Col. Daniel Cruser, M.D., presented certificates to Health Science Center faculty members for their work with military pathology residents. Shown are (left to right) Robert Reddick, M.D.; Maj. Jared Andrews, M.D., Col. Cruser; Lt. Col. Dale Selby, M.D.; Sherry Werner, M.D.; I-Tien Yeh, M.D.; Josefine Heim-Hall, M.D.; and James Henry, M.D.
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Contact: Will Sansom, 210-567-2579

SAN ANTONIO (July 25, 2011) — Pathologists from the School of Medicine at the UT Health Science Center San Antonio have the unique privilege of training residents and fellows from the U.S. Army and Air Force to prepare them for their worldwide missions.

Col. Daniel Cruser, M.D., outgoing program director of the Army Medical Corp’s combined pathology residency program at Fort Sam Houston and Wilford Hall Medical Center, recently visited the Health Science Center to thank these academic pathologists for their dedicated service from 2009 to 2011.

The July ceremony celebrated “the rich array of academic support and training offered to military residents and fellows by the civilian staff of the Health Science Center,” said James Henry, M.D., professor of pathology who retired as a colonel from the Army Medical Corps.

Longtime partnership
Robert Reddick, M.D., professor and chairman of pathology, said the university-military pathology relationship extends back at least 15 years. “This is a good time to solidify and continue this important affiliation,” he said.

The military leaders presented certificates of appreciation to four professors who provide residency and fellowship training to military pathologists. The faculty members include I-Tien Yeh, M.D., breast pathology; Sherry Werner, M.D., renal pathology; Josefine Heim-Hall, M.D., soft tissue pathology; and Dr. Henry, neuropathology.

Approximately four military residents a year rotate through the breast, renal, soft tissue and neuropathology specialties as well as other areas of pathology. “We fine-tune the residents’ knowledge in these difficult and challenging areas of expertise,” Dr. Henry said.

Col. Cruser presented commendation certificates signed by Brig Gen. Joseph Caravalho, commanding officer of Fort Sam Houston. Both officers moved to new assignments this summer. Lt. Col. Dale Selby, M.D., who succeeded Col. Cruser as program director, said many interactions are in case conferences. “We rely on UT Health Science Center faculty to have a direct impact on our most difficult cases,” he said.

Evolving, technical field
Pathology today is more complex with new technology and new understandings of genetics, molecular biology, proteomics and immunohistochemistry. Because of this, the university-military collaboration is vital for residents and fellows, Dr. Henry said. Immunohistochemistry refers to the detection of antigens in cells of a tissue section.

“Pathologists work behind the scenes to guide the surgeon’s hand,” Dr. Henry said. “For those few minutes when we are doing frozen sections of tissues to obtain vital diagnostic information, we have control of the patient’s case.”

Collaborations go beyond resident education to provision of services, such as blood transfusions, blood and tissue diagnoses, and teaching military residents to recognize tissue patterns from different injuries, Col. Cruser said.

The program reflects the Health Science Center’s concern and respect for those in uniform and their families, Dr. Henry said.

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The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, one of the country’s leading health sciences universities, ranks in the top 3 percent of all institutions worldwide receiving federal funding. Research and other sponsored program activity totaled $228 million in fiscal year 2010. The university’s schools of medicine, nursing, dentistry, health professions and graduate biomedical sciences have produced approximately 26,000 graduates. The $744 million operating budget supports eight campuses in San Antonio, Laredo, Harlingen and Edinburg. For more information on the many ways “We make lives better®,” visit www.uthscsa.edu.