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Margie Smith’s introduction to cardiac nursing came when she was a heart patient 25 years ago.

That experience, Smith says, shaped the patient care she now provides as an RN in UT Health Tyler’s Cardiovascular Intensive Care Unit. 

“Being a patient has allowed me to be a better nurse,” Smith says. “Had I not gone through what I went through, I’m not sure I’d have pursued nursing.” 

Smith first started experiencing heart problems at age 28. By age 32, with four sons younger than 10 at home, she received her first pacemaker. 

“I...

Spring brings with it beautiful blossoms, a chance to spend more time outside and pollen. Allergies cause problems all over the country, but it can seem like this region gets hit particularly hard. “East Texas may be particularly bothersome for allergic patients as the pollination may be more prolific than in other areas and the “seasons” may be prolonged,” explains Dr. Jonathan Buttram, allergist and immunologist at UT Health East Texas. “For instance, ragweed season in the Northeast may last three to four weeks,...

As parents, you protect your baby from a number of things, from sharp corners in your home to sunburns at the park. You also protect their health by keeping up with doctor’s appointments, which sometimes involve receiving vaccinations. Children, from infancy to adulthood, have certain vaccines that are proven to prevent them from contracting potentially deadly diseases.

Dr. Tiffany Hill, pediatrician at UT Health East Texas, has some tips for parents who are hoping to learn more about the vaccination process....

Cancer is caused by many different factors, including environmental, lifestyle and genetic. Of course you cannot control your genetics, but you can control how much you know about your family’s medical history. Take time to ask your relatives about their medical history and if they know of other family members’ history. This information can then be shared with the whole family, so everyone can have a clearer picture of their genetic cancer risk factors. 

Regina Davis, Director of the UT Health Breast Care Center, shares why taking genetics into account is crucial for cancer...