UT Health San Antonio uses grant to expand long COVID care for rural patients in South Texas
Experts say many people may not recognize the symptoms of long COVID, but that could change thanks to a $5 million grant awarded to UT Health San Antonio from the Health and Human Services Department.
UT Health fellowship program trains doctors to respond to heat-related emergencies at parks, trails
The Wilderness and Survival Medicine Fellowship in Texas at UT Health San Antonio โ the first fellowship of its kind in Texas โ is training doctors to respond to heat-related emergencies at parks and on trails.
Leading SA: Fighting diabetes one day at a time
March 28 is Diabetes Alert Day, a one-day โwake-up callโ that focuses on the seriousness of diabetes and the importance of understanding your risk. Dr. Carolina Solis-Herrera, Chief of the Endocrinology Division at UT Health San Antonio, joined Leading SA to discuss the issues across our community.
$3.4 million in state funding strengthens addiction recovery housing in San Antonio
Finding safe, sober homes for young adults in recovery can be tough, but it's crucial to end the cycle of addiction. That's why UT Health San Antonio is using state funding to strengthen recovery homes across San Antonio.
UT Health SA program offers free rides to appointments for patients with substance use disorder
There are a lot of things that make recovery difficult for people with substance use disorders. One of those barriers is transportation to important appointments. That's why a UT Health San Antonio program is now offering its patients free Lyft rides.
TRUST INDEX: COVID-19 reinfection happening sooner in many cases with new subvariants, doctor says
The primary COVID-19 strain right now is BA.5, an Omicron subvariant present in 88% of current cases -- the most infectious strain yet. KSAT viewers sent in questions asking about how soon you can be reinfected with COVID-19.
TRUST INDEX: Which expiration date should you use on the COVID-19 home tests?
When you open an at home COVID-19 test kit, there are several components inside: the swab, the solution, and the test strip. A KSAT viewer brought it to our attention that there are different expiration dates on each piece.
SA surgeon performs new robotic surgery on testicular cancer patients, allowing faster recovery
Testicular cancer is most common in younger men, ages 15-30 years old. In more complicated cases where the disease has spread, the only option used to be a serious open surgery, but a robot is now changing that, getting these young patients back on their feet faster.
UT Teen Health offering free, anonymous mental health help for teenagers
A novel coronavirus pandemic, remote learning, and social unrest in 2021 is creating a high suicide rate that is being considered a national emergency. Now, free mental health help is a click away, tailored for teenagers who are still stinging from the series of blows they were dealt.
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Struggling rural healthcare providers nationwide getting virtual help from San Antonio-based program
Healthcare worker shortages and lack of resources were already issues for rural communities before the pandemic and when it hit, those barriers were exacerbated. That's why national funding has created a virtual program aimed to help those providers.
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UT Health San Antonio doctor says data shows Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine for kids is safe, effective
With the U.S. Food and Drug Administration authorizing the emergency use of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine for children ages 5-11, in Texas, that could mean up to 2.9 million children are eligible for the vaccine.
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Alamo Colleges District opens on-campus health clinics to offer low-cost services to students
Alamo Colleges District has opened two new on-campus health clinics in partnership with UT Health San Antonioโs School of Nursing to offer low-cost physical and mental health services to students, officials announced Wednesday.
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โUnrivaledโ cancer proton therapy facility headed to UT Health San Antonio, one of 40 in U.S.
Proton therapy is an advanced cancer radiation technique that better targets tumors, without harming the tissue around them. The facilities are expensive and complex but within two years, South Texas will have one at a brand new UT Health San Antonio facility.
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Ditch the fries, pass the spinach for pain relief, UT Health San Antonio study says
A UT Health San Antonio research team says itโs found the connection between the high-fat Western diet and chronic pain. Itโs a groundbreaking study that is 10 years in the making, and it could affect many illnesses and even impact the opioid epidemic.
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KSAT Q&A: Dr. Berggren discusses teen vaccinations, when you should still keep your mask handy
Dr. Ruth Berggren, of the Long School of Medicine at UT Health San Antonio, joins KSAT Q&A to discuss teens receiving their COVID-19 vaccine and when you should still keep your mask handy despite new CDC guidelines.
