NEWS OF THE TEXAS MEDICAL CENTER — FEBRUARY 2020 — VOL. 7 .

NEWS OF THE TEXAS MEDICAL CENTER — FEBRUARY 2 0 2 0 —VOL. 7 / NO. 1Let’s hear it forTeamSpirit!Mascots ofthe TMC, p. 18A COUNTRYBOY CANSURVIVE,p. 12TALE OFTWO DEANS,p. 20GETTING THROUGHA FEROCIOUS FLUSEASON, p. 32T M C P U L S E F E B R U A R Y 2020

RANKED AMONG THETOP 10ACADEMIC MEDICAL CENTERSBernard A Birnbaum, MDQualityLeadershipAward2019 WinnerAt Memorial Hermann-Texas Medical Center, we’re honored that Vizient has ranked us 7thout of 93 participating academic medical centers for the prestigious 2019 Bernard Birnbaum,MD Quality Leadership Award.We proudly share this honor with our affiliated physicians and academic partners fromMcGovern Medical School at UTHealth. Most importantly, our leadership in qualityimprovement is resulting in innovations that are improving lives. From revolutionary newmedications to minimally invasive procedures aimed at reducing a patient’s pain and recoverytime, our innovations are putting us at the forefront of advancing health in Houston and helpingour patients lead a better quality of life.See what our award means to you.Visit memorialhermann.org.TMCNEWS.ORG

NationallyRankedCancer CareWhen it comes to overcoming cancer, it's more than offeringnew hope through discovery. It’s about providing the highestpossible level of care as the clinical home for the Dan L DuncanComprehensive Cancer Center at Baylor College of Medicine, oneof only three NCI-designated Comprehensive Cancer Centersin Texas. It’s about giving patients access to the largest clinicalgenetics program in the nation. It’s about giving our patients,their families, and the community more.More at ComprehensiveCancerCenter.org.

President’s PerspectiveTMC PULSEVol. 7 No. 1February 2020President and Chief Executive OfficerMark Mulligan/ Houston Chronicle. Used with permission.William F. McKeonWILLIAM F. McKEONPresident and Chief Executive Officer, Texas Medical CenterPulse EditorMaggie Galehouse, Ph.D.mgalehouse@tmc.eduAssistant EditorCindy Georgecgeorge@tmc.eduStaff WritersAlexandra BeckerBritni R. McAshanShanley PiercePhotojournalistCody DutyIn late January, a number of infectiousdisease experts assembled in the boardroomof the Texas Medical Center to discuss theoutbreak of a respiratory illness caused bya new strain of coronavirus (2019-nCoV)discovered in Wuhan, Hubei Province, China.There is currently no cure or vaccine for thisnew strain of virus.As global transportation networksthrough air, land and sea have expanded,the amount of time it takes a deadly virusto spread around the world has reducedsignificantly.Multiple sources have reported more than4,000 cases of this new strain of coronavirusaround the world, with nearly half of the casesin Hubei. However, Chinese health authorities were extremely slow to communicate theextent and severity of the situation in China.China has locked down more than 15 cities—a combined population of more than 50 million people. That is comparable to restrictingthe movements of all residents in the statesof Texas and California.Coronaviruses are common in manyspecies of animals, including, cats, cattle,bats and camels. Sometimes, a coronavirusbecomes “zoonotic,” meaning it is transmitted from animals to humans. In those rarecases when it spreads from person to person,human transmission usually occurs via2tmcnews.orgNEWSROOMrespiratory droplets released after coughing or sneezing. Both SARS (severe acuterespiratory syndrome) and MERS (MiddleEast respiratory syndrome) are strains of thecoronavirus that have led to the deaths ofhundreds of people around the world.As alarming as the current outbreak is, itis important to remember that influenza—thecommon flu—causes far more deaths annually than any of the coronaviruses. Moreover,taking preemptive steps to get a flu vaccinecan significantly reduce the risk of a severeillness or death.The Centers for Disease Control andPrevention (CDC) established 20 quarantine stations around the country—includinga station at George Bush IntercontinentalAirport—where health care workers will testarriving travelers for the new strain of coronavirus. These screening centers will alsoeducate travelers. People who have traveledfrom an outbreak zone and begin to experience symptoms including fever, coughor difficulty breathing should contact adoctor immediately.The Texas Medical Center and ourmember institutions are working closely withMayor Sylvester Turner, the city, county, stateand national teams to streamline communications and coordinate our efforts to supportour residents.713-791-8812news@tmc.eduADVERTISING & DISTRIBUTIONJoseph uREAD US ONLINEtmc.edu/newsFOLLOW rTMC Pulse is an award-winningmonthly publication of the TexasMedical Center in Houston, Texas.Permission from the editor isrequired to reprint any material.

