more severe disease compared to the previous omicrons.
A Canadian researcher points to work led by Dr. Vineet Menachery at the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston on the virus's nucleocapsid protein, which in animal models is a control on severity. There could be mutations happening outside of the spike protein, where the majority of mutations occur, that we have no idea what the functional consequences would be. That could make the virus potentially more transmissible, more infectious or more pathogenic. And that's really scary to think about.
A study published May 4 in The BMJ found substantial differences in care for heart attack patients across six high-income countries despite international agreement on how heart attacks should be treated. “From a U.S. perspective, our heart attack care is good, but the one-year mortality rate is concerning,” said Dr. Peter Cram, professor and chair of internal medicine at the University of Texas Medical Center at Galveston, who is one of the authors of the study. “If dying is one of the things we want to prevent, then we have work to do.” Physician’s Weekly and others also reported on the comparative study.
The Houston Business Journal cover story this week features Deborah Jones, dean at the school of nursing at the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston. In the past 10 years, the UTMB enrollment numbers have increased by 52%. “We're not post pandemic; we're still going through it,” Jones said. “Nurses are certainly still feeling the impact of that. They’ve had to be at the front lines through the entire pandemic, figured out ways to deliver high quality care to patients with conditions that they had not seen before on this magnitude, while taking care of their children and families at home. They're tired. We're really trying to figure out how do we continue to support nurses so that they can support themselves and be able to stay in the profession.”
Guns are now the leading cause of death in children and teenagers in the United States. “In addition to common-sense gun control, such as safe storage and enforcement of red flag laws, we need universally administered community- and school-based programs that effectively prevent violence,” said Jeff Temple, PhD, a licensed psychologist, and director of the Center for Violence Prevention at the University of Texas Medical Branch.
The University of Texas Medical Branch’s League City Campus reached Advanced Level III trauma facility status. The verification process of trauma levels requires more than a year of preparation to achieve. “You need to have more trauma centers,” League City administrator Christine Wade said. “Otherwise, other hospitals can get overwhelmed.” League City’s growing population will need more trauma care. “The community here and the growth in this area is just unprecedented,” Wade said. “The emergency room has exploded in volume.”
Once you've asked someone how they are, it is important to listen—without shame or stigma. “Be patient, non-judgmental, and open to conversation,” said Dr. Jeff Temple, a licensed psychologist and University of Texas Medical Branch professor. You should be responsive and make eye contact. Hear them out, no matter what. And offer empathy. “You don't have to be an expert to know someone is struggling,” Temple said. “You just must be a caring person who wants to help. This shows the person that they can lean on you for support and rely on you when they're struggling.”
From December 2016 to October 2017, researcher Shannon Guillot-Wright from the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston gathered data during interviews and from observations, field notes and photovoice. the seafarers fear that seeking medical attention for an injury or illness will cause them to be viewed as unhealthy and lead to the loss of employment. “In this way, companies penalize seafarers for accessing the protections guaranteed to them despite having contractual rights,” Guillot-Wright writes.
The Australian website referenced scientific research that found most movie villains are portrayed with skin conditions. Researchers from the University of Texas Medical Branch even stated that this portrayal may “foster a tendency toward prejudice in our society directed at those with skin disease.”
Even 40,000 years ago, we have evidence of diseases from animals affecting our ancient human cousins. The “Old Man of La Chapelle,” a partially fossilized Neanderthal skeleton discovered in a cave in central France in 1908, continues to provide new insights. New analysis suggests that he acquired an infection from butchering animals or preparing raw meat.
Mental illness is caused by a combination of biological, psychological and environmental factors. Dr. Sally Robinson explains.
In an era with easier social connections through the internet, text messaging and email, establishing and building friendships is harder than ever. Dr. Samuel Mathis encourages us to make new friends. Want to have coffee soon?
Dr. Samuel E. Mathis, associate professor in the Department of Family Medicine at the University of Texas Medical Branch, has been elected to the Texas Medical Association (TMA) Board of Trustees to represent the Young Physician Section. TMA’s House of Delegates policymaking body elected Mathis during the association’s annual conference TexMed, in Houston on April 30.
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When it comes to treating heart attacks, U.S. hospitals may have the latest tech and low readmission rates, but the country’s mortality rate is one of the highest among the nations included in a new study. The study, published May 4 in The BMJ, found substantial differences in care for heart attack patients across six high income countries despite international agreement on how heart attacks should be treated.
The Texas Department of State Health Services has named the University of Texas Medical Branch’s League City Campus as an Advanced Level III Trauma Facility.
Even under the most optimistic climate scenarios, the coming decades will see roughly 300,000 first encounters between species that normally don’t interact, leading to about 15,000 spillovers wherein viruses enter naive hosts. “It’s a little harrowing,” said Vineet Menachery, a virologist at the University of Texas Medical Branch. The study suggests that the alarming pace at which new or reemergent viruses have caused outbreaks in recent decades is not some abnormal situation, Menachery said, “but what we should be expecting, maybe even with an acceleration.”
The Landmark Award winner in the medical category is the University of Texas Medical Branch League City campus expansion. UTMB's initial League City hospital opened in 2016, and its inpatient services and other service lines quickly reached capacity. The expansion gives the League City campus a total of 97 beds and was designed to support the growing mainland population over the next decade. The new five-story patient tower features several new departments and amenities, adding 60 new patient beds, lab spaces, new food service and dining, and an adjacent helipad. The tower also can support future vertical expansion of up to 12 floors and 360 beds. The first phase of the expansion also included a new parking garage and a pedestrian bridge.
Drs. Victor S. Sierpina and Michelle Sierpina review three books on living a long and fulfilling life. Here’s some advice: “Keep moving; cut calories; eat more plants; drink red wine in moderation; purpose now — take time to see the big picture; take steps to relieve stress; participate in a spiritual community; loved ones first — make family a priority; and right tribe — surround yourself with Blue Zone-minded people.”