Health Care Journalists Visit Houston

When Houston played host to health care journalists from around the country in March, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston was front and center as faculty experts discussed timely topics in health care and research.

Visiting reporters and news executives with the Association of Health Care Journalists get a tour of the Fayez S. Sarofim Research Building from, at right, C. Thomas Caskey, M.D., chief operating officer and director-elect of the Brown Foundation Institute of Molecular Medicine for the Prevention of Human Diseases. From left are: Steve Walsh, anchor and reporter for MissouriNet, statewide radio news network in Missouri; Rebecca Shannonhouse, editor of Bottom Line Health; freelance writer Steve Rosenthal; Daniel Keller, president of Keller Broadcasting Inc., of Philadelphia; and Kathryn Barrett, medical editor of WVEC-TV of Norfolk, Va. The UT Health Science Center was one of three hosts of the group’s annual convention, which brought 350 journalists to Houston March 16-19. Photo by Scott Merville

The UT Health Science Center joined the UT M. D. Anderson Cancer Center and Baylor College of Medicine as platinum sponsors of the National Conference of the Association of Health Care Journalists (AHCJ), which enjoyed a record attendance of 350, increased from 250 last year. Medical reporters and editors enjoyed a three-day program that included eight UT Health Science Center experts discussing childhood obesity, crisis in the ERs, stem cell research and nanotechnology, among other topics.

Public Affairs staff assisted with the program planning and also staffed an information booth during the conference.

“I was thrilled with the record turnout at this meeting, and the attendees were thrilled with the program,” said Len Bruzzese, executive director of AHCJ and the Center for Excellence in Health Care Journalism. “The local experts were top-notch and brought great insight to the panels.

“Many reporters told us they got dozens of story ideas or found new sources for stories they were already pursuing. By all measures, the conference was a great success,” Bruzzese said.

According to Gwin Morris, Ph.D., vice president for public affairs, the opportunity to sponsor the AHCJ meeting was a strategic extension of the institution’s media relations program.

“This year our staff will handle an estimated 3,500 contacts with members of the news media whom we call with story pitches or who call us for information on stories they are pursuing,” Morris said. “Our media relations specialists work year round to stay in tune with what our faculty are doing and what stories are of interest to members of the news media. This conference was an excellent opportunity to cultivate new relationships with reporters from around the country while showcasing some of our faculty experts.”

The meeting also gave the UT Health Science Center an opportunity to showcase the Brown Foundation Institute of Molecular Medicine for the Prevention of Human Diseases (IMM). An afternoon field trip to the Texas Medical Center brought journalists to campus to hear several IMM scientists discuss their research and to tour the new Sarofim Research Building, scheduled to open later this year.

For a list of health science center speakers, see: http://distinctions.uthouston.edu/archive/2006/May/AHCJspeakers.html.

By Jane Brust, Public Affairs