News Briefs

Development Chairs Council

Former Development Board chairs at The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston were honored at an Aug. 23 luncheon that inaugurated a new Chairs Council. The council will serve as advisors to UT Health Science Center President James T. Willerson, M.D., and current Development Board Chair David Grimes. For a list of past chairs and their dates of service, see http://publicaffairs.uth.tmc.edu/distinctions/archive/2006/October/devchairs.html.

Health Informatics Certificates

Beginning this fall, The University of Texas School of Health Information Sciences at Houston is offering new courses providing certification for professionals working in the health care and information technology fields.

The Certificate of Health Information Sciences program gives students an increased understanding of integrating information technology into health care. The Certificate of Public Health Informatics is offered in conjunction with the UT School of Public Health and is appropriate for professionals interested in an introduction to both fields. The Certificate of Health Informatics focuses on clinical and biomedical applications. For information, contact Registrar@uth. tmc.edu or 713-500-3361.

Mayors Caucus on Bird Flu

Mayors from across the Rio Grande Valley attended a caucus on avian bird flu presented by well-known virologists and international public health experts in Brownsville. The “Mayor’s Caucus on Bird Flu: What Leaders Need to Know and Consider in Preparation for a Potential Pandemic” was sponsored by The University of Texas Brownsville/Texas Southmost College and the Brownsville Regional Campus of the UT School of Public Health.

“Preparation for a possible epidemic of bird flu must have the support and participation of the community. Without it, government efforts will fall short. This is a first step to help gain that support and participation,” said Joseph B. McCormick, M.D., regional dean and the James H. Steele, D.V.M., Professor at the UT School of Public Health’s Brownsville Regional Campus.

Viral Disease Control

The University of Texas School of Public Health hosted a U.S. State Department visitor from China recently. Zhang Linglin, M.D., director of the Institute of Viral Disease Control at the Sichuan Provincial Center for Disease Control and Prevention, met with: Palmer Beasley, M.D., the Ashbel Smith Professor, Division of Epidemiology and Disease Control, and former dean; Lu-Yu Hwang, M.D., associate professor, Epidemiology and Disease Control; Kristy Murray, D.V.M., assistant professor, Epidemiology; Jan Risser, Ph.D., assistant professor, Epidemiology; and Michael Ross, Ph.D., professor, Health Promotion and Behavioral Sciences.

Zhang is one of the leading public health specialists in China and a pioneer of the Chinese work on HIV/AIDS. His Houston visit was arranged by the Institute of International Education – Houston.