UT HEALTH SAN ANTONIO

There is a first-of-its-kind program that partners students at UT Health San Antonio with UTSA in hopes of leading the way in the future of medicine.

Signs of ADHD in girls are often different than in boys, which has created a considerable gap in misdiagnoses for years.

Some experts in medicine and education are using the term “TikTok brain” to describe a situation where children consume so much 15-second entertainment that they cannot focus on long-form communication.

In this area of the country, there are cases of murine typhus, which is the type of typhus caused by flea bites. Local ER doctors have already diagnosed several cases this summer.

A San Antonio gynecologist says life just got easier for women seeking birth control because it will soon be on grocery store shelves and online.

UT Health San Antonio has spent the last decade developing a program that helped reduce teen pregnancy in Bexar County by 73%.

The summer can be convenient for families looking to hike and camp, but the heat beating down on Texas has already been blamed for several deaths.

The Wilderness and Survival Medicine Fellowship in Texas at UT Health San Antonio — the first fellowship of its kind in Texas — is training doctors to respond to heat-related emergencies at parks and on trails.

More than 200 new doctors beginning their residencies at UT Health San Antonio learned an important principle Tuesday that’s not in the medical books.

Hope is the one thing no one can live without, and that’s precisely what recovery homes are trying to provide for people battling addiction issues.

A life-saving drug that stops people from overdosing on fentanyl or other opioids is available to you for free.

UT Health San Antonio is hosting its annual Viva Science SA event on Saturday at the Witte Museum.

March 28 is Diabetes Alert Day, a one-day “wake-up call” 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.

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 San Antonio plans to begin construction soon on a multistory tower in the heart of the South Texas Medical Center that will be home to its $100 million Center for Brain Health.

According to Texas Health and Human Services, there were 1,672 fentanyl-related overdoses in 2021.

Shigella is a bacteria that causes an extremely contagious stomach bug every year. The latest strain seems to be resistant to common antibiotics, causing concern for local doctors and the CDC.

UT Health San Antonio is bringing health care to rural communities with the help of its mobile clinic.

New research from The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio links obesity and Alzheimer’s disease.

February is American Heart Month and heart health is something families around the state and the country should take seriously.

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.

Many pain conditions and traumas force the need for opioid painkillers, so the government is funding five studies across the nation to create non-opioid medicines for specific types of joint and muscle pain.

Researchers at UT Health San Antonio are collaborating with other researchers across the country to make headway in treating combat PTSD.

The research teams are expected to focus on traumatic brain injury, stem cell research, drug development and anti-shock therapies.

The American Heart Association says the risk for heart attacks increases during the holidays.

The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio is asking for the public’s input to name its multi-specialty and research hospital that is under construction in the Medical Center.

The COVID 19 pandemic revealed a lot about our health care system, including the deep inequities in minority communities. That's why a new nonprofit is educating organizations that the community trusts.

The leading cause of death among Latinos is now cancer, according to Dr. Amelie Ramirez, a nationally recognized researcher at the UT Health San Antonio Mays Cancer Center.

Health care workers are on the frontline when it comes to recognizing domestic violence victims, but it’s not just bruises and scars they’re treating.

The first clinical trial of a "bionic pancreas" at UT Health San Antonio's Texas Diabetes Institute is complete and it was so successful at controlling diabetes, it may get FDA clearance next year.

While treatment experts say education and prevention is key to saving lives. Governor Greg Abbott declares criminal organizations in Mexico as terrorists in a fight against fentanyl deaths.

A visit to the dentist can bring anxiety, but it can be even more stressful for families who care for adults or children with special needs.

A large new study found the rates of advanced cervical cancers are spiking, with unusual increases in white women, and experts are trying to find out why.

All it took was a nick from a knife, cutting vegetables she held in her hand.

Questions about the monkeypox vaccine have flooded our KSAT Trust Index inbox: "Who needs it? Is it the same as the smallpox vaccine? Will the old vaccines still work?"

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.

U.S. officials have declared monkeypox a public health emergency and many are starting to question what this means, especially for those returning to school. A specialist with UT Health San Antonio joined Leading SA to explain.

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.

Expecting a COVID-19 test in the mail? Don’t leave it in your mailbox too long, experts say. Heat and humidity could affect its accuracy.

