MEDIA REPORT

Study of breast cancer gene tops the news

The National Hispanic Reporter ran a spread on the National Women's Training Conference: "Building Economic and Political Empowerment for the Millennium," featuring Dr. Sylvia Fernandez, Office of Special Programs, as a keynote speaker.

Harlingen's Valley Morning Star reported that South Texas Hospital in Harlingen and other health care facilities in the area will receive grant money from the Telecommunications Infrastructure Fund to enhance or establish health information systems. The Center for Distance Learning and Telehealth sponsored a proposal-writing workshop that enabled the health facilities to apply for the grants.

The Crystal City Zavala County Sentinel ran a story on the Winter Garden Area Health Education Center (AHEC). The Brady Standard quoted Dr. Charles Bryan, medicine, in an article about the importance of flu shots. Robert Price, executive vice president, was quoted in an Austin American-Statesman article on the tobacco settlement.

The Canyon Lake Times Guardian featured the work of Dr. Wen-Hwa Lee, director of the Institute of Biotechnology (IBT), in an article on the breast cancer suppression gene BRCA1.

The Express-News ran a story on the stuttering studies being conducted at the Research Imaging Center (RIC) by Dr. Peter Fox, director, and Drs. Janice and Roger Ingham. Former Governor Dolph Briscoe, who co-chairs the Engineering and Bioscience Initiative at the Health Science Center, was mentioned in a piece recognizing the winners of the Ford Salute to Education. Drs. Elaine Hardman and Ivan Cameron, cellular and structural biology, and Dr. Mary Pat Moyer, surgery, were interviewed for an article on the effects of fish oil on mice receiving chemotherapy.

The paper ran a piece on a rare brain surgery performed by Health Science Center neurosurgeons on an Italian teen-ager with drug-resistant epilepsy. A profile appeared on Dr. Carlton Eddy, obstetrics and gynecology, and the hand-drawn envelopes in which he sends letters to his son, who is stationed on a Navy warship.

Dr. James Jorgensen, pathology, was quoted in Carolyn Ross-Toren's column on primary amoebic encephalitis. An editorial by Lynnell Burkett mentioned the Health Science Center's $200 million endowment for children's cancer research. David Hendricks' column in the Business section discussed the Health Science Center's role in the growing biosciences industry.

Dr. Michael Rinaldi, pathology, was quoted in a feature on a young woman's battle with a rare fungal condition. Dr. Basil Pruitt, surgery, the new president of the American Surgical Association, was listed in the Metro Briefs section. An article on technology in medicine featured Dr. Jim Legler, pediatrics, and Dr. Helen Cronenberger, Center for Distance Learning and Telehealth.

The Health Science Center was mentioned as a contributor to San Antonio's suburban boom in an article in the San Antonio 2000 section. A feature in the Sports section described first-year medical student Cathy Herway's amateur boxing and quoted Dr. Leonard Lawrence, associate dean of the Medical School.

Express-News reporters interviewed Dr. Stephen Brannan, psychiatry, for a story on the effect of heat on prison populations. Dr. William Sponsel, ophthalmology, was quoted in an article on the Health Science Center's donation of glaucoma screening equipment to Kazakhstan. Olive Roen and Dr. Frank Moore, School of Public Health, were interviewed for a story about their community-based study on diabetes awareness.

KENS, Channel 5, interviewed Dr. Eugene Sprague, radiology, on an atomic microscope; Dr. Ed Gruber, family nursing care, on a diabetes study conducted by the School of Nursing and the School of Public Health; and Dr. Marilyn Escobedo, pediatrics, on pain management in infants.

Also appearing on KENS were Dr. David Cochran, periodontics, on the connection between gum disease and stroke, and Dr. Steven Britt, molecular medicine, on the ability of flies to see color.

The station also interviewed Drs. Elaine Hardman and Ivan Cameron about the role of fish oil in easing some of the side effects of chemotherapy in mice. Dr. Robert Campbell, orthopaedics, discussed heavy backpacks, and Dr. Charles Szabo, medicine, spoke about new drug treatments for epilepsy.

Dr. Harold Gaskill, surgery, was interviewed on KENS about new suture materials. Dr. Peter Fox, spoke about the ¹⁸FDG radiotracer being made available to area hospitals, and Dr. William Sponsel was interviewed about glaucoma.

KENS; KSAT, Channel 12; KMOL, Channel 4; and KABB, Channel 11, interviewed Dr. Alexander West, surgery, and Dr. Charles Szabo at a press conference on a rare surgical procedure to control epileptic seizures.

KWEX-TV, Channel 41, interviewed Dr. Tomy Starck, ophthalmology, on LASIK surgery.

