Cystic fibrosis is a progressive, genetic disease that predominantly affects the lungs and digestive system. This disease usually shows signs in early infancy and can by treated by a physician to manage complications and improve quality of life. Dr. Rodolfo Amaro-Galvez, director of UT Health’s Cystic Fibrosis Clinic, and Dr. Leslie Couch, pulmonologist, see both…

May is mental health awareness month. So, what are some facts about the state of mental health in the United States, in Texas and in our East Texas community? What are some self-care strategies you can use to keep yourself mentally healthy?   A mental illness is a condition that affects a person’s thinking, feeling…

Skin cancer is the most common type of cancer. There are two main types of skin cancer: non-melanoma and melanoma. The two most common types of non-melanoma skin cancer are basal cell carcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma. Skin cancer is often caused by sun exposure and sunburn. Skin cancer can occur anywhere on the skin,…

Blog by Dr. Chambers The end of the school year and the beginning of summer is just around the corner. That can mean only one thing in most households – the dreaded declaration every parent hates to hear will soon echo throughout every home. “I’m bored!” Children have come to equate their very existence with…

For Melinda Leinard, RN, charge nurse at UT Health Henderson, it’s the little things that go a long way. Leinard, who works the night shift, already is known at the hospital for passing out bookmarks to new patients in the morning that feature an acrostic poem reading GOOD MORNING.  “I thought it would be something…

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…

Brandon Jones, a Marshall, Texas, native, began boxing and learning kung fu at age 12. He fell in love with the sport and achieved his dream of opening his own kung fu studio and boxing gym in 1996. “Kung fu and boxing is who I am,” says Brandon. “It’s a passion of mine and 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…

Why you should detect ovarian cancer early if possible. Here at UT Health East Texas HOPE Cancer Center, we’ve been helping East Texans fight cancer for over 30 years. We want everyone to be proactive and vigilant in their own personal detections of ovarian cancer. As we know how dramatically a cancer diagnosis can affect…