BAYLOR COLLEGE OF MEDICINE

As the weather gets nicer, don't forget to protect your eyes while enjoying outdoor activities. Dr. Masih Ahmed from Baylor College of Medicine shares vital tips:

Dr. Masih Ahmed, an ophthalmologist at Baylor College of Medicine, emphasizes the importance of protecting eyes from UV rays to prevent vision loss, cataracts, eyelid cancer, and macular degeneration.

Three Texas Medical Center institutions have agreed to pay a record $15 million settlement to resolve claims they billed for concurrent heart surgeries in violation of Medicare teaching physician and informed consent regulations, the U.S. Attorney’s Office announced.Baylor St. Luke’s Medical Center (BSLMC), Baylor College of Medicine (BCM) and Surgical Associates of Texas P.A. (SAT) are the three institutions that have agreed to the settlement.Court records show an investigation into the intuitions and three of its surgeons began in August of 2019 when a whistleblower filed a complaint.“Well it became apparent looking at the document that there was a whistleblower who was inside, looking at the organization and seeing that these very prominent doctors were going from operating room to operating and even to another operating room and charging for doing the complete procedure when they could not have done the complete procedure, just from a pure time standpoint but they certified that they did those procedures and that’s what the government alleged, and whistleblower alleged,” said Attorney Randy SorrelsThose prominent surgeons named in court documents include Dr. Joseph Coselli, 71, Houston, and Dr. Joseph Lamelas, 63, Miami, Florida. SAT is a medical practice group affiliated with various cardiothoracic surgeons, including Dr. David Ott, 77, HoustonThe U.S. attorney’s office said the allegations also included the doctors delegating key aspects of extremely complicated and risky heart surgeries to unqualified medical residents.and failing to attend the surgical “timeout”— a critical moment where the entire team would pause and identify key risks to prevent surgical errors, according to the allegations,”“Yeah, These are some of the most well known heart surgeons in the country and so students would come to Baylor to learn from the very best, and they would be putting their hands literally inside the chest of patients. And you should have the attending physician there, But the allegations are as they weren't there and present at all times,” Sorrels said.Sorrels said it’s important that patients know, they can try and keep that from happening by advocating for themselves.What you want to do as a patient, especially before you go under anesthesia, is let it be known in the paperwork, Only the attending physician, the doctor that, you know, does the entire procedure,” said Sorrels.KPRC 2 also asked Sorrels if there’s anything that can be done if you’re a former patient and believe your life was put at risk.“Yeah, Texas law is not very patient friendly. The allegations were between 2013 and 2019. And Texas law requires you to bring a claim against a doctor within two years. So if you didn't bring your claim by 2021 at the latest, you can't bring a claim against any of these doctors or Baylor itself,” said Sorrels.Sorrels added that after examining the settlement it appears nobody would be criminally charged.“This $15 million payments is to settle all issues,” Sorrels said.

Three Texas Medical Center institutions have agreed to pay $15 million to resolve claims they billed for concurrent heart surgeries in violation of Medicare teaching physician and informed consent regulations, the U.S. Attorney’s Office announced.

Texas universities trying to earn the coveted Carnegie “R1” title might be closer than before after a major overhaul this week.

A vendor used by Baylor College of Medicine for its employee wellness portal has reported a potential data security breach.

Researchers at Baylor College of Medicine studied how avocado intake impacts the chance of developing type 2 diabetes.

The COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated an already short supply of therapists, psychologists, psychiatrists and social workers.

During a Texas Tribune event on higher education, panelists also spoke about using the state’s historic surplus to improve the affordability of universities and keep rising costs down.

Toddlers with runny noses are a common sight.

In the last week, a majority of states saw a rise in COVID-19 and flu cases. Some are even turning back to mask recommendations.

Researchers from around the world met Friday to discuss treating obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) with a brain surgery called deep brain stimulation (DBS).

According to the latest draft recommendation by the U.S. Preventative Services Task Force, routine screenings are considered beneficial for adults under 65, including pregnant and postpartum women without symptoms.

Cases of monkeypox in our area have been on the decline since mid-August, but there’s still a need for more vaccines.

The Center for Disease Control recommends getting the flu shot in September or October. However, one local researcher says the virus is spreading now in Houston and people shouldn’t wait.

If you’re stumped on how to make school lunches that are healthy and cost-effective, expert Courtney Cary, senior registered dietitian in the Department of Medicine – Gastroenterology and Hepatology at Baylor College of Medicine, has got you.

The Saharan dust cloud covering the air in parts of Texas has the potential to cause problems for people with asthma, allergies and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

Moderna is now seeking emergency use authorization from the FDA for its COVID-19 vaccine for children under 6 years old.