416242830Forensicson CallReconstructingBreasts with aDermal BraAdult-OnsetFood AllergiesExplaining HeartDefects and Repairswith AnimationSix Questions forDavid Callender, M.D.7Curated: Dresses with printsinspired by skin diseases8Spotlight: Gary Tinterow, director ofthe Museum of Fine Arts, Houston11Vitals: Green light therapy27 Next Med: Using magnetismto target breast tumors34 Field Notes36 CalendarON THIS PAGE:Roger Creager performs at the Armadillo Palace inHouston, Texas on Dec. 28, 2019. Weeks earlier, his father’s lifewas saved at Memorial Hermann Heart and Vascular Institute-TexasMedical Center. See page 12.ON THE COVER:Mascots help boost the brand identities of TMCinstitutions, including Rice University’s Sammy the Owl, center, who issurrounded by Children’s Memorial Hermann’s Topper, Texas SouthernUniversity’s Tiger, Mogie of Ronald McDonald House Houston, Hunter ofSt. Dominic Village and the LifeGift dove in flight dangling from the earof Texas Heart Institute’s Cool-E Robot.T M C P U L S E F E B R U A R Y 2020

Forensics on CallA new Texas response team, born in Houston, is ready to react to the state’s mass fatalitiesBy Alexandra BeckerGarrett Phillips, M.D., receivedan urgent phone call on theevening of Saturday, Aug. 3, 2019.Since mid-morning, nationalnews outlets had been reportingon a mass shooting at an El PasoWal-Mart—one of the deadliestin modern United States history.Ultimately, 22 people were killed inthe attack.Phillips, a physician andassistant medical examiner for theHarris County Institute of ForensicSciences (HCIFS), had a brief conversation. When he ended the call,he packed a bag.He was heading to El Paso.Early the next morning, Phillipsmet two HCIFS colleagues and anautopsy assistant from GalvestonCounty at Hobby Airport inHouston. The group flew to El Pasoand connected with another autopsyassistant from Collin County, justnorth of Dallas. That day, those fiveindividuals made up the first officialTexas Mass Fatality OperationsResponse Team—a new, statewide,around-the-clock response group fordeath investigations and forensicsupport, known as TMORT for short.“We hit the ground running,”Phillips said. “We got a quick orientation and started doing autopsies.”The idea for TMORT wasfirst hatched by Jason Wiersema,Ph.D., the director of forensicanthropology and emergencymanagement at HCIFS. Wiersemahad a storied career responding tomass fatality incidents; he workedat mass grave sites in Bosnia, inNew York City after 9/11 and inNew Orleans during the aftermathof Hurricane Katrina.Designing a program fromthe ground up, however, was anew challenge for the forensicanthropologist.Garrett Phillips, M.D., left, an assistant medical examiner for the Harris County Institute of Forensic Sciences (HCIFS), standswith Jason Wiersema, Ph.D., the director of forensic anthropology and emergency management at HCIFS.4TMCNEWS.ORG

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news@tmc.edu ADVERTISING & DISTRIBUTION Joseph Gray 713-791-8829 newsads@tmc.edu distribution@tmc.edu READ US ONLINE tmc.edu/news FOLLOW US @TXMedCenter @texasmedcenter @thetexasmedicalcenter TMC Pulse is an award-winning monthly publication of the Texas Medical Center in Houston, Texas. Permission from the editor is required to reprint any .