The Health Science Center’s Student-Run Free Clinic Program and Ian Thompson Jr., M.D., professor and chairman of the department of urology, will be recognized as San Antonio’s Health Care Heroes Thursday, May 18 at the Children’s Cancer Research Institute. The San Antonio Business Journal honors individuals and organizations each year, presenting them with the prestigious award. The 2006 Health Care Heroes Award ceremony will recognize a total of 14 individuals and organizations.
“I have seen first-hand the incredible work of some of the award recipients,” said Francisco G. Cigarroa, M.D., president of the Health Science Center. “Their service, dedication and leadership not only brighten the lives of others, but truly make San Antonio a healthier place.”
The Student-Run Free Clinic Program is a collaborative effort of medical students, residents and faculty in partnership with several community partners including the Alpha Home and San Antonio Metropolitan Ministry, Inc (SAMM). Medical students and residents gain vital experience in primary care medicine, public health, community service and administration of health care. The clinic serves a unique educational setting. Weekly clinics are provided at both the Alpha Home and the SAMM Transitional Living and Learning Center.
Richard Usatine, M.D., vice chair for education and co-director of the third-year clerkship in the department of family and community medicine, currently serves as the faculty advisor to Physicians for Social Responsibility and he developed the student-run clinics with a group of medical students. He has been recognized throughout his career for bringing quality health care to underserved communities, and teaching and mentoring student physicians to provide compassionate care to the underprivileged.
Dr. Thompson is one of the world’s preeminent urologists and leading authorities on prostate cancer prevention, diagnosis and treatment. He served as the national clinical coordinator of the Prostate Cancer Prevention Trial, a seven-year study sponsored by the National Cancer Institute (NCI). The trial, conducted at more than 200 U.S. institutions, began in 1993 to study the effects of the drug finasteride on 18,882 men. The drug lowered men’s risk of developing prostate cancer by nearly 25 percent. In 2001, Dr. Thompson’s team also launched SABOR (San Antonio Center of Biomarkers of Risk for Prostate Cancer), an ambitious NCI-funded prevention and early detection trial that has enrolled more than 3,000 men and is following them for at least five years. His vision is to change the standard of care in prostate cancer by precisely classifying individuals’ levels of risk for the disease, enabling men to make accurate and educated diagnostic and treatment decisions with their physicians.
Larry Miller, M.D., chief executive officer of VidaCare Corp., will also be named a Health Care Hero. VidaCare is the maker of the EZ-IO™ device. The device was developed with the Health Science Center’s assistance and is used as a viable alternative to traditional intravenous (IV) access in emergency situations.