To study the best way to administer the seizure medication, midazolam, so that fewer children arrive at emergency departments with an ongoing seizure: Baylor College of Medicine, Texas Children’s Hospital, the Houston Fire Department Emergency Services, Children’s Memorial Hermann Hospital, and UT Health are forming a study called PediDOSE to determine the best way to stop them.

The Executive Vice President at Baylor College of Medicine, Dr. James McDeavitt, said Harris County is currently at a “medium risk” with COVID, and he expects over the next few weeks that it will be considered low risk, despite people gathering at large events like the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo.

It was a terrible week for the law enforcement community last week as two officers were killed in the line of duty and several others were shot by a suspect who was on the run.

Less than a week away from Thanksgiving and once again, it will be a holiday with the ever-looming pandemic on many people’s brains.

There is a psychological reason we are all hooked to true crime dramas whether on TV or podcast.

Michael Francis had uncontrolled, drug-resistant seizures. He wasn’t able to work, he couldn’t have a license to drive and he said it was starting to take away part of his identity.

It may not be too long before many everyday people are able to make their way to space. As commercial spaceflight grows within American soil with companies like SpaceX creating milestones for space exploration, Space City is playing a major role in health research to help future missions.

A food allergy can happen with almost any kind of food, at any age, but some are more common than others.

A machine-learning algorithm may offer the possibility of early diagnosis of schizophrenia by using a blood test, according to a team led by researchers at Baylor College of Medicine.

More than half of Texans have either recovered from the coronavirus or have been fully vaccinated as of Monday, according to state data.

Baylor College of Medicine has opened a Post-COVID Care Clinic for recovering coronavirus patients in Houston. At Baylor’s clinic, people who experience long-lasting COVID-19 effects -- also known as long-haulers -- will receive treatment for new side effects or lingering symptoms from their initial infection. AdThe clinic offers both in-person and virtual appointments. The staff recommends in-person visits so clinicians can perform a thorough assessment and exam. The Post-COVID Care Clinic is located at the Baylor Medicine McNair Campus at 7200 Cambridge St.

The so-called “long haulers” have been known to suffer symptoms that range from relatively minor to downright debilitating. It was the latter for Kent Taylor, founder and CEO of the Texas Roadhouse chain. He took his own life after battling symptoms related to COVID-19, including severe tinnitus. “It’s hard for us as specialists to identify if this was something that was pre-existing, if there were other factors such as hearing loss, middle ear infection, noise exposure,” Dr. Gonzalez said. His story is one reason that Dr. Gonzalez said anyone suffering from this should see a doctor right away.

HOUSTON – Herd immunity in the nine-county Greater Houston region will be reached by mid-summer, the president and CEO of the Baylor College of Medicine, Dr. Paul Klotman, predicted Wednesday. “The amount to reach herd immunity is a calculated amount” based on virus contagion, Klotman said. That herd immunity for the original COVID-19 strain is 60% to 65%, Klotman said. Klotman emphasized that contrary to popular belief, refusing to follow CDC guidelines would not delay herd immunity, but speed it up -- at an unacceptable cost. Ad“We are in a much larger base of disease than we ever had back in June and July,” McKeon added.

But with the focus on the first round, Pfizer CEO Albert Bourlasays says people may need to start thinking already about yearly shots. “A likely scenario is we will not have a third dose vaccine. How can Americans start thinking about annual shots starting next year? Dr. Pedro Piedra, a professor pediatric infectious disease specialist at Baylor College of Medicine, say it’s just too soon to know if annual shots for COVID-19 will be necessary. Doctors say 75% to 80% of the population vaccinated to achieve herd immunity.

Moderna announced this week that it plans to begin a clinical trial that will help determine if a second booster shot is required. El Sahly is one of three lead investigators for Moderna’s COVID-19 trial. “In case we need boosting, in case we need new variants included in the vaccine, these data will be ready,” El Sahly told KPRC 2. El Sahly said don’t focus on a potential third vaccine, just get numbers one and two. She said there is no timeline when Moderna may have the information needed to determine if they will need a second booster.

On Thursday, Johnson and Johnson requested emergency authorization from the FD and now the Novavax vaccine is in the works. “I think it’s a promising candidate,” Dr. Jennifer Whitaker at the Baylor College of Medicine said. AdThe Novavax vaccine would require two shots 21 days apart. The Baylor College of Medicine started the Novavax clinical trial in January and has about 130 people enrolled. If you would like to take part in the Novavax clinical trial, click here for more information.

