FROM THE PRESIDENT

Welcome to the Texas Medical Center News “International Edition,” an annual issue highlighting some of the international activities of Texas Medical Center institutions.

The stories in this issue demonstrate the dedication Texas Medical Center institutions have to provide the best medical care in the world to our international visitors and friends. In some cases, patients travel long distances to receive sought-after care. In other cases, institutional outreach programs take health care to other lands, by way of establishing clinics and hospitals overseas or sending medical missions to care for patients from remote and underserved areas.

For more than 50 years, patients, health care providers, scientific researchers and students from abroad have come to the Texas Medical Center to work, study, and seek medical care. Last year alone, approximately 15,000 patients from more than 100 countries came to the Texas Medical Center seeking treatment. Assuredly, there are extraordinary physicians, nurses and health care professionals in all countries, but many of them do not have access to the latest technology, much of which is developed here in our backyard.

Upon arrival, our international patients and their families are afforded personalized attention by patient advocates at Texas Medical Center institutions. These individuals, who help international patients feel at home while undergoing medical treatment, are multlingual and conscious of cultural differences and needs. The commitment of Texas Medical Center institutions to international patient care is exemplified by the members of the Texas Medical Center International Affairs Advisory Council, comprised of representatives from TMC-based hospitals, clinics and universities. Council members work, in their respective institutions and collectively, to ensure that visits from international patients, health care providers, students and researchers, are successful – from arrival to departure.

Texas Medical Center institutions have many local partners who share an interest in international affairs. Among these are the Immigration and Naturalization Service, the city of Houston Aviation Department, the Houston Consular Corps, the Houston International Protocol Alliance, the city of Houston International Trade Committee and the Greater Houston Visitors and Convention Bureau, to name a few. Many thanks to these agencies for their support.

The Texas Medical Center is becoming increasingly more “global” as it continues to expand its mission of excellence in patient care, research and education throughout the world. In fact, former first lady Barbara Bush once called the Texas Medical Center Houston’s “gift to the world.” Thanks to the Consul Generals, residents of all countries can enjoy the amenities that the Texas Medical Center has to offer. This is a splendid way to sum up what happens every day in this “city of health,” where world-class medical care is provided to all.

E-Mail: tmcinfo@texmedctr.tmc.edu
URL: http://www.tmc.edu/tmcnews/03_01_03/page_21.html