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UTHSCSA
DEAN’S MESSAGE
Continued from page 27 community through research in collaboration with experts from UT
Health Science Center.
percent of the estimated 4 million persons infected with HCV in the
United States are baby boomers, and half of them are unaware that The ReACH Center’s programs and affiliated researchers are in-
they have a disease that can cause their livers to fail or to develop volved in so many different departments, programs, studies and spe-
liver cancer. HCV screening and treatment programs are being im- cialties that we have only been able to touch on a few here. Because
plemented in primary care practices in the Rio Grande Valley and in of their work with local providers, clinics and their patients, ReACH
Bexar County. These outpatient practices are adopting methods that really is at “ground zero” of healthcare reform in our region. The cen-
reflect lessons learned from an HCV screening project funded by the ter’s impact on our region’s healthcare is already felt and has the po-
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention where more than 4,500 tential to improve healthcare broadly in the United States through
patients admitted to University Hospital were screened for HCV, and multi-institutional collaborations around the nation. Creating change
175 persons were newly diagnosed with HCV and provided assis- and promoting improvement in healthcare is a slow and challenging
tance to obtain follow-up care and treatment with highly effective process at all levels. It will take programs like this, with diverse spe-
medication. These programs rely on extensive physician, staff and cialists working together with the community, to achieve the health-
patient education as well as use of the electronic medical record to care system that will serve us best. For this reason, the ReACH Center
identify eligible patients. Patients who test positive for HCV learn deserves our praise and support.
about the infection and its treatment using a mobile device-based
educational program in English or Spanish, supplemented by expla- Learn more about ReACH at http://reach.uthscsa.edu.
nations from trained health professionals. This program is being im-
plemented in partnership with Dr. Julio Gutierrez, a hepatologist at Francisco González-Scarano, MD, is dean of the
the Texas Liver Institute. School of Medicine, vice president for medical affairs, pro-
fessor of neurology, and the John P. Howe III, MD, Dis-
ReACH welcomes opportunities to partner with primary care tinguished Chair in Health Policy at the University of
providers throughout the South Texas region in improving health Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio. His email
outcomes of their patients and in meeting national quality of care address is scarano@uthscsa.edu.
metrics. The community advisory board – the Alliance – is also seek-
ing individuals who are interested in promoting the health of the
28 San Antonio Medicine • July 2015
