School of Health Professions News

COVID-19 panel discusses long-term patient recovery and need for rehabilitation

Friday, February 26, 2021

By Kate Hunger

Patients recovering from COVID-19 often require rehabilitation involving a range of therapies, according to a panel discussion hosted by the School of Health Professions.

Presented on Feb. 23, the panel discussion was moderated by School of Health Professions Dean David Shelledy, Ph.D., RRT, RPFT, FAARC, FASAHP. 

New alumni council supports wide range of SHP efforts

Friday, January 29, 2021

By Kate Hunger

The School of Health Professions Alumni Council held its inaugural meeting virtually in January. 

The council represents the voice of health professions alumni and supports the mission and goals of the School of Health Professions while serving as an advisory council in conjunction with alumni initiatives at the school. 

MLS instructor researches antigen frequency among Hispanic blood donors

Monday, December 21, 2020

By Kate Hunger

Tiffany Roerich Wafford, MLS, SBB (ASCP), a Department of Medical Laboratory Sciences instructor, noticed something when she was typing donor blood in her previous role as supervisor of an immunohematology reference laboratory. 

“I started noticing that the frequency of the antigens didn’t match up with what you see in the Caucasian population and saw some matched up with the African American population,” she said. 

When she sought to learn more about what she was seeing in the lab, Wafford discovered a dearth of data. 

MLS program earns 10-year accreditation

Thursday, October 29, 2020

By Kate Hunger 

The Medical Laboratory Sciences program received its 10-year accreditation this year from the National Accreditation Agency for Clinical Laboratory Sciences (NAACLS).

NAACLS accreditation is an external peer review process conducted by educators in the profession. The process assures the quality of programs, including their efforts to innovate and ensure the safety of patients, said Assistant Professor Terri Murphy-Sanchez, CSMLS, ASCP, interim program director of the Division of Medical Laboratory Sciences. 

Experiment by MLS faculty demonstrates effectiveness of masks and distancing

Friday, August 28, 2020

By Kate Hunger 

Two faculty in the Division of Medical Laboratory Science conducted an experiment to demonstrate the impact of masks and social distancing in reducing the spread of potentially contagious aerosols – including COVID-19.  Aerosols are a suspension of tiny particles or droplets in the air.

Conducted in July, the experiment was a collaboration with WOAI News 4, which reported on the results. 

Students attend virtual summer seminars hosted by Coventry University

Thursday, July 30, 2020

By Kate Hunger 

Like many people who enjoy traveling and meeting new people, Caitlin Schwein found her opportunities to do so drastically hampered by the COVID-19 pandemic. But a partnership between UT Health San Antonio and Coventry University in England enabled Schwein and other UT Health students to attend online summer seminars with other students from around the world.

Department of Health Sciences chair receives Piper Professor Award

Monday, June 29, 2020

By Kate Hunger 

When the Department of Health Sciences Chair and Professor George Kudolo, Ph.D., CPC, FAIC, FAACC, was in college, he had a professor who delighted in delivering detailed lectures on the nervous system of the cockroach. The professor was so enthusiastic about his subject, he made a lasting impression on Kudolo.

“I also wanted to be the person to make every subject I teach as interesting as possible,” Kudolo said.

MLS alumna is lab manager for seven oncology clinics

Monday, June 29, 2020

By Kate Hunger 

When Rebecca Jasso reflects on what persuaded her to enroll in the clinical laboratory science program at UT Health San Antonio, she credits two people: her father and Cheryl Burns M.S., MLS (ASCP) Associate Professor.

“My father, who is a fellow UT Health San Antonio graduate, led me to the degree, as he recognized my strengths in the field of science,” Jasso says. “He found the program and got me in contact with a faculty member.”

SHP Students selected for Alpha Eta Society

Thursday, May 28, 2020

By Kate Hunger 

School of Health Professions students and faculty were inducted this spring into the Alpha Eta Society, the national honor society for the allied health professions.

Because of COVID-19, the campus chapter has not held its traditional in-person ceremony. A virtual induction ceremony is being discussed as a possible alternative, said campus chapter president, Physical Therapy Associate Professor Martha Acosta, Ph.D., PT, GCS. 

Medical Laboratory Sciences: an alumna’s perspective on the profession

Wednesday, May 27, 2020

By Kate Hunger 

Carrie Bartosh is a laboratory supervisor in the Microbiology Department at University Hospital in San Antonio, where she oversees day-to-day operations and performs testing within the Immunology, Virology, and Molecular sections. She earned a bachelor’s degree in clinical laboratory sciences from UT Health San Antonio and is certified as a medical laboratory scientist (MLS) with a specialty in virology.
Read Bartosh’s insights below on the education and expertise an MLS brings to the medical team, as well as her experiences during COVID-19 testing.