By: Will Sansom A neuro-intensive care physician at UT Health San Antonio has invented a science-based way to stop hiccups. While he was working as an anesthesiologist 20 years ago, Ali Seifi, MD, FACP, FNCS, saw many surgery patients in the recovery room who developed hiccups. The annoying spasming of the diaphragm is even more of a nuisance when one has had surgery. “I was thinking, how can I…
Although it’s not a cure for ALS, an oral drug slowed patients’ rate of functional decline in a clinical trial that included five patients at UT Health San Antonio. If the finding is repeated in larger trials, the drug could give families more time with their loved ones who have ALS. The New England Journal of Medicine published the results Sept. 3. Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a…
Ralph Riviello, MD, MS, FACEP, chair of emergency medicine at UT Health San Antonio and University Hospital, discusses how both organizations are preparing for flu season in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. One of the easiest ways to prepare is by getting your flu shot this season. The flu vaccine can reduce symptoms that could be confused with COVID-19. The flu vaccine can also decrease the…
Three UT Health San Antonio faculty members have been honored as Health Care Heroes by the San Antonio Business Journal. The annual awards recognize the many professionals that make up San Antonio’s vital health care industry. Donald Jenkins , MD, FACS, was honored in the Outstanding Physician Hospital-Based category. Dr. Jenkins is the associate deputy director of the Military Health Institute…
Johanna Matos, APRN, UT Health San Antonio School of Nursing, urges parents to take steps to help keep their children healthy as schools prepare to start in-person classes. That includes getting the flu shot this year and making sure kids are up to date on routine vaccinations. Medical Minute is a collaboration between UT Health San Antonio and KENS 5. Make sure your little loved ones are up to…
By: Will Samson SAN ANTONIO — COVID-19 continues to disproportionately impact Latinos, killing more than 33,000 and hospitalizing many more of our mothers, fathers, children and grandparents. That is why Salud America! at UT Health San Antonio is launching the “Juntos, We Can Stop COVID-19” digital communication campaign to inform and urge Latino families to take action to help slow the spread of…, About Salud America!, Salud America!, is a national Latino health equity program that creates culturally relevant and research-based stories, videos and tools to inspire people to start and support healthy changes to policies, systems and environments where Latino children and families can equitably live, learn, work and play. Salud America! and its award-winning communications help our digital network — more than 300,000 parents,…, About UT Health San Antonio, The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, , also referred to as , UT Health San Antonio, , is one of the country’s leading health sciences universities and is designated as a Hispanic-Serving Institution by the U.S. Department of Education. With missions of teaching, research, patient care and community engagement, its schools of medicine, nursing, dentistry, health professions and graduate biomedical sciences have graduated more than 37,000 alumni who are leading change, advancing…
By: Jessica Binkley As many schools are opening remotely this year, eyes are focused on how this will affect students’ academic learning. But extracurricular activities like band, choir, theater and athletics are also vital to the healthy development of children and young adults. “Extracurriculars play a big role, especially for those kids where the classroom may not be their strongest point,”…
By: Dr. Ramon Cancino, M.D., Primary Care, UT Health Hill Country The flu season will quickly descend upon San Antonio and collide with the COVID-19 pandemic, and we must do our best to prepare. To do this, everyone who is able to get a flu shot must do so. In doing so, we can come together as a team to help our entire community. Influenza viruses spread in the United States every year from the…, Here are four things we can do to prepare our community:, Call your Primary Care Physician (PCP) and schedule a time to get your annual flu shot, ., , Flu shots are safe for those who do not have true medical contraindications. Many PCP offices carry flu shots to give to patients, and they will start receiving them from suppliers soon. Many offices will have flu shot clinics where patients can walk in or schedule an appointment to get flu shots. If you do not have a PCP, find one who is right for you., Engage your friends and community. , The more people who are vaccinated, the less likely it is for this contagious disease to be transmitted to others. This is called herd immunity. Remind friends, family, and community members that, even though they may not be in one of the high-risk groups, getting vaccinated prevents them from getting the flu and transmitting it to someone else who may be more vulnerable. , Follow current recommendations regarding COVID-19., The same actions that protect us and others from COVID-19 (mask wearing, hand washing, social distancing) will protect us also from the flu. Continue to follow guidance from medical leaders around these mitigation strategies., Get evaluated by the appropriate person if you feel sick. , Call your physician and get evaluated either in person or via telemedicine. Physicians will follow U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and health department guidance on COVID-19 and flu testing if your assessment requires it. Your symptoms can often be diagnosed and treated without a trip to the emergency room or hospital. Last flu season, the CDC estimated that between 39…
By: Joe Feist As the coronavirus marches on with no end in sight and summer turns to fall, health officials across the country are increasingly concerned by a possible catastrophe: a “twindemic,” or surge in COVID-19 cases coupled with a severe, or even average, flu season. Such a scenario “could be devastating to the health care system” that’s already stressed, said Fred Campbell, MD, an…, Read more: Four things you need to do before flu season hits. ,
By: Jessica Binkley With more sports teams from The University of Texas at San Antonio approaching the return of their season, and a new conference rule requiring weekly COVID-19 tests for all athletes, coaches and trainers, the School of Nursing stepped up to help take on the task of high-volume testing. The UT Health Physicians primary care team initially set up an onboarding process to test…