Posted 12:24 am Sunday, November 13, 2011
UT Medical Center At Tyler Rivals Notable National Facilities
By COSHANDRA DILLARD
Staff Writer
Twenty years ago, when people passed The University of Texas Health Science Center at Tyler, many didn't realize the buildings on U.S. Highway 271 housed physician training and biomedical research programs. It didn't help that the campus was dull and outdated.
“It had a bureaucratic feel to it,” said Dr. Kirk Calhoun, who became president of the health science center in 2002.
Staff Writer
Twenty years ago, when people passed The University of Texas Health Science Center at Tyler, many didn't realize the buildings on U.S. Highway 271 housed physician training and biomedical research programs. It didn't help that the campus was dull and outdated.
“It had a bureaucratic feel to it,” said Dr. Kirk Calhoun, who became president of the health science center in 2002.
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Today, the campus is bursting with construction and aesthetic features, but more importantly, officials point to what's going on behind the brick and mortar.
Although small, the center is comparable to renowned medical centers such as St. Jude Children's Research Hospital and the National Jewish Medical Center. The hospital has garnered more than $107 million in competitive research grants in recent years.
Calhoun's mission is for the community to understand that other mid-size cities long for an academic medical center.
“We want to demonstrate that we are deserving of the community's support, and I think we are getting there,” he said. “Now, we're one of the more respected academic medical centers around the state.”
Although small, the center is comparable to renowned medical centers such as St. Jude Children's Research Hospital and the National Jewish Medical Center. The hospital has garnered more than $107 million in competitive research grants in recent years.
Calhoun's mission is for the community to understand that other mid-size cities long for an academic medical center.
“We want to demonstrate that we are deserving of the community's support, and I think we are getting there,” he said. “Now, we're one of the more respected academic medical centers around the state.”
PERSERVERING
When Calhoun joined the hospital he had to improve services amid financial woes and lack of faith.
“One of the things that I was told was that Tyler lacked the size, that it lacked the financial wherewithal and, quite frankly, it lacked the interest in this academic medical center that other communities had in Texas,” he said.
Calhoun had plenty of worries.
“I was concerned about the size of the institution,” he said. “I was concerned about the financial position of the institution. With all that being said, I was pretty confident that we could move the institution forward. It did turn out to be a lot more challenging than I imagined.”
The hospital suffered the effects of state budget cuts in 2002.
“We were already an institution that was facing some financial crises and then we saw our budget dramatically cut, some programs that were at the foundation of what we do,” Calhoun said. “We had to reprioritize, not to forget our central mission of education and research. The whole origination had to change if this organization was going to stay in Tyler.”
He developed a plan to restructure the organization; improve physician input, responsibility and accountability and decrease the cost of administration while expanding programs. Gradually, his leadership team worked toward new goals but not before cutting about 500 jobs, going from 1,300 full-time employees to 800.
The UT System chancellor at the time, Dr. Mark Yudof, told Calhoun it'd take about five years to move the institution in the direction regents wanted. Calhoun was ambitious and admitted he naively believed he could “make things happen overnight.”
“It took five years,” Calhoun said. “Things don't happen overnight. You need to build a team. You need to work with others in identifying a vision, and health care changes so rapidly now that long-range planning is 18 months.”
Calhoun said community leaders repeatedly told him that the institution needed a focus. With Tyler being a huge medical community, everyone was trying to do everything, they would say.
“The only way to be successful in that environment was to focus on the things that we do exceptionally well,” he said, which he said is primary care, lung disease and lung injury and cancer care.
The center has collaborated with M.D. Anderson Cancer Center to compile analyses and participate in telemedicine capabilities, which connects health science center doctors with their staff. They'd also like to create more collaborative efforts with Tyler hospitals. Calhoun calls it coopetition.
“In order for that to happen we have to move from purely competition to a fair amount of cooperation,” he said. “We'll always be very strong competition with each, but there are certain things that we can come together on.”
He added, “What if we had the resources of the other hospitals in this community to do clinical trials, studies and drug studies? How many more dollars would we bring to this community and how much more would we put Tyler on the map for as a great site for medical care?”
Since 1985, there have been 146 graduates of the Family Medicine Residency Program, with 38 physicians practicing in Tyler. Fifty graduates practice in Smith County.
The center's latest partnership is with Good Shepherd Medical Center in Longview. The program will begin in 2012 with 18 internal medicine residency slots each year, for a total of 54 over three years. They will work with other East Texas hospitals.
This is significant, officials explained, as physicians tend to stay in areas where they train. It's even more critical now, as the state — and the nation — faces a doctor shortage.
“We can be a huge economic resource to this community,” Calhoun said. “We realize that being located where we are, we have to be a destination point.”
“One of the things that I was told was that Tyler lacked the size, that it lacked the financial wherewithal and, quite frankly, it lacked the interest in this academic medical center that other communities had in Texas,” he said.
