More than 300 people filled the McNay Art Museum in San Antonio May 13 to honor 17 individuals and organizations recognized as Health Care Heroes for 2009 by the San Antonio Business Journal. Six of the distinguished Health Care Heroes are faculty members of The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio.

Three of the honorees — Drs. Tyler Curiel, William L. Henrich, and G. Richard Holt — were profiled in the May 5 edition of HSC News. The final three Health Care Heroes from the UT Health Science Center will be highlighted in this edition.

Health Care Innovator award
David F. Jimenez, M.D., FACS,, professor and chairman, Department of Neurosurgery

Dr. Jimenez was honored with three colleagues from the Baptist Health System for creating the Brain & Stroke Network. Under this partnership, Dr. Jimenez and departmental faculty provide around-the-clock treatment for stroke and brain surgery patients at St. Luke’s Baptist Hospital.

The Baptist Health System invested millions of dollars to install the latest neurosurgical imaging equipment at St. Luke’s. On the strength of this specialized manpower and equipment, the network is seeking accreditation as a Certified Stroke Center. It has put in place a diagnostic and treatment protocol for treating patients that will meet a set of standards required for certification. It also launched a community education campaign about the signs of stroke, the need to seek immediate care, and information about the prevention and treatment of strokes.

Dr. Amalie Ramirez is founding director of the Institute for Health Promotion Research. Her work has focused on reducing childhood obesity, providing research funding for Latino investigators and helping newly diagnosed cancer patients navigate the health care system.
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Health Care Provider award
Amelie G. Ramirez, Dr.P.H., professor of epidemiology and biostatistics, founding director of the Institute for Health Promotion Research, the Dielmann Chair in Health Disparities and Community Outreach, and the Max and Minnie Tomerlin Voelcker Endowed Chair

A community health leader who nominated Dr. Ramirez credits her with “constantly chipping away” at the disparities in health care. He says Dr. Ramirez is “developing a cadre of people” who will make a difference in educating the public. As the leader of two large national research programs, Dr. Ramirez has developed a funding source that provides grants to junior Latino investigators. The resulting pilot programs seek to reduce childhood obesity and cancer.

A pilot program that Dr. Ramirez led in San Antonio is now being rolled out nationally. It places a bilingual patient navigator in clinics and hospitals to help patients who have just been diagnosed with cancer. This advocate shows patients how to navigate the health care system to get the care they need, from transportation to referrals to social services. “Women are telling us that they are very thankful for this,” Dr. Ramirez says.

Dr. Steven Wolf was praised for his commitment to improving care for pediatric burn patients, for conducting research in tissue regeneration and encouraging students to improve the status quo.

Outstanding Physician award
Steven E. Wolf, M.D., the Betty and Bob Kelso Distinguished Chair in Burn and Trauma Surgery, professor of surgery and vice chairman of research in the Department of Surgery at the UT Health Science Center, chief of clinical research at the U.S. Army Institute of Surgical Research and director of the Pediatric Burn Program at University Hospital

Colleagues who supported Dr. Wolf’s nomination spoke of his commitment in following patients with severe burns through years of rehabilitation and treatment. They point to his leadership in expanding the University Hospital pediatric burn program after the hurricane-ravaged Shriners Hospital for Children–Galveston closed.

They praise his devotion to research, noting his success with a powder made from pig bladders that has helped regrow tissue in solders who return from war missing pieces of fingers or “hunks of muscle.” One colleague said, “He is not satisfied with keeping the status quo. He is constantly striving to improve the outcome by initiating research activities and bringing in students to show that the practice can change and improve.”