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SA Cancer Council asks community for $25 donations to support cancer patients
SAN ANTONIO โ This month, KSAT Community is shining a spotlight on local nonprofit SA Cancer Council in its mission to provide support for cancer patients. SA Cancer Council is an all-volunteer nonprofit organization with a mission to support the Mays Cancer Center. Since its founding 37 years ago, SA Cancer Council has donated more than $5.6 million to support its mission. โWith a $25 donation, viewers can help provide important support services for patients in cancer treatment,โ said Libby Ross, Patient and Family Services Co-Chair with SA Cancer Council. โThe Cancer Council provides transportation to and from the Cancer Center for Patients Cancer Treatments, Valley Services.
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Pregnant women share their experiences, questions ahead of KSATโs โPregnancy and Infertility in a Pandemicโ town hall
SAN ANTONIO โ For a couple of weeks, KSAT has asked viewers for their questions about being pregnant during this pandemic. Abigail Vega Keller is 16 weeks pregnant with her first child and feels grateful for many things, including the first trimester without morning sickness. Many KSAT viewers have those same questions about hospital protocols for visitors during delivery. Ramsey said the major San Antonio hospital systems stay in touch and have mainly the same protocols. If you have any questions for our panel of experts, you can still submit them now below:
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UT Health San Antonio breaks ground on new $430 million hospital
SAN ANTONIO โ The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio broke ground Monday on a new $430 million multi-speciality and research hospital. According to UT Health officials, the hospital will be used for โresearch and treatment of cancer and other complex diseases that disproportionately impact the people of South Texas. Dr. William L. Henrich, president of UT Health San Antonio, welcomed academic, civic and community leaders from The University of Texas System, the city of San Antonio and Bexar County. UT Health officials said once completed, the center will deliver the most advanced precision-based care and the latest targeted therapies possible. Also on KSAT:Q&A: Medical director for University Health gives insight on COVID-19 vaccine and pregnancyUniversity Health establishes COVID-19 vaccine registry for seniors 80 and olderAdMetro Health to make 30,000 COVID-19 vaccine appointments available Thursday
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How is COVID-19 taking a toll on pediatric cancer patients?
Thatโs the word of warning from a pediatric oncology specialist at UT Health San Antonio. Dr. Chatchawin Assanasen, distinguished chair at the UT Health Long School of Medicine in Pediatric Oncology, said in this fearful Covid-19 world, a lifesaving cancer screening may be long overdue. โUltimately, weโre seeing a lot of later presentations, meaning that theyโre growing to the point where theyโre fairly obvious. AdIt found that if doctors are armed with the information on the genetic mutations of their pediatric cancer patients, they can use that information to accurately choose targeted therapies they know will be effective. RELATED: From COVID-19 to cancer, San Antonio family faced with many struggles receives unexpected gift
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Coronavirus update San Antonio, March 4: Leaders report 242 new COVID-19 cases, 2 deaths
SAN ANTONIO โ San Antonio Mayor Ron Nirenberg and local health professionals updated the community about the local response to COVID-19 in their daily briefing Thursday night. Nirenberg reported 197,497 total COVID-19 cases and 2,678 total deaths in Bexar County, an increase of 242 new cases as of Thursday. The mayor said more than 265,000 people have gotten their first COVID-19 vaccine dose from the city site. AdDr. Ruth Berggren, with UT Health San Antonio, said the Bexar County Hospital District administered 6,072 vaccines, the largest distribution day to date. She said UT Health San Antonio has administered 65,000 vaccines as of Friday.