Evan Smith, CEO of The Texas Tribune. (Audio unavailable. Click here to listen on texastribune.org.) In the latest episode of our podcast about the Texas Legislature, Evan Smith talks to Dr. Peter Hotez, dean of the National School of Tropical Medicine at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston and co-director of Texas Children's Hospital Center for Vaccine Development, about mask mandates, vaccine availability, reopening schools and businesses, and the trajectory of the pandemic.

Here’s a look at how Houston-area hospital systems plan to distribute the approved vaccines. Memorial HermannIn compliance with Texas’ guidance for COVID-19 vaccine distribution, Memorial Hermann is prioritizing vaccine distribution to persons in Phase 1A and Phase 1B. As soon as the vaccine is more widely available, Memorial Hermann plans to offer it to its patients and members of the community. According to its website, vaccine distribution plans are determined by the FDA, CDC, and state and local health departments. University of Texas Medical Branch (UTMB Health) SystemOn Dec. 30, UTMB Health announced plans to expand its employee vaccination program to high-risk individuals.

A local expert explained the differences between the Moderna vaccine and the one approved last week from Pfizer. “I would have no qualms with receiving either vaccine,” said Dr. Jennifer Whiatker, an infectious disease specialist with Baylor College of Medicine. But the Moderna vaccine is recommended for patients 18 and older while Pfizer’s vaccine can be administered to patients as young as 16. “It might be a little bit easier to distribute the Moderna vaccine,” Whitaker said. Dr. Anthony Fauci, the nation’s top infectious disease doctor, says if the FDA advisory committee recommends the Moderna vaccine tomorrow afternoon it actually could be approved by the FDA as early as tomorrow evening.

Van Deusen said the state estimates there are 1.6 million healthcare workers. “So that’s the allocation for December, it will be weekly, on-going,” said Van Deusen. Van Deusen said test runs are already being done to make sure the shipping process is working properly. Van Deusen said while the Moderna vaccine also has to be shipped frozen. “The Moderna vaccine gives us a lot more flexibility in terms of where we can send it in the state,” said Van Deusen.

HOUSTON – A big congratulations to Dr. Kenneth Mattox, the chief of staff at Ben Taub General Hospital, who announced he will be retiring from his position there soon. This vision ultimately shaped what Ben Taub is today. During a 2018 interview, Dr. Mattox explained the hospital’s history of training military surgeons, a legacy that lives on today. “They would take their cellphone, put it into the wound and say ‘what do I do with this kind of injury?’” Dr. Mattox explained. “In the last five years, we’ve been the top three... of all the trauma centers in the United States!” Dr. Mattox said.

“There’s a huge advantage to starting with a half dose- we can dose more people around the world,” said Rudd Dobber, exec. They said 1,000 people will receive the vaccine and 500 will receive a placebo. Greg Abbott, healthcare workers will be the first to have access to a vaccine once one is approved. None of the local hospital systems have a date for when they’ll receive that yet but they are working on plans for who within their health system would get a vaccine first. UTMB said they also anticipate they’ll receive the Pfizer vaccine and have the freezer capability to store the drug.

“This is one of the most significant medical advances in the last 100 years,” Dr. Albert Bourla, Pfizer Chairman and CEO, said. El Sahly actually oversees the Moderna trial for Baylor College of Medicine. Americans will receive the vaccine for free consistent with the U.S. government’s commitment for free access for COVID-19 vaccines." Some infectious disease experts, including Dr. Peter Hotez with Baylor College of Medicine, believe the first vaccine available may not be the one that’s proven most effective in the long run. “I’m often asked the question, ‘hey Dr. Hotez which vaccine are you waiting for?’ That’s the wrong question I’m not waiting for anything,” Hotez explained.

Election stress? “Election stress is something that existed even hundreds of years ago because people get fixated to the election,” he said. Free Job Training through Houston Community CollegeThe pandemic has been tough on thousands of people in our community and across the country. Thousands of jobs have been lost in our community and that’s what makes the free job training offerings from Houston Community College even more special. Houston Community College in partnership with Capital IDEA Houston is offering a free four week training to help students land jobs as computer support specialists.

HOUSTON – When you think of wastewater treatment plants, you may not think of medical research. But weekly water samples from 39 different Houston area treatment plants are now helping in the fight against the coronavirus. Researchers compare the wastewater data to the daily positivity rates and then monitor trends across Houston. “The key discovery with this project was that the wastewater signal seems to be ahead of the nasal testing data,” Dr. Maresso said. Health officials said overall the Houston area numbers are going down, but in southwest Houston, the numbers are slightly higher.

