FROM THE PRESIDENT

The Texas Medical Center recently held its 17th annual Salute to the Consular Corps of Houston. The Consular Corps is a group of 73 individuals, each representing a foreign country while maintaining a home base in Houston.

Consuls have two primary responsibilities. First, they are charged with developing economic, commercial, scientific and cultural relations between the country they represent and Houston. In this capacity, they facilitate scientific, academic, cultural, business and professional exchanges. This involves making travel arrangements to allow Houstonians to visit other countries and residents of other countries to visit Houston. Second, consuls safeguard the interests of citizens from the country they represent while those citizens are traveling or living in Houston. Consular duties can range from issuing passports and visas to helping travelers in distress. Virtually every locally based consul has at one time or another helped citizens from his or her country to obtain the world-class medical care for which the Texas Medical Center is known.

To help patients from other countries feel at home while receiving medical care, TMC institutions have multi-lingual patient advocate teams who are conscious of needs and differences these patients may have. In addition, a select group of representatives, known as the Texas Medical Center International Advisory Council, coordinate international patient activities at various institutions in the Texas Medical Center and address any issues and challenges they may face in helping international patients make the transition from home to Houston. Common areas of interest include enhancement of patient services like transportation, housing and community support services, and coordination of immigration issues. The group also coordinates international dignitary visits to the Texas Medical Center, and establishes liaison relationships with local organizations involved in international affairs efforts, such as the Consular Corp of Houston, the Houston International Protocol Alliance, the city of Houston Aviation Department, and the Department of State’s Immigration and Naturalization Division, among others.

Former First Lady Barbara Bush once called the Texas Medical Center Houston’s "gift to the world." 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/11_15_01/page_22.html