Office of the President
Initiatives
The President is personally involved in several key initiatives:
- UTHSCT Center for Healthy Aging Programs
Based on the changing demographics of the East Texas market and the ever-increasing needs of the aging population, the UTHSCT Center for Healthy Aging fills a void by specializing in the care of older East Texans. The Center takes a comprehensive, multidisciplinary, coordinated, and personalized approach to a myriad of services for seniors, with a focus on research to help seniors age well. - Continuing to Improve Quality and Customer Service Satisfaction
UTHSCT recognizes the importance of quality health care and customer service satisfaction. UTHSCT has implemented programs that improve the delivery of quality health care and provide the best customer service possible. - Growing UTHSCT Hospital and Ambulatory Care
In the face of increasing health care competition in the East Texas region that comprises the UTHSCT service area, the Health Science Center realizes the significance of retaining its current patients, as well as attracting new ones. UTHSCT understands the importance of building new clinics and has begun evaluating the need for critical specialties that are lacking in specific areas. The goal is to retain the current patient load and to increase referrals of current and new patients to UTHSCT. - UTHSCT Academic Center
Two Residency Programs- Family Medicine - As of June 2005, 103 residents have graduated from the Family Medicine Residency Program, which began in 1985.
- Occupational Medicine - 16 residents have graduated from the Occupational Medicine Program, which began in 1996.
Current Collaborative Degrees- Master of Science in Biotechnology and Master of Science in Environmental Science - UTHSCT and Stephen F. Austin State University (SFA) in Nacogdoches have combined their scientific faculties and research and their educational facilities to create two graduate programs.
- Master of Science in Environmental Health and Master’s Level Course in Pediatric Environmental Health - These are planned in collaboration with The University of Texas at Tyler.
Degree-Granting Authority for UTHSCT
The 79th Texas Legislature granted approval to UTHSCT’s degree-granting initiative. UTHSCT is now requesting planning authority from the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board and accreditation by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools. The Health Science Center will be able to train graduate students in areas of biotechnology and biomedicine, resulting in an East Texas workforce that is trained to treat certain diseases and support commercial biotechnology efforts.
Medical Education CMEs; Nursing Education CMEs; Medical, Nursing, and Allied Health Continuing Education and Clinical Rotations- UTHSCT offers grand rounds, pediatric grand rounds, and a tumor board.
- Training rotations are offered at UTHSCT to medical students, nursing students, and allied health care students from other institutions of higher education.
- Through the Northeast Texas Consortium (NETnet), UTHSCT offers medical, nursing, and other health care-related training to hospitals and institutions of higher education in this region. UTHSCT plans to expand that training.
Strategic Educational Alliance between UTHSCT and UT Tyler
UTHSCT is taking steps to establish itself as the regional academic health center for health and medical education and technology. To sustain a strong relationship with UT Tyler and optimize the return on the state’s investment in education, research, and service at both institutions, UTHSCT and UT Tyler are collaborating on a strategic educational alliance to make UTHSCT and UT Tyler the major teaching entity in health sciences and biotechnology in East Texas. - Build Prestigious Research Program
UTHSCT continues to build its reputation as a national and international center of biomedical research. Investments that support the faculty’s growth and the equipment and infrastructure needed for faculty research must be implemented to develop an internationally known research program. The goal is to have most research faculty supported by external funding of at least $30 million annually within the next 10 years. This is possible by building on UTHSCT’s strong biomedical research foundation.
UTHSCT plans to promote the growth and academic stature of research programs related to infectious diseases, lung injury and its repair, cardiovascular diseases, and clinical research in the disciplines of aging and health disparities, particularly those common to rural East Texas. The research projects by internationally recognized UTHSCT scientists are expected to grow.