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How severely ill children survived the Texas winter storms at home with the help of San Antonio pediatric health care workers
SAN ANTONIO โ While each of us was living in our own deep freeze drama during the snowstorms of February, the pediatric staff at UT Health San Antonio were fighting their own battle against the forces of nature. With the power out, bitterly cold houses and no water, the pediatric team for the most medically complex pediatric population began to worry. All of the equipment requires electricity,โ said Dr. Wisdeen Wu, assistant professor of pediatrics at UT Health San Antonio. AdShe also takes her hat off to her patientsโ families, who she says were very resourceful under stress. ALSO ON KSAT.COM: Nurtured with faith, a community garden in San Antonio springs back from the devastating winter storm
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Gestational diabetes statistics during pandemic concern doctors in San Antonio, nationwide
SAN ANTONIO โ The average percentage of pregnant women in South Texas with gestational diabetes is almost three times the national average. Around the country, 7% of pregnant women are typically diagnosed with gestational diabetes. โIโve certainly seen the reports of gestational diabetes are going up. RELATED: How to manage diabetes during the pandemicAdGestational diabetes is diabetes diagnosed for the first time during pregnancy. โWe do know that women who have gestational diabetes may be at increased risk for hospitalization,โ he said.
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6 myths about the COVID-19 vaccine that arenโt supported by science
SAN ANTONIO โ We are a year into the coronavirus pandemic and nearly two months into the release of COVID-19 vaccines that have been issued to all 50 states. Because the vaccines use a technology called messenger RNA, or mRNA, thereโs confusion and misinformation about what the vaccine does after itโs injected into your arm. Posts claiming that the COVID-19 vaccine causes infertility in women and sterilization in men appear to be targeting those who are pregnant, looking to conceive, or planning a family in the future. It will not turn into COVID-19 infection,โ said Dr. Jason Bowling, lead hospital epidemiologist at University Health System. An unfounded social media theory gained traction online claiming that there are microchips and tracking devices in the COVID-19 vaccine.
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San Antonio researchers examining COVID-19โs long-term effects on the brain
SAN ANTONIO โ UT Health San Antonio researchers are trying to determine if COVID-19 will have long-term effects on older adultsโ brains. San Antonio resident Robert Renteria is participating in the study. Renteria said his father, a veteran of the San Antonio Fire Department, had Alzheimerโs disease. And in a few studies, when they have been imaged, they have actual changes in their brain,โ Seshadri said. Researchers in more than 30 countries are involved in the study in which UT Health San Antonio is participating.
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Trust Index: COVID-19 vaccine does not alter DNA, medical experts say
SAN ANTONIO โ Like so many other internet claims on the COVID-19 vaccine, the claim that the injection will alter your DNA has been widely shared and discussed on social media. Two medical experts, Dr. Bryan Alsip, chief medical officer at University Health System, and Dr. Jason Bowling, an infectious disease specialist at UT Health San Antonio, have said this claim is NOT TRUE . โThe mRNA does not enter the nucleus of our cells. The mRNA does not change a personโs DNA through this process. Some San Antonio teachers, school employees to get COVID-19 vaccine this week through University Health
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UT Health San Antonio, University Health recruit in San Antonio for Novavax COVID-19 vaccine trial
In this photo released by Nucleus Network/ABC, clinical trial participants are given a coronavirus vaccine in Melbourne, Australia, Tuesday, May 26, 2020, with hopes of releasing a proven vaccine this year. (Patrick Rocca/Nucleus Network/ABC via AP)SAN ANTONIO โ UT Health San Antonio and University Health are looking to recruit 500 volunteers to participate in a COVID-19 vaccine clinical trial that will start this month. UT Health officials said the vaccine called NVX-CoV2373, is a protein engineered from the genetic sequence of the SARS-CoV-2 virus that causes COVID-19. Taylor, MD, MS, is an associate professor of infectious diseases at UT Health San Antonio and sees patients through University Health. Taylor served as chair of the local COVID-19 Health Transition Team last spring and currently serves as co-chair of the COVID-19 Community Response Coalition, UT Health officials said.
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Researchers in San Antonio discover how alcohol limits the ability to pay attention
SAN ANTONIO โ A new study published by researchers at UT Health San Antonio found that alcohol impacts more than a humanโs motor skills. โEven though one can still perfectly walk and maybe feels confident that one can make the right decisions,โ UT Health San Antonio researcher Dr. Martin Paukert said. Researchers examined mice to give them an idea of how things would translate to a human. Researchers studied a cell type in the brain called astrocytes. โNorepinephrine is known to be released when we are actively paying attention or actually also when we get rewarded,โ Paukert said.