HOUSTON – President Donald Trump is said to be improving according to the medical staff at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center but questions about his health remain. During his battle with the coronavirus, the president has been given an antibody cocktail, a second dose of Remdesivir and a steroid therapy, which is used in more severe COVID cases. El Sahly said the steroid therapy is known as Dexamethasone and has been used in less severe cases as of lately. “I see clinicians in milder cases, although the data is not as solid there,” El Sahly said. Dexamethasone works by reducing inflammation in and around the lungs but like with many steroid therapies there are risks involved.

HOUSTON – A doctor with Baylor College of Medicine said it’s too early to know how things will play out now that President Trump is being treated for COVID-19. So we need to be very careful with the president of the United States' health,” said Dr. Thomas Giordano, the chief of infectious disease at Baylor. The president gave the thumbs up as he approached Marine One to head to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center on Friday. Trump’s doctor said the president received an experimental antibody cocktail from Regeneron. Giordano said it can take days for people with COVID-19 to get very sick, so the president isn’t in the clear just yet.

HOUSTON – Building on seven months of extensive data gathering, analysis and publication, the Texas Medical Center is updating its public dashboards to provide user-friendly information in tracking COVID-19 in greater Houston. The dashboard highlights the reproduction rate (rate at which COVID-19 is being spread), testing trends, number of overall positive cases, and ICU bed capacity, among other topics. KPRC 2 uses this information to keep news reports up-to-date for the nine counties the TMC serves. “There is no delay in the TMC data so when you look at testing data, positivity rate, people being hospitalized, you’re getting real-time data,” said Dr. Mark Boom, with Houston Methodist Hospital. President and CEO of TMC, Bill McKeon, said the real-time data shows proof when social distancing has worked.

Two of the country’s top health officials, Eric Hargan, the Deputy Secretary of the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services and U.S. Four vaccines are now in Phase 3 human trials, including one at Baylor College of Medicine. Health officials said they won’t support a vaccine’s approval unless the trial includes a large and diverse group of volunteers. Getting a safe and effective vaccine across the finish line, from a research point of view, is only step one of the process. They discovered delivering substantial quantities of a vaccine, which health officials said could happen by the end of the year, will logistically be the hardest vaccine distribution in history.

Join us now for the Zoom conversation with Baylor College of Medicine. Answer: How do we help support kids with different learning disabilities? There are some great books that help step-by-step to help kids. There’s also a program called Coping with Covid to help parents with kids that are anxious. Question: How do you help kids who will be online for multiple hours?

So, it comes as no surprise to ICU physicians that the virus can cause delirium. What has been surprising is seeing it on such a large scale and also affecting younger patients. He said COVID-19 makes for a perfect storm to cause delirium. Salem added any fever or infection can also cause delirium, even for patients who are treated at home. However, with other illnesses, this is an indication that dementia or some other neurological complication can affect patients long term.

But in his quest to return to his business, he took three tests in three weeks: all still showing positive for coronavirus. On Tuesday, Nichols went to a different facility to take a COVID-19 test and the results came back negative. Dr. Joseph Petrosino, the chair of molecular virology and microbiology at Baylor College of Medicine, said the difference in results likely comes down to testing methods and basic biology. The three positive tests came from nasopharyngeal swab tests. He said those tests, along with nasal swab tests, are far less accurate.

HOUSTON – Researchers at Baylor College of Medicine are going far beyond the search for a vaccine. At the beginning of the pandemic, the BCM transformed an academic research lab studying Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) in children into one that has direct access to COVID-19 patient samples. Piedra said tracking changes in the virus is key to developing a vaccine that can cover multiple strains of the virus. Researchers are also studying exactly how the virus attacks the body. “You have to follow a person.”Dr. Laura Angelo said studying antibodies also helps researchers understand how the virus is stopped.

HOUSTON A new study suggests expecting moms can possibly pass the coronavirus to their unborn babies. The study looked at 31 women in Italy that had COVID-19 and later gave birth. Out of these 31 different women, there were three instances that were suspicious for having transmitted SARS-COV-2 from mom to baby, said Dr. Kjersti Aagaard. Some sort of transmission at very low levels, so rare instances, might be occurring but it wasnt conclusive, she said. We and other people have published that there is a risk of stillbirth that occurs with moms, who are sick with COVID-19 disease.

HOUSTON – Researchers at Baylor College of Medicine said a new mutated strain of coronavirus may spread more easily but does not appear to be any more severe. It is not abnormal to see viral strains evolve, said Dr. Pedro Piedra, a professor in molecular virology and microbiology at BCM. “This is not unique to SARS-CoV2,” Piedra said. “This is actually part of what we see with many outbreaks.”However, the new dominant strain appears to be more transmissible. “We’re the ones who have a social obligation to put a damper on the spread of this virus.