KTSA-AM, 550, and WOAI-AM, 1200, interviewed Dr. Elaine Hardman about fish oil and chemotherapy. WOAI also spoke with Dr. David Cochran about gum disease and stroke and with Dr. Alexander West about the epilepsy surgery he performed.

The San Antonio Medical Gazette featured the Health Science Center's Alcohol and Drug Addiction Division of the Department of Psychiatry in a story on alcoholism. The Gazette interviewed Dr. James Mellonig, periodontics, for a story on periodontal disease and its link to cardiovascular conditions.

Dr. Leonard Lawrence; Dr. Margaret Brackley, family nursing care; Dr. Brenda Jackson, acute care nursing; Dr. Jean Jiang, biochemistry; and Dr. Thomas Nowlin, occlusion; were mentioned in the Gazette's Bulletin Board section.

The Gazette quoted Drs. Gregory Mundy, Charles Coltman, medicine, Steven Weitman, pediatrics, and Ian Thompson, urology, in an article on the Annual Symposium on Cancer Research.

Dr. Marion P. Primomo, coordinator of the Palliative Care Fellowship at the Health Science Center, was featured in a Gazette article on the importance of teaching doctors to deal with death.

Dr. Arlan Richardson, Aging Research and Education Center (AREC), was quoted in a San Antonio Business Journal article about the center's top ranking in aging studies grants.

La Prensa ran a story on Dr. Wen-Hwa Lee, and his work on the BRCA1 cancer gene.

Celebration of heritage

Applause

• Diane Villarreal, human resources, has been appointed to serve on the Group Partnership Network Advisory Board of the American Compensation Association (ACA) for the 1999-2000 year. ACA is a national association consisting of 24,000 human resource practitioners who design and manage compensation and benefits programs for their organizations.

• Dr. Suzanne Yarbrough, chronic nursing care, has been appointed chair of the Health Science Center Faculty-Student Library Advisory Committee for 1999-2000. The charge of the committee is to work with and assist the director of the library in various areas including making recommendations to the president regarding library practices, and ensuring that the services provided by the library reflect the needs of the academic community.

  Additional faculty committee members include Cheryl Burns, clinical laboratory sciences; Dr. David Cagna, prosthodontics; Dr. Gary Harris, medicine; Dr. Charles Hermesch, general dentistry; Dr. Jean Jiang, biochemistry; Dr. Elizabeth Reifsnider, chronic nursing care; Dr. Pothana Saikumar, pathology; and Dr. Wayne Schwesinger, surgery.

White blood cells topic
for Oct. 14 Briggs Lectureship

Dr. Henry Bourne, professor of medicine and pharmacology in the Department of Cellular and Molecular Pharmacology at the University of California at San Francisco, will speak on the topic "How does a white blood cell know where to crawl?"

The Briggs Lectureship is named for Dr. Arthur H. Briggs, a Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine graduate who became chair of the Department of Pharmacology at the Health Science Center in 1968. Dr. Briggs remained chair until 1993, expanding the department from six faculty members and 9,000 square feet to 18 faculty members utilizing 30,000 square feet. He is now professor emeritus.

Dr. Briggs' research includes studies of the actions of drugs on the cardiovascular system, hypertension and drug abuse. His laboratory published the first papers on the central role of calcium in vascular smooth muscle contraction and the inter-relationships between sodium and potassium ions and drugs. These studies led to important advances in the understanding of calcium in smooth muscle function.

Spurs photos available

The pictures and negatives have come in and can be picked up at Photographic Services any time between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. Photographic Services is located in the Dental School building in room 4.480T. Don't forget to bring a receipt for the photographs.

Thanks to everyone who contributed to the success of the event. A special thanks to Ad Tech Photographic Laboratories Inc. for providing the processing and printing.

Respiratory therapists helping asthmatic children

A recent study by researchers in the Department of Respiratory Care revealed the benefits of an in-home asthma treatment program by respiratory therapists in significantly reducing the number and cost of hospital and emergency room visits, doctor visits and school absences in children with asthma.

Researchers in the Department of Respiratory Care in the School of Allied Health Sciences recently completed a study on pediatric asthma that yielded remarkable results.

The study showed that an in-home asthma treatment program by respiratory therapists significantly reduces the number and cost of hospital and emergency room visits, doctor visits and school absences in children with asthma.

An asthma disease management program is not a new idea, but this is the first time its effectiveness has been measured when administered by a respiratory therapist in the home. Nineteen children between the ages of 3 and 18 took part in the study. Measures were collected 12 months before and after the program was implemented.

Respiratory therapists made eight home visits to evaluate environmental conditions in the home and show the correct way of using peak flow meters, inhalers and nebulizers. These measures are basic to managing the disease, but if they are not done routinely they are of little value. "You'd be astounded how many asthmatics don't know how to use a peak flow meter and inhaler," said Dr. David Shelledy, chairman of the Department of Respiratory Care and principal author on the study.