Days after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, fertility specialists across the country are now discussing the future of their own treatment.

A one-of-a-kind study in San Antonio is trying to find out if pet therapy helps dialysis patients stay on schedule with their appointments. Research is about to wrap up.

After the Uvalde school shooting, like many mass shootings, mental health became a topic of discussion among politicians after the public demanded change in gun laws.

If you have seasonal allergies, you know that they have not been kind lately in the San Antonio area. But, how do you know when it’s allergies or another illness?

Doctors are expected to diagnose 55,000 people with oral cancer in the U.S. this year, with 10,000 predicted to die from it, according to the experts at UT Health San Antonio.

December 2021 was a big month for the emergency approval of COVID-19 drugs deemed successful in trials. However, experts say not enough people know about some of those drugs, and they're going unused.

The long waitlists at the two San Antonio long COVID clinics show how many people are actually experiencing it. Even those who had mild COVID symptoms could end up with strong lingering effects.

The next generation of physicians promises to have a greater representation of African Americans, according to Chiquita Collins, chief diversity officer for the Long School of Medicine at UT Health San Antonio.

Many counties in South Texas desperately need dentists, specifically dentists who represent the patients they serve.

A CDC report shows kids 18 years old and younger with COVID-19 are more likely to develop diabetes.

A San Antonio doctor who invented a device he claims relieves most people of their hiccups is partnering with Texas billionaire Mark Cuban to mass produce the invention.

The availability of COVID therapies like remdesivir, monoclonal antibodies, and oral antivirals are running low. Local doctors are calling for more availability.

As COVID-19 cases continue to surge in the San Antonio area, the estimated date of when the city may actually reach its peak keeps getting pushed back.

UT Health San Antonio’s applications have more than doubled, from 258 applications in Spring 2020 to 596 in Fall 2021. UIW is seeing so many applications, and they’ve begun enrolling more students.

Doctors weigh in on the different COVID-19 tests and their ability to detect all variants.

Cases of Omicron are outpacing previous variants of concern like Delta across Texas.

Dr. Ruth Berggren, an infectious disease specialist with UT Health San Antonio, joined the KSAT Q&A on Thursday to discuss new developments about the omicron variant and to answer questions concerning the virus.

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.

Doctors at the Molecular Diagnostic Laboratory of the Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio are identifying COVID variants by genome testing.

A San Antonio trauma surgeon that has saved lives on battlefields abroad and in San Antonio operating rooms has created a new and improved surgical tool.

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.

Autopsies of COVID-19 patients have shown physical evidence of direct damage to the pancreas, specifically the beta cell that produces insulin.

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.

Right now is a great time to get your flu shot, Dr. Leverence with UT Health San Antonio said.

UT Health San Antonio pediatricians are seeing the type of complications of COVID-19 that normally would put older patients at risk, develop in teens.

Alamo Colleges District has opened two new on-campus health clinics in partnership with UT Health San Antonio’s School of Nursing to offer low-cost physical and mental health services to students, officials announced Wednesday.

Thousands of adolescents in San Antonio have already received the COVID-19 vaccine and there’s a big push to get more teens vaccinated.

As students head back into the classroom, some parents are battling stress and anxiety.

The health system is overwhelmed, nurses are exhausted, and the pandemic is adding to a growing nurse shortage.

Dr. Ruth Berggren, an infectious disease expert with UT Health San Antonio, says local hospitals are full amid an influx of COVID-19 patients.

Hospitals are seeing an increase in COVID-19 patients across the country and throughout Bexar County due to the Delta variant.

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.

A UT Health San Antonio research team says it’s found the connection between the high-fat Western diet and chronic pain. It’s a groundbreaking study that is 10 years in the making, and it could affect many illnesses and even impact the opioid epidemic.

Dr. Ruth Berggren, of the Long School of Medicine at UT Health San Antonio, joins KSAT Q&A to discuss the effectiveness of the COVID-19 vaccines against other variants.

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.

UT Health San Antonio Dr. Amelia Ramirez joins the KSAT Q&A to discuss a new Latino cancer survivorship study.

UT Health San Antonio is expanding its offering of the COVID-19 vaccine in Bexar County.

Researchers at the Mays Cancer Center at UT Health San Antonio are studying what challenges Latino cancer survivors are facing with their diagnosis.

Masking, distancing and travel guidelines have kept flu numbers low to non-existent globally, which leaves little data for researchers trying to predict which strains will be most infections next season.

Labor and delivery looks a whole lot different during the coronavirus pandemic, and KSAT viewers have sent in a lot of questions about protocols and recommendations that seem to be ever-changing.

SAN ANTONIO – 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. “With a $25 donation, viewers can help provide important support services for patients in cancer treatment,” said Libby Ross, Patient and Family Services Co-Chair with SA Cancer Council. “The Cancer Council provides transportation to and from the Cancer Center for Patients Cancer Treatments, Valley Services.

SAN ANTONIO – 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:

SAN ANTONIO – 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 “research 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

That’s 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. “Ultimately, we’re seeing a lot of later presentations, meaning that they’re growing to the point where they’re 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

SAN ANTONIO – 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.

SAN ANTONIO – 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,” said Dr. Wisdeen Wu, assistant professor of pediatrics at UT Health San Antonio. AdShe also takes her hat off to her patients’ 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

SAN ANTONIO – 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. “I’ve 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. “We do know that women who have gestational diabetes may be at increased risk for hospitalization,” he said.

SAN ANTONIO – 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, there’s confusion and misinformation about what the vaccine does after it’s 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,” 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.

SAN ANTONIO – UT Health San Antonio researchers are trying to determine if COVID-19 will have long-term effects on older adults’ brains. San Antonio resident Robert Renteria is participating in the study. Renteria said his father, a veteran of the San Antonio Fire Department, had Alzheimer’s disease. And in a few studies, when they have been imaged, they have actual changes in their brain,” Seshadri said. Researchers in more than 30 countries are involved in the study in which UT Health San Antonio is participating.

SAN ANTONIO – 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 . “The mRNA does not enter the nucleus of our cells. The mRNA does not change a person’s DNA through this process. Some San Antonio teachers, school employees to get COVID-19 vaccine this week through University Health

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 – 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.

SAN ANTONIO – A new study published by researchers at UT Health San Antonio found that alcohol impacts more than a human’s motor skills. “Even though one can still perfectly walk and maybe feels confident that one can make the right decisions,” 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. “Norepinephrine is known to be released when we are actively paying attention or actually also when we get rewarded,” Paukert said.

SAN ANTONIO – With Christmas and New Year’s still ahead, UT Health San Antonio urges the public to “be COVID cautious” 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%. “Outside is a much safer place to be and smaller groups, of course, with greater distancing,” Campbell said. Campbell said high-risk individuals should be protected at all costs to “reduce the risk of mortality and serious consequences.”

SAN ANTONIO – 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. Pfizer’s vaccine trials tried to exclude pregnant women, but as Dr. Ruth Berggren, an infectious disease doctor with UT Health San Antonio’s Long School of Medicine, told viewers during KSAT’s vaccine townhall, that did not happen. “Our recommendation is that when these are available, that pregnant women be given the opportunity to get them,” Deering said. “What we do know is that the two vaccines that are out now, so Pfizer and Moderna, they’re mRNA vaccine,” Deering said. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists does recommend lactating women and pregnant women should be offered the COVID-19 vaccine.

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.

SAN ANTONIO – 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 Pfizer’s 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.

SAN ANTONIO – 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. “It will be at least six months before we can ensure that the transmission of this virus is curtailed,” Campbell said. “Until people are tested and proven to have immunity after vaccination, they can transmit the virus to anyone else,” he said.

SAN ANTONIO – Nearly 6,000 doses of Pfizer’s 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.

SAN ANTONIO – Twenty-five million asthmatics in the U.S. can now take a collective sigh of relief after the National Institutes of Health came up with new recommendations to treat the chronic condition. The inhalers are now being recommended to treat asthma attacks. Also, for the first time ever, allergy shots also got a shot in the arm by the NIH experts, who now recommend them for allergy-related asthma. One of the devices, a fractional exhaled nitric oxide test, helps with the proper diagnosis and treatment decisions that a doctor might face. “It’s a little device that you blow into and it measures nitric oxide out of the lungs, and it correlates the elevation of nitric oxide correlates with the type of inflammation that we see in asthma,” Brooks said.