Shilpa Chitnis, MD, PhD, FAAN, is a board-certified neurologist, who believes in reaching for the best possible outcomes with her patients by empowering through education, compassionate care and open communication. She see patients 18 years and older at the UT Health East Texas Neurological Institute in Tyler.
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The UT Health Quitman nursing staff recently was honored with a DAISY Team Award, which recognizes that while an idea to achieve better patient and family outcomes may start with one individual, it often takes an entire team to implement successfully.
The DAISY Team Award is designed to honor collaboration by two or more people, led by a nurse, who identify and meet patient and/or patient family needs by going above and beyond the traditional role of nursing. Patient care teams including ancillary staff involved with care were recognized with this nomination, which came from a...
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Tyler, Texas (September 15, 2023) — UT Health East Texas will build a two-story, 20,000-square-foot building in South Tyler to house orthopedics and sports medicine services, an urgent care, a diagnostic and imaging facility as well as outpatient rehabilitation.
On Friday, Tyler Mayor Don Warren joined UT Health East Texas physicians and leaders to break ground on the new facility, which has an anticipated opening in mid to late 2024.
The new building will be located on Old Jacksonville Highway, adjacent to the existing UT Health East Texas Physicians...
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Pittsburg, Texas (August 22, 2023) — UT Health East Texas joined the Pittsburg-Camp County Chamber of Commerce and community leaders for a ribbon-cutting ceremony and open house at UT Health East Texas Behavioral Health, 502 Quitman St. in Pittsburg.
“We are excited about the positive impact this new facility will have on our communities, and how services provided in this outpatient setting will help address some of the behavioral health needs that are prevalent in this geographic location,” said UT Health Pittsburg CEO Guy Cayo.
The location offers...
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Despite the obstacles she has faced throughout her life, Joanna Blundell is only looking forward.
“I don’t have time to look backward,” said Blundell, a 57-year-old resident of Ore City. “I always try to be positive and move forward.”
Diagnosed at age two with cerebral palsy, a group of disorders that affect a person's ability to move and maintain balance and posture, Blundell speaks highly of the doctors who have cared for her. “I have been blessed to receive care from some of the best doctors,” she said.
“I was admitted to the hospital in Galveston and had my...
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As document control administrator for UT Health East Texas, Steven Rhame’s interaction with the health system focuses largely on paperwork, trying to ensure the entire market — all 10 hospitals and 90-plus clinics — are adhering to the same policies.
When Rhame’s 10-year-old son, Ransom, recently landed in the hospital following a tonsillectomy, he saw a different side of the health system, one which touched his heart.
“It makes me proud to know that this is my hospital and my coworkers,” Rhame said.
Rhame said after Ransom experienced some bleeding following a...
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Steven Hickman recently finished his shift excited about his birthday dinner with his mom that night, only to realize his moped had been stolen. What was supposed to be a great day soon turned into the beginning of a dark few weeks for Steven, who works in environmental services at UT Health Tyler.
Despite the despair and anxiety he felt losing his only means of transportation, he found a way to make it to work, walking to and from work in the scorching heat, often refusing ride offers from coworkers and supervisors.
“I don’t like asking for help, so this has been the...
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As neurosurgeon Paul Detwiler, MD, stood behind the patient, having just inserted an electrode in his brain, neurologist George Plotkin, PhD, MD, told the patient he was going to hand him a cup of coffee to hold.
The patient, who had suffered from essential tremors so intense he hadn’t been able to sign his name in years, objected.
“He said, ‘I wouldn’t do that, I can’t hold a mug of coffee,’ but Plotkin handed it to him and there was no movement at all. I’m watching the patient and he can’t believe it,” Dr. Detwiler said. “He had a phenomenal response.”
The...
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Quitman, Texas (July 21, 2023) — UT Health Quitman has received two American Heart Association Get With The Guidelines achievement awards for demonstrating commitment to following up-to-date, research-based guidelines for the treatment of heart disease and stroke, ultimately leading to more lives saved, shorter recovery times and fewer readmissions to the hospital.
Every 40 seconds, someone in the U.S. has a stroke or heart attack, and heart disease and stroke are the No. 1 and No. 5 causes of death in the United States, respectively. Studies show patients can...
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Preventable, early deaths have happened too many times in Louis Ashley’s family.
“I’ve lost three of my four brothers,” said Ashley, a 51-year-old fluids engineer with a Texas oil company. “One drank himself to death, another died by suicide and one died in a car wreck. I suppose I’m the one who can change his lifestyle before it’s too late.”
Though he and his love Juliet live in Louisiana, Ashley has worked in Texas for 15 years on a 14 days on, 14 days off schedule. He designs the hydraulics and fluid systems that the company uses to pull oil out of the ground.
...
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