FROM THE PRESIDENT

This is the fifth annual edition of the Texas Medical Center News' special issue, Women in Health Care. In this issue, we celebrate the many accomplishments of women healthcare providers, educators, and researchers at Texas Medical Center institutions.

Fifty years ago, when the Texas Medical Center was founded, the majority of women were employed in support roles, while men held positions of leadership. Today, this is not the case. Many women are respected physicians and researchers, administrative leaders, and accomplished educators. The women profiled in this issue of TMC News are representative of the thousands of talented women on the Texas Medical Center campus - physicians, nurses, researchers and allied health professionals, as well as the women in the many support areas such as finance, planning, security, community relations, and administrative support.

Dr. Bertha Van Hoosen founded the American Medical Women's Association (AMWA) in 1915. Today, AMWA's membership continues to thrive, while female membership in the AMA grows as well. Dr. Nancy Dickey, who received her M.D. and residence training from The University of Texas-Houston Medical School, became the first woman president of the AMA in 1997. Dr. Dickey now serves as interim dean of the Texas A&M University System Health Science Center College of Medicine. Today, 25 percent of all practicing physicians are female, and women make up 42 percent of students in U.S. medical schools.

Groundbreaking research aimed at preventing and treating diseases in ways we never thought possible is being conducted by women researchers. For example, Dr. Guillermina Lozano with The University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center is working to create specialized genes designed to destroy cancer cells, as profiled in an article in this issue of the News.

In the area of education, women are also in the forefront. Dr. Norma Perez, dean of health sciences at Houston Community College, was recognized with two major awards this past year for her years of dedication to community service and education.

Without the contributions of the many talented women profiled in this issue and those who work at institutions throughout the Texas Medical Center, our exceptional efforts in patient care, research and education would certainly be diminished. To these outstanding women, we offer our sincerest appreciation and congratulations.

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©2006 Texas Medical Center

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URL: http://www.tmc.edu/tmcnews/09_15_00/page_23.html