Lone Star Legacy Society Helps Houston's Underserved

Thanks to the generosity of the Lone Star Legacy Society, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston is helping provide free medical and dental care to underserved populations in Houston.

Catherine Flaitz, D.D.S., left, dean of the UT Dental Branch at Houston and member of Sam Houston's Cabinet - the highest giving level of the Lone Star Legacy Society, shares her passion for improving oral health with society members, Martha Tyson and UT Medical School at Houston Dean Stanley Schultz, M.D., at the annual society luncheon.

Photo by Ester Fant

"The value of your unrestricted gifts is immeasurable," Ed Randall IV, society president and vice president of investments at UBS PaineWebber Inc., told guests at the society's annual luncheon in October.

The Lone Star Legacy Society is an annual giving leadership society, honoring those who contribute $1,000 or more each year to the annual fund, the university's only source of unrestricted giving. The luncheon honored one of the society's members, Jack Mayfield, for making a gift of $10,000 to the annual fund, the largest gift the society has received to date.

"Not only does your support fund critical programs that otherwise might not be possible, but it is an enormous vote of confidence for the leaders at the UT Health Science Center," Randall said to society members.

That "vote of confidence" has now reached $518,000 in the two and a half years since the society was founded.

Health for the Homeless

This year, $15,000 of the total went to Houston Outreach Medicine, Education and Social Services (HOMES), a collaborative student-run clinic that provides free health care services to the homeless of Houston.

Conceived in 1999 by students from the UT Medical School at Houston and Baylor College of Medicine, the HOMES clinic began providing medical and social services in 2002 and has since served over 1,000 patients. More than 200 student volunteers from both medical schools, the UT School of Public Health at Houston and the University of Houston College of Pharmacy participate in HOMES each year.

"The clinic is a nurturing environment where the students have the opportunity to take their time with each patient. They are learning about other health disciplines from the other members on their team, and they are gaining exposure to people in the community that on the whole have been shunned by the general population," said Andrew Harper, M.D., professor and assistant dean for educational programs at the Medical School.

Harper, who also serves as medical director at the UT Harris County Psychiatric Center, said that the funds from the Lone Star Legacy Society will help provide new diagnostic equipment and health care supplies, as well as improved office equipment to ensure better continuity of care for the clinic's patients.

Healthier Smiles and Lives

The annual giving society also put its money where needy mouths are, giving $15,000 to support the Centennial Smiles event at the UT Dental Branch at Houston. The second annual free dental clinic will be held April 9 in partnership with the Greater Houston Dental Society (GHDS).

Dental Branch faculty and students, along with volunteer dental professionals from the community, will provide care to hundreds of patients in need, especially mothers and children.

According to Catherine Flaitz, D.D.S., dean of the Dental Branch, Lone Star Legacy Society support will help them provide full-mouth treatments this year in addition to the tooth extractions and sealant work volunteers performed last year.

"From the bottom of my heart, the Dental Branch thanks you for this opportunity. Your gift is going to go toward lots and lots of smiles," Flaitz told a room full of smiling guests at the Lone Star luncheon.

In addition to the Dental Branch and GHDS, Centennial Smiles involves community partners from the San Jose Dental Clinic, the Good Neighbor Clinic, Casa Juan Diego and St. Luke's Episcopal Health Charities.

By Amber Buckley, Development