Medical Journal April 2024 digital edition
April 19, 20241 min
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The University of Texas Medical Branch marks a significant breakthrough in the field of thoracic surgery as Dr. Roman Petrov, professor of the Division of Cardiothoracic Surgery, successfully performed the first robotic lobectomies in the United States with a single port of entry. “The success using this intricate surgical technique highlights our commitment to advancing patient care through a cutting-edge approach,” said Petrov. Traditionally, lung resection for cancer is performed via multi portal robotic-assisted thoracoscopic...
CMS allows texting of prescription orders
April 19, 20248 min
BY Phuong Nguyen, Esq. and Michael Alexander, Esq., Brown and Fortunato, P.C. On February 8, 2024, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (“CMS”) issued a memorandum entitled “Texting of Patient Information and Orders for Hospitals and CAHs,” allowing texting patient information and patient orders among members of the health care team under certain conditions. This new memorandum relaxes CMS’s previous prohibition on texting patient information and patient orders. By way of background,...
Green tea can help improve overall health
April 19, 20249 min
By: Samuel Mathis, MD, Assistant Professor, UTMB “All I need in life is Jesus and my green tea.” – Mary Mathis (my grandmother) One question often asked by Integrative Medicine physicians is how much green tea an individual drinks daily. At Integrative Medicine conferences, green tea is everywhere. I am fairly sure I even saw a green tea beer on tap one year ago. And why wouldn’t we love green tea? It is one of...
Repeal of 2024 cuts are a needed first step to protect our safety net
April 19, 20246 min
BY John Hawkins, CEO, THA Every piece of financial certainty our hospitals can get these days is appreciated – especially for the facilities that treat the most vulnerable Texans. For the rest of this year, at least, our safety-net hospitals have a sense of certainty that’s been a long time coming. Hospitals that receive Medicaid Disproportionate Share Hospital (DSH) payments are key to ensuring we can treat as many Texans as possible as...
Lung nodule program expanding at Houston Methodist Sugar Land Hospital
April 19, 20244 min
Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related deaths in the world. According to the American Cancer Society, lung cancer accounts for more deaths than breast, prostate and colorectal cancers combined. However, with early detection and intervention, outcomes can significantly improve. Houston Methodist Sugar Land Hospital is proud to announce the appointment of Priya Oolut, M.D., board-certified pulmonologist with Houston Methodist Pulmonary & Sleep Medicine Specialists at Sugar Land, as the new Medical Director for...
Houston Methodist Sugar Land Hospital welcomes cardiologist Wafi A. Momin, D.O., FACC
April 19, 20242 min
Houston Methodist Sugar Land Hospital is pleased to welcome cardiologist Wafi A. Momin, D.O., to Houston Methodist Cardiology Associates at Sugar Land. Dr. Momin has recently begun seeing patients. Momin treats a wide range of conditions, including carotid artery disease, chest pain, cholesterol disorders, congestive heart failure, coronary artery disease, diagnostic cardiac catheterization, echocardiography, hypertension, nuclear cardiology, palpitations/arrhythmias, peripheral vascular disease, prevention cardiology, stress testing, structural heart disease and valvular heart disease. He is...
MD Anderson’s Institute for Data Science in Oncology announces appointment of inaugural IDSO Affiliates
April 19, 20247 min
The Institute for Data Science in Oncology (IDSO) at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center announced the appointment of its inaugural cohort of IDSO Affiliates. These 33 talented scientists, clinicians and staff bring diverse expertise to help IDSO leadership and focus area co-leads advance collaborative data science projects and align the institute’s efforts with MD Anderson’s mission to end cancer. “We are proud to welcome these exceptional individuals to the growing IDSO community, and we look forward to the...
Radiation before mastectomy cuts time delays for reconstructive surgery in breast cancer patients
April 19, 20245 min
Researchers at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center showed that altering the sequence of breast cancer treatment to administer radiation before mastectomy allowed for concurrent breast reconstruction surgery, which reduced the number of operations required, minimized treatment delays, and improved patient satisfaction. The Phase II trial results evaluated 49 patients who received radiation therapy followed by mastectomy with immediate breast reconstruction. There were no complete flap losses or disease recurrences at a...
Galectin-3 (GAL3), which regulates cell proliferation and the function of various immune cell populations, is highly expressed by myeloid and pancreatic cancer cells. However, its role in the pancreatic tumor microenvironment remains unclear. To provide further insights, researchers led by Yang Chen, Ph.D., generated in vivo models of pancreatic cancer with GAL3 genetically deleted in both cancer and myeloid cells. Deleting GAL3 inhibited pancreatic cancer progression and prolonged survival in these models. Single-cell sequencing revealed that GAL3 deletion enriched antitumor...