Calhoun had plenty of worries.
“I was concerned about the size of the institution,” he said. “I was concerned about the financial position of the institution. With all that being said, I was pretty confident that we could move the institution forward. It did turn out to be a lot more challenging than I imagined.”
The hospital suffered the effects of state budget cuts in 2002.
“We were already an institution that was facing some financial crises and then we saw our budget dramatically cut, some programs that were at the foundation of what we do,” Calhoun said. “We had to reprioritize, not to forget our central mission of education and research. The whole origination had to change if this organization was going to stay in Tyler.”
He developed a plan to restructure the organization; improve physician input, responsibility and accountability and decrease the cost of administration while expanding programs. Gradually, his leadership team worked toward new goals but not before cutting about 500 jobs, going from 1,300 full-time employees to 800.
The UT System chancellor at the time, Dr. Mark Yudof, told Calhoun it'd take about five years to move the institution in the direction regents wanted. Calhoun was ambitious and admitted he naively believed he could “make things happen overnight.”
“It took five years,” Calhoun said. “Things don't happen overnight. You need to build a team. You need to work with others in identifying a vision, and health care changes so rapidly now that long-range planning is 18 months.”
Calhoun said community leaders repeatedly told him that the institution needed a focus. With Tyler being a huge medical community, everyone was trying to do everything, they would say.
“The only way to be successful in that environment was to focus on the things that we do exceptionally well,” he said, which he said is primary care, lung disease and lung injury and cancer care.
The center has collaborated with M.D. Anderson Cancer Center to compile analyses and participate in telemedicine capabilities, which connects health science center doctors with their staff. They'd also like to create more collaborative efforts with Tyler hospitals. Calhoun calls it coopetition.
“In order for that to happen we have to move from purely competition to a fair amount of cooperation,” he said. “We'll always be very strong competition with each, but there are certain things that we can come together on.”
He added, “What if we had the resources of the other hospitals in this community to do clinical trials, studies and drug studies? How many more dollars would we bring to this community and how much more would we put Tyler on the map for as a great site for medical care?”
Since 1985, there have been 146 graduates of the Family Medicine Residency Program, with 38 physicians practicing in Tyler. Fifty graduates practice in Smith County.
The center's latest partnership is with Good Shepherd Medical Center in Longview. The program will begin in 2012 with 18 internal medicine residency slots each year, for a total of 54 over three years. They will work with other East Texas hospitals.
This is significant, officials explained, as physicians tend to stay in areas where they train. It's even more critical now, as the state — and the nation — faces a doctor shortage.
“We can be a huge economic resource to this community,” Calhoun said. “We realize that being located where we are, we have to be a destination point.”
LOOKING BACK
The site of the health science center was a military camp hospital in 1943. By 1947, it was chartered as East Texas Tuberculosis Sanatorium by the state. The name was changed to the East Texas Chest Hospital in 1971 and the hospital was designated a primary referral facility for treating pulmonary and heart disease.
The hospital joined the UT system in 1977, becoming The University of Texas Health Center at Tyler. Science was added to its name in 2008.
“We had been working for a long time to get that officially in our name,” said Rhonda Scoby, director of public affairs. “So we were very proud when we got the word from the legislature that had been approved.”
Ms. Scoby has been director of public affairs at the center for 21 years. As late as 1990, Ms. Scoby said people saw the center as the “old chest hospital.”
“First of all, our buildings and our grounds were very much from the '70s,” she said. “We hadn't done a lot of updating of our facility when I first got here. Compared to now, it's an absolute beautiful campus and becoming more so every day.”
Dr. George Hurst served as director when it joined the UT System. He came in 1964 as clinical director, before being named chief administrative officer in 1970.
“We didn't really have much follow-up responsibility; tuberculosis patients, that was our mission,” he said.
Hurst said there was clinical research early, although no formal program had been named. By the 1960s, they received a pulmonary rehabilitation grant and began treating patients with chronic obtrusive pulmonary disease.
“We also moved a research lab from the UT Southwestern Medical School to do research in immunology and microbiology,” Hurst said, noting that it also was not a formal mandate.
“Our basic function was changed in 1969 by Rep. Billy Williamson. That changed the very nature of our institution from a TB hospital to one that would be focused on patient care and be the primary institution in the state for the diagnosis, treatment and follow up of all chest diseases, heart and lung diseases and also we would be authorized to develop research in education functions.”
The early years were uncertain times. Hurst recalled a meeting he had with an official with the state board of health (now the Department of State Health Services). He inadvertently learned that health officials were looking to close the hospital.
“Our role as one of the TB hospitals was one of the biggest challenges in that the head of the TB division at the health department had a plan,” he said. “His plan was to close three of the four TB hospitals and keep one and they had already closed one in San Angelo, which was the original TB hospital in the state.”
