Medical Journal May 2022 Digital Edition
May 19, 20221 min
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Texas Supreme Court overturns $6.3+ million jury award in physician defamation case
May 19, 20229 min
BY Colleen T. Byrom and Beth Anne Jackson, Brown & Fortunato On April 22, 2022, the Supreme Court of Texas ended a long-standing court battle between a cardiovascular surgeon and a Houston-area hospital system. The Court’s unanimous decision in Memorial Herman Health System v. Miguel A. Gomez, III, M.D. and Miguel A. Gomez, M.D., P.A., overturned a more than $6.3 million jury award made in favor of the surgeon’s defamation and business disparagement claims against...
Curbing COVID fatigue amongst Texas healthcare heroes
May 19, 202211 min
BY Ariel Kelly, Associate, Fisher Phillips The COVID-19 pandemic continues to highlight both the heroism of and challenges facing frontline healthcare workers. Like the rest of us, these heroes are still human and thus experiencing fatigue. According to the American Medical Association, research studies illustrate that half of the health workers have reported COVID-19 burnout. Also known as “COVID fatigue,” COVID-19 burnout affects everyone differently and takes many forms, including physical fatigue, stress, anxiety, exacerbation...
BY Mary Van Beusekom, MS, CIDRAP Recent studies describe how the COVID-19 pandemic cratered the finances of many US hospitals, one finding that most federal relief funds went to the already best-resourced facilities and the other two showing the devastating monetary effects of delaying or canceling surgeries. Wide disparities in fund allocation RAND Corp. researchers traced High-Impact Distribution Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act funding to 952 hospitals. Data, which were taken from...
Holistic approach to breast cancer care
May 19, 20229 min
BY Oyetokunbo Ibidapo-Obe, M.D., Assistant Professor of Family Medicine, Women’s Specialist, UTMB-Health Integrative medicine approaches health in multiple ways, including mainstream-conventional medicine and several complementary and alternative approaches to positively impact well-being. Several types of complementary modalities are used in cancer care. This article will focus on breast cancer survivorship and the integrated approach to breast cancer care. Breast cancer, like any other cancer, is a life-changing diagnosis with an impact on every aspect of...
It’s our duty to unite against workplace violence
May 19, 20227 min
BY John Hawkins, President/CEO, Texas Hospital Association Health care workers have dealt with endless challenges in recent years, especially after two years of COVID-19 patient care and the resulting burnout and fatigue. As hospitals and health systems face severe staffing shortages, the burden on those workers remaining grows more profound. Amid the mounting pressure and strain, health care workers must contend with, one concern is entirely preventable and must be addressed in a comprehensive and...
Researchers at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center have identified a novel strategy to reduce immune-related adverse events from immunotherapy treatment by targeting the cytokine interleukin-6 (IL-6). The study establishes a proof of concept for combining immune checkpoint blockade with cytokine blockers to inhibit inflammatory autoimmune responses selectively. While combination immunotherapy with anti-PD-1 and anti-CTLA-4 agents has revolutionized treatment for multiple cancer types, it also has high toxicity rates, which can affect the...
Researchers at the University of Texas Medical Branch recently confirmed the presence of neutralizing antibodies to SARS–COV-2 in a common subcutaneous antibody therapy (Hizentra) used to treat immunocompromised or immunodeficient patients, citing its protective benefits to the immunocompromised patient community. An immune deficiency can be a result of a variety of factors, including a genetic disorder or the medication a patient takes. That can leave a patient with a weakened immune system that is unable...
Tiyashi Choudhury, M.D., joins Houston Methodist Primary Care Group practice at Brooks Street
May 19, 20222 min
Houston Methodist Primary Care Group is pleased to welcome Tiyashi Choudhury, M.D., who is serving patients at 1201 Brooks St., Suite 100, Sugar Land, TX, 77478. Choudhury is a board-certified family medicine physician whose clinical expertise is in treating and managing acute and chronic medical needs, including diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, thyroid disorders, weight loss, depression, and anxiety. She offers complete physicals and health screenings and has a special interest in mental health,...
TJ Gan, M.D., to join MD Anderson as Division Head of Anesthesiology, Critical Care, and Pain Medicine
May 19, 20226 min
The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center announced that Tong Joo (TJ) Gan, M.D., has been named Division Head of Anesthesiology, Critical Care, and Pain Medicine. MD Anderson is pleased to welcome the internationally respected anesthesiologist and leader to their faculty. Gan will lead a division composed of 117 faculty members whose clinical practice and research activities include pediatric and adult anesthesia inside and outside of the operating room environment; care of the critically...