HOUSTON – A local health expert said people should assume that everyone they meet could be infected with coronavirus. Dr. James McDeavitt, the Dean of Clinical Affairs at Baylor College of Medicine, said that approach could help slow the spread of the virus, along with face coverings and social distancing. If it goes on for an extended period of time, it’s going to really start to stress some of our capacity,” McDeavitt said. Then, we need to support the regular census that would happen normally without a pandemic going on,” DeLance-Buono said. McDeavitt said healthcare providers are learning how to manage the pandemic and can pull in workers from other parts of the country if needed.

HOUSTON – To help create additional capacity for adult hospitals in the Houston area, Texas Children’s Hospital is now admitting adults, a spokesperson said. Other hospitals in Greater Houston are prepared to “activate surge plans.”COVID-19 hospitalizations in Texas have more than doubled in the last month, Gov. “There is a limit to the number of hospital beds that we currently have and hospitals are seriously considering activating their surge plans,” Houston Health Authority Dr. David Persse said. A surge plan is an emergency plan to expand available ICU beds above normal maximum capacities. “When challenged with those surge plans, (which) are very resource-intensive, and that’s probably not something they would be able to do for a long period of time,” Persse said.

HOUSTON – Right now, the University of Houston calls it the greatest unmet medical need before all humankind -- a vaccine for COVID-19. There are some vaccine candidates saying they can begin the final stage of development soon. “That covers more than one platform so hopefully we can have a more unique advantage.”So far, Zhang says the results look good in mice and he believes his vaccine will be approved at a later stage. Hotez said so far, the vaccine he worked on lacks funding to progress to human trials. There are other treatments that could be available sooner than a vaccine.

Here are a few examples:ModernaThis week, we learned about the Moderna vaccine that is showing promise. Moderna is a young company (10 years old) and has never had a drug approved before so this would be the first. Last week, a few experts said the United States is not prepared to start supplying millions of doses of any kind of vaccine. That’s exactly what the researchers working on the trials with these vaccines want to find out. Before producing millions of doses and injecting millions of people, they want to know who is a good candidate for the drug.

HOUSTON – The Texas Medical Center hospitals will start to reopen sections that were closed due to the coronavirus pandemic thoughtfully and gradually, a Baylor College of Medicine Senior Vice President said. "That was largely due to the population of Houston really took social distancing seriously and flattened the curve." The third challenge is about to take place: the gradual reopening of Texas Medical Center facilities, and how to do that safely, he said. McDeavitt and other health experts urge everyone to keep practicing social distancing guidelines with the possibility for the long-term. "We're going to have to learn how to do social distancing in a sustainable way," McDeavitt said.

HOUSTON – With many cities and states anxious to reopen after seeing a decline in COVID-19 cases, Dr. Peter Hotez of Baylor College of Medicine said the country may see a second wave in the fall. The mayor is receiving backlash for saying that she will not take ownership for businesses to open safely after stay-at-home orders have lifted. Fed Govt punting to the states, governors kicking it to the mayors, now mayors telling local businesses to figure it out. We’ll have a 2nd #COVID19 peak by fall https://t.co/DJ0ZTVxprc — Prof Peter Hotez MD PhD (@PeterHotez) April 22, 2020“Across America we’re seeing the following situation unfold for testing, tracing, surveillance.” he said, “no one taking ownership. Hotez made an appearance with Cooper on Thursday to discuss New York City’s coronavirus epidemic and the possibility that America may have had COVID-19 cases much earlier than predicted.

HOUSTON – There is no doubt the heroes of the coronavirus pandemic have been healthcare workers, but they have needs too. Healthcare workers have kids who are out of school, pets that need to be feed and walked, and errands that need to be complete. Not authorized to take care of patients during the crisis, Thadani and a few other students created the COVID Sitters. The program healthcare workers with services such as pet sitting, babysitting, web-tutoring for kids, and running other errands. The program handpicked a small group of volunteers for each family, said Madhushree Zope, a third-year medical student at Baylor.

HOUSTON – Doctors at the Baylor College of Medicine are working around the clock to bring out a preliminary vaccine to combat the coronavirus, or COVID-19, according to The Associated Press. However, a previously frozen vaccine could effectively protect people. Hotez worked with his colleague, Dr. Maria Elena Bottazzi on the SARS vaccine. Researchers are still working on a vaccine entirely from scratch that will take them several years to develop. Baylor College of Medicine is still working on funding for the vaccine, which could take at least one 1 1/2-2 years to accomplish.