As originally published by Mega Doctor NEWS newsprint edition February 2021
The world of medicine is in constant evolution, never stopping for one second. Our Mega Doctor for this month is one who brings a unique and promising research. Dianna Milewicz MD, PhD is doing very important genetic research in aortic aneurysms and dissections.
Dr. Milewicz is the President George Bush Chair in Cardiovascular Medicine at McGovern Medical School at The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston. While pursuing her dual MD/PhD degree, she worked in the Brown/Goldstein lab at The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center. The lab at that time won the 1985 Nobel Prize in medicine; its research identified why some people have very high levels of cholesterol in their blood.
Milewicz, who is a professor, the director of medical genetics, and vice chair of the Department of Internal Medicine at McGovern Medical School at UTHealth, went on to become a genetic pioneer in aortic aneurysms and dissections. She has recently expanded into identifying the genetic triggers for other vascular diseases. Learn more about her in this issue.
A note of urgent importance! Everyone is urged to please continue to follow all the recommended health guidelines so we can slow the spread of this terrible COVID-19 virus. It is necessary in order to ease the burden of all first responders.
It is also important that all healthcare professionals, with capabilities to meet the requirements, enroll as a vaccine provider with the state’s vaccination program. Getting enrolled, you will have an opportunity to administer the COVID-19 vaccines as they continue to become more widely available.
The Texas Department of State Health Services is also requesting vaccine providers who acquire allotments to rapidly vaccinate priority populations against COVID-19 and promptly report doses administered in ImmTrac2, the state’s immunization registry.
Please see the DSHS website for more information and how to enroll: https://www.dshs.texas.gov/coronavirus/immunize/provider-information.aspx.
To learn more about how to register with the state as vaccine provider, visit: https://www.dshs.texas.gov/coronavirus/immunize/provider-information.aspx.
Johnson & Johnson seeks emergency use authorization for the COVID-19 vaccine from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Rutgers was the second-largest Phase 3 clinical research trial site for Johnson & Johnson’s COVID-19 vaccine. The site, based at Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, enrolled 840 participants from the university community and throughout New Jersey. More in this issue.
Amazing news! During an unprecedented year with unique challenges, Texas Organ Sharing Alliance (TOSA), announced a record-breaking 28 individuals became organ donors in the Rio Grande Valley in 2020. Many people were saved. TOSA is the organ procurement organization that provides organ donation and recovery services for individuals and families in Central and South Texas,
Outstanding! DHR Health is involved in a Mayo-Clinic-Coordinated study using plasma to treat
patients with COVID-19.
As the number of patients with COVID-19 continues to increase nationally, DHR Health Institute for Research and Development, which is affiliated with DHR Health, is pursuing innovative ways to treat patients infected with the potentially life-threatening disease. Through this study, first coordinated by the Mayo Clinic, DHR Health continues to provide convalescent-plasma therapy to patients in the Rio Grande Valley who have been hospitalized with severe COVID-19.
More news in this issue, Enjoy!