Families also were given detailed instructions on how to cope with acute episodes of asthma. "Everyone with asthma should have an action plan," Dr. Shelledy said. "They should know what to do."

The study was based on a program of in-home evaluation and patient education developed by second author Shawn McCormick, a respiratory therapist and former director of patient care services at Christus Santa Rosa Hospital. Other study authors were Health Science Center faculty members Drs. Terry LeGrand and Jay I. Peters.

Proposition 17 on the ballot in November

Proposition 17, if adopted, would allow the Fund's investment managers to take advantage of broader investment strategies and to increase the proceeds available for programs and facilities at PUF institutions within both The Texas A&M University System and The University of Texas System. The proposition does not change the institutions participating in the PUF. Most important, the proposition, if adopted, would not increase taxes.

The funding made possible by the proposed changes would be used to finance much needed capital improvements or to acquire capital equipment and library books or materials. Improved facilities, equipment and library materials from this source will reduce the potential financial burden on students who might otherwise have to pay for these items.

The need for legislation that led to placement of Proposition 17 on the November ballot was also supported by a report from the Office of the State Auditor, which suggested the proposed changes would allow better financial returns for the PUF. The proposal was passed unanimously by the Legislature.

Important Information on Proposistion 17

Proposition 17: The Basics:

• Would amend the Texas Constitution to make the Permanent University fund a "total return" fund, which enables the use of modern and more flexible investment strategies.

• Requires that the fund be managed according to the standards of a prudent investor.

• Provides new funds for higher education with no increase in taxes.

• Provides significant additional funding, beginning this year, for academic programs and facilities at Permanent University Fund institutions in The Texas A&M University System and The University of Texas System.

• Provides guidelines on the minimum and maximum amounts to be distributed to the institutions of higher education.

• Protects against the erosion of the PUF caused by inflation.

• Provides a more predictable and stable source of funds to help support higher education institutions.

• Does not change the participating institutions of the PUF.

• Does not decrease funding to institutions of higher education that do not receive direct funds from the PUF.

Proposition 17: In a Nutshell

National Medical Librarian's Month
celebrated at Briscoe Library

The librarians and staff of the Health Science Center libraries, which include the Briscoe Library and the Brady-Green Library at the Health Science Center's downtown site, are constantly working to ensure the most comprehensive access to information for library users.

In the past year, the library staff has increased access to electronic books and journals; augmented the library's Web site; upgraded computers, printers and copiers; and developed several new classes on various aspects of information gathering and management.

All month long, the Briscoe Library will be recognizing the achievements of their librarians and staff with a display of new resources introduced in the past year and the staff who made them happen.

Tex-MUG meeting scheduled for Oct. 6

The Health Science Center Macintosh Computer Users Group (Tex-MUG) will hold its next meeting at 11:45 a.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 6, in Lecture Hall 3.102 (near the Briscoe Library). The meeting will feature the third in a series of three presentations on the FileMaker Pro database program. Dr. Terry Mikiten, associate dean of the Graduate School, is the presenter.

This session is designed for the advanced-level user and will include information on complex calculated fields for creating reports and manipulating text, scripting techniques, and integrating FileMaker databases with Microsoft Word and Microsoft Excel.

Tex-MUG meetings are open to all interested individuals.

Additional information offered
on parking, reserved spaces

Based on discussions at a recent Executive Committee meeting, reserved spaces will be reserved from 5 a.m. to 6 p.m. and will be considered open spaces after hours. Reserved slots in the garage will remain reserved 24 hours a day, seven days a week due to the security access system.

Of Note

Pediatric research symposium set

The event will include speakers from the Health Science Center and prominent guest speakers who will discuss "Emerging Infections."

For more information, call Velma Lopez at ext. 4298.

Free health screening

The screening will include filling out a brief questionaire and computer measurements of breathing capacity. Faculty and students will be on hand to answer questions.

Surplus auction sale set for Oct. 9

Items for auction will include medical equipment, shelving, desks, typewriters and calculators. Viewing of goods will be Friday, Oct. 8, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Saturday, Oct. 9, from 8 to 9 a.m. Refreshments will be sold during the sale.

For more information, call ext. 6021. Items placed in the auction will be available for transfer at no charge to any Health Science Center department through Friday, Oct. 1.

Weight Watchers begins

A recent study by researchers in the Department of Respiratory Care revealed the benefits of an in-home asthma treatment program by respiratory therapists in significantly reducing the number and cost of hospital and emergency room visits, doctor visits and school absences in children with asthma.

Calander for October 4-9