FROM THE PRESIDENT

The Texas Medical Center recently held its 18th annual salute to the Houston Consular Corps.

The Consular Corps represents a foreign country while maintaining a home base in Houston. Consuls are charged with developing Houston-based economic, commercial, scientific and cultural relations. In this capacity, they facilitate scientific, academic, cultural, business and professional exchanges, and make arrangements for official visits between Houston and the country they represent. Consuls also safeguard the interests of their country’s citizens while those citizens are traveling or living in Houston. The duties of a consul can range from issuing passports and visas to helping travelers in distress. Almost every Houston consul has at one time or another helped citizens from his or her country to obtain the world-class medical care which draws so many international patients to the Texas Medical Center.

To help patients from other countries feel at home while receiving medical care in Houston, TMC institutions have multilingual patient advocate teams who are conscious of the needs and differences these patients may have. In addition, a group of representatives who coordinate international patient activities at various institutions in the Texas Medical Center, work together to address any issues and challenges they may face in helping international patients make the transition from home to Houston.

A unique program operated by the Houston Airport System since 1987 also benefits international patients and visitors. The program, called the Airport Protocol and Assistance Program, enlists Special Service Representatives to assist patients of the Texas Medical Center. To date, 91,000 international patients have benefited. A new International Service Center at Bush Intercontinental Airport has also been proposed to serve arriving and departing patients and their families. Members of the Texas Medical Center’s International Affairs Advisory Council proposed a concept for such a center for passengers in the airport’s new Federal Inspection Services terminal.

As a first of its kind in the world, the center will provide international visitors with a central point within the airport where they can schedule services such as ground transportation, obtain information pertinent to their stay when arriving or rest before their flight when departing. The center will also provide information about Texas Medical Center institutions and physicians.

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_02/page_27.html