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UT Health San Antonio urges people to โbe COVID cautiousโ over the holidays
SAN ANTONIO โ With Christmas and New Yearโs still ahead, UT Health San Antonio urges the public to โbe COVID cautiousโ even more so now. The COVID-19 vaccines are not yet available to the general public, and city and county leaders say San Antonio and Bexar County have seen record-setting days for cases of the virus that is also spreading within households. Even so, he says those precautions only reduce the risk indoors by about 5%. โOutside is a much safer place to be and smaller groups, of course, with greater distancing,โ Campbell said. Campbell said high-risk individuals should be protected at all costs to โreduce the risk of mortality and serious consequences.โ
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San Antonio doctor explains if pregnant women should receive COVID-19 vaccine
SAN ANTONIO โ Some pregnant women are wondering if the COVID-19 vaccines are a safe option for them and their baby, as we move through the beginning phases of vaccine distribution. Pfizerโs vaccine trials tried to exclude pregnant women, but as Dr. Ruth Berggren, an infectious disease doctor with UT Health San Antonioโs Long School of Medicine, told viewers during KSATโs vaccine townhall, that did not happen. โOur recommendation is that when these are available, that pregnant women be given the opportunity to get them,โ Deering said. โWhat we do know is that the two vaccines that are out now, so Pfizer and Moderna, theyโre mRNA vaccine,โ Deering said. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists does recommend lactating women and pregnant women should be offered the COVID-19 vaccine.
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3 takeaways from Bexar Facts polling in 2020
Visitors, some wearing masks to protect against the spread of COVID-19, ride a river barge along the River Walk, Tuesday, July 7, 2020, in San Antonio. In 2020, KSAT partnered with Bexar Facts and the San Antonio Report for a quarterly nonpartisan poll, which gauged the opinions of registered Bexar County voters on a wide variety of topics. Around that same time, San Antonio had become a COVID-19 hotspot, sparking a summer surge that lasted into August. Greg Abbott fell significantly among Bexar County voters. Of those polled in September, 70% approved of San Antonio Police Chief William McManus and 60% approved of Bexar County Sheriff Javier Salazar.
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UT Health San Antonio administers COVID-19 vaccine to frontline healthcare workers
SAN ANTONIO โ A day following a monumental delivery of the COVID-19 vaccine, UT Health San Antonio will begin to administer the drug to frontline healthcare workers. Doctors, nurses and care team workers in San Antonio will roll up their sleeves and receive their first doses of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine starting on Tuesday. Workers at UT Health San Antonio will receive their second dose over several days in January, according to UT Health. UT Health San Antonio received nearly 6,000 doses of Pfizerโs COVID-19 vaccine on Monday amid a nationwide rollout of the drug to defeat the virus that has caused 300,000 U.S. deaths. UT Health San Antonio received nearly 6,000 doses of Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine on Monday, Dec. 14, 2020.
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Despite COVID-19 vaccine, you will still need to wear mask, San Antonio doctor warns
SAN ANTONIO โ On day one of the COVID-19 vaccine distribution, medical teams in San Antonio got their hands on 5,800 doses of the Pfizer vaccine. UT Health San Antonio was the first to receive the shipments and will reportedly have nearly 30,000 doses by the end of the week. Though it is exciting news, Dr. Fred Campbell with UT Health San Antonio said he worries people will see the vaccine arrive and neglect safety protocols like wearing masks and social distancing. โIt will be at least six months before we can ensure that the transmission of this virus is curtailed,โ Campbell said. โUntil people are tested and proven to have immunity after vaccination, they can transmit the virus to anyone else,โ he said.
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UT Health San Antonio receives first doses of COVID-19 vaccine; more expected at other hospitals this week
SAN ANTONIO โ Nearly 6,000 doses of Pfizerโs COVID-19 vaccine were delivered to UT Health San Antonio Monday morning, the facility confirmed in a news release. UT Health San Antonio is one of only four sites in Texas to have the vaccine delivered on Monday, according to the news release. UT Health San Antonio received nearly 6,000 doses of Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine on Monday, Dec. 14, 2020. Vaccinations will begin Wednesday for UT Health San Antonio frontline health care workers, like doctors, nurses and care team members. UT Health San Antonio received the first doses of Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine on Dec. 14, 2020.