Although there was support from local leaders, such as Isadore Roosth and Royce Wisenbaker and those in the Texas Legislature, the center faced roadblocks from some who did not believe it would survive as a component of the UT System.
A bill by State Sen. Peyton McKnight of Tyler to add the hospital to the UT System passed, despite disapproval by the state board of health.
The hospital began developing a family practice program, seeing heart and lung patients. Hurst said they tried working with medical schools to train doctors, before starting their family medicine residency program.
It hired Dr. Robert Payne, the first board certified invasive cardiologist in Tyler.
“We were the first hospital in East Texas to do an invasive cardiac procedure,” Hurst said proudly. “We made some real progress there, and that was not easy. Our system administration didn't think we ought to be blazing that trail but fortunately, they did approve us hiring Dr. Payne.”
The hospital began seeing more people in the outpatient clinic and experienced steady growth. He said another major step was hiring Dr. Allen Cohen, a pulmonologist credited with building the fledgling biomedical research program.
“No one in the country had the skills, ability and respect that Dr. Allen Cohen had,” he said. “He greatly expanded our research.”
Hurst drew inspiration from Dr. Charles A. LeMaistre, a physician whom he trained under at Southwestern. LeMaistre attempted to create a multidisciplinary program in lung disease at Southwestern, but the mission did not continue when he became chancellor in the UT System.
“His vision actually died over there,” Hurst said. “I saw the opportunity to implement his vision over here.”
The hospital joined the UT system in 1977, becoming The University of Texas Health Center at Tyler. Science was added to its name in 2008.
“We had been working for a long time to get that officially in our name,” said Rhonda Scoby, director of public affairs. “So we were very proud when we got the word from the legislature that had been approved.”
Ms. Scoby has been director of public affairs at the center for 21 years. As late as 1990, Ms. Scoby said people saw the center as the “old chest hospital.”
“First of all, our buildings and our grounds were very much from the '70s,” she said. “We hadn't done a lot of updating of our facility when I first got here. Compared to now, it's an absolute beautiful campus and becoming more so every day.”
Dr. George Hurst served as director when it joined the UT System. He came in 1964 as clinical director, before being named chief administrative officer in 1970.
“We didn't really have much follow-up responsibility; tuberculosis patients, that was our mission,” he said.
Hurst said there was clinical research early, although no formal program had been named. By the 1960s, they received a pulmonary rehabilitation grant and began treating patients with chronic obtrusive pulmonary disease.
“We also moved a research lab from the UT Southwestern Medical School to do research in immunology and microbiology,” Hurst said, noting that it also was not a formal mandate.
“Our basic function was changed in 1969 by Rep. Billy Williamson. That changed the very nature of our institution from a TB hospital to one that would be focused on patient care and be the primary institution in the state for the diagnosis, treatment and follow up of all chest diseases, heart and lung diseases and also we would be authorized to develop research in education functions.”
The early years were uncertain times. Hurst recalled a meeting he had with an official with the state board of health (now the Department of State Health Services). He inadvertently learned that health officials were looking to close the hospital.
“Our role as one of the TB hospitals was one of the biggest challenges in that the head of the TB division at the health department had a plan,” he said. “His plan was to close three of the four TB hospitals and keep one and they had already closed one in San Angelo, which was the original TB hospital in the state.”
Although there was support from local leaders, such as Isadore Roosth and Royce Wisenbaker and those in the Texas Legislature, the center faced roadblocks from some who did not believe it would survive as a component of the UT System.
A bill by State Sen. Peyton McKnight of Tyler to add the hospital to the UT System passed, despite disapproval by the state board of health.
The hospital began developing a family practice program, seeing heart and lung patients. Hurst said they tried working with medical schools to train doctors, before starting their family medicine residency program.
It hired Dr. Robert Payne, the first board certified invasive cardiologist in Tyler.
“We were the first hospital in East Texas to do an invasive cardiac procedure,” Hurst said proudly. “We made some real progress there, and that was not easy. Our system administration didn't think we ought to be blazing that trail but fortunately, they did approve us hiring Dr. Payne.”
The hospital began seeing more people in the outpatient clinic and experienced steady growth. He said another major step was hiring Dr. Allen Cohen, a pulmonologist credited with building the fledgling biomedical research program.
“No one in the country had the skills, ability and respect that Dr. Allen Cohen had,” he said. “He greatly expanded our research.”
Hurst drew inspiration from Dr. Charles A. LeMaistre, a physician whom he trained under at Southwestern. LeMaistre attempted to create a multidisciplinary program in lung disease at Southwestern, but the mission did not continue when he became chancellor in the UT System.
“His vision actually died over there,” Hurst said. “I saw the opportunity to implement his vision over here.”
LOOKING FORWARD
“People are very excited about this building and about the future for UT; the possibilities that the academic center holds,” said Cody Boyd, chief radiation therapist. “The sky is the limit at this point where we can go and what we can do from here.”
Boyd oversees radiation treatments utilizing a linear accