Serving Harris, Brazoria, Fort Bend, Montgomery and Galveston Counties
HOUSTON
Volume 12 | Issue 3
Inside This Issue
Renowned Cardiac Surgeon to Lead Cardiothoracic Surgery at Baylor College of Medicine, Baylor St. Luke’s Medical Center and Texas Heart Institute See pg. 9
INDEX Legal Matters........................ pg.3 Oncology Research......... pg.5 Mental Health...................... pg.6 Hospital News....................... pg.8 Healthy Heart......................pg.11 Financial Forecast............ pg.12
March Edition 2022
Large-Scale Events: Assessing Your Risk
A
s COVID-19 cases are steadily decreasing in Houston, large-scale events are happening in the community. A Baylor College of Medicine expert discusses the risk factors associated with attending large events, such as concerts, sporting events and the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo “We are doing much better and our viral numbers are improving rapidly and dramatically, so that’s very encouraging,” said Dr. James McDeavitt, executive vice president and dean of clinical affairs at Baylor. “However, we’re still in a very high prevalence environment. People need to continue to be cautious, particularly if they’re in relatively high-risk groups or routinely exposed to people at high risk.” Large-scale events vary in terms of size and location. Because the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo consists of different events, indoor and outdoor, he recommends considering the risks: • Outdoor: The carnival is one of the safest parts of the rodeo because it is outdoors. Eating outside also is safer than eating inside. • Indoor: Consider masking if you are in a crowded indoor environment. Shopping venues
and other exhibits at the rodeo are in a large indoor space, so wearing a mask is safest. The concerts are in a very large indoor space, but you sit in close proximity to strangers, unaware of their viral status. You should be wearing a mask in that setting. If you plan to attend the rodeo or other large events, make a personal choice about whether attending the event is worth the risk. McDeavitt suggests assessing your risk based on your health and surroundings:
Maximize your vaccination status If you are not vaccinated and boosted, get the vaccine and booster to protect yourself. If you plan to go to a large event with a group, ask the group if they are vaccinated and boosted and encourage others around you to get vaccinated. During the recent omicron wave, people who became critically ill were disproportionately unvaccinated. Those who were vaccinated and see Events...page 13
San Jose Clinic: Forever Healing
Cannabis Use by Female Adults Associated With Lower Incidence of Diabetes See pg. 10
A
century of service is a milestone for any institution. Factor in a mission of charity healthcare to the uninsured and underserved with an emphasis on specialty care and it is a downright miracle!
San José Clinic, a Texas Medical Center member institution, has grown exponentially over the last century while still maintaining its founder’s goal – to care for the poor. In 1922, Monsignor George T. Walsh recognized a growing challenge for immigrant families – childbirth. With little access to nutrition and care, expecting mothers emigrating from Mexico were having considerable difficulties delivering healthy babies. Then pastor of Annunciation Catholic Church in downtown Houston, Monsignor Walsh, made an appeal to a group of women who would soon form the Charity Guild of Catholic Women to
Dr. Beverly Newman with patient Valentina Quiroga
help address this health inequity. From this, the San José Clinic was born. Ever-evolving, the Clinic see San Jose Clinic...page 14
PRSRT STD US POSTAGE PAID PERMIT NO 1 HOUSTON TX
