UTHSC Media Report
December 2000/January 2001

NATIONAL
Dr. William Sponsel, ophthalmology, was interviewed during a live, nationwide chat on the Web site of USA TODAY. Dr. Sponsel, a glaucoma specialist, answered questions about the blinding eye disease.

Dr. Deborah Conway, obstetrics and gynecology, was quoted on the Web site of Ivanhoe Broadcast News in a story about healthy pregnancies.

STATE
Dr. Francisco G. Cigarroa, president, was quoted about appropriations for the Lower Rio Grande Valley Regional Academic Health Center in a story in The Monitor (McAllen). He was profiled in an accompanying story.

KHOU-TV, Houston, interviewed Dr. Arlan Richardson, aging research and education center, about the studies that show caloric intake leads to longer life span in mice.

SAN ANTONIO EXPRESS-NEWS
The newspaper highlighted the 100th liver transplant performed by UTHSC transplant surgeons Drs. Robert Esterl, Glenn Halff and Francisco G. Cigarroa, president. The team also included Dr. Joseph Naples, chair of anesthesiology.

Another Express story focused on a group of researchers who dedicate numerous hours to find the cause of syndromes resulting from genetic defects on human chromosome 18. These syndromes affect one in every 40,000 births.

An item highlighted free long-distance calls provided by NEC America Inc. over the Health Science Center's telephone system. Patients in University Hospital and the South Texas Veterans Health Care System called their loved ones the day after Christmas.

AREA MEDIA
The San Antonio Business Journal featured researchers Drs. Karl Klose and Daniele Provenzano about their work with cholera. The researchers have successfully changed the genetic characteristics of the cholera bug, making it grow more slowly in the intestine. Another article featured the START center, an expanded facility to accommodate the dynamic alcohol and drug abuse studies conducted by the team of Dr. Bankole Johnson, psychiatry.

The Seguin Gazette-Enterprise ran an article about a study conducted by the center for health economics and policy, which is directed by Dr. Antonio Furio, family and community medicine. The study identified three key factors affecting the retention of nurses in the workforce.

Dr. Toni Miles, family and community medicine, was featured in another Gazette story about sudden urinary incontinence, which could signal a sudden decline in an elderly patient's health.

AREA TELEVISION
KWEX-TV, Channel 41, spoke with Dr. Teresita Balderas, psychiatry, about holiday depression and coping.

KENS-TV, Channel 5, interviewed Dr. Christi Walter, cellular and structural biology, regarding genetics studies of a paternal age effect; Dr. Timothy Jones, medicine, about treating minor skin burns; Dr. Paul Thompson, psychiatry, about a new drug for treating schizophrenia; Dr. Carlos Nurko, pediatric dentistry, regarding a new treatment for children's cavities; Dr. James Mellonig, periodontics, regarding the connection between periodontal disease and strokes; Dr. Ronald Grimwood, dermatology, about overactive sweat glands; Dr. Kathleen Stevens, nursing, about a new teen smoking study; and Dr. Craig Witz, obstetrics/gynecology, about a possible link between caffeine and miscarriages.

KSAT-TV, Channel 12, interviewed Dr. Stephen Brannan, psychiatry, about long-term effects of amnesia.

KHCE-TV Channel 23, interviewed Dr. Donald J. Gordon, emergency medical technology, about incident treatment and prevention of heart disease and stroke.

AREA RADIO
WOAI-AM, interviewed Dr. Jodie Gonzalez, psychiatry, about holiday stress and ways to identify if professional help is needed and Dr. Alexander Shepherd, physiology, about the importance of getting professional medical treatment for high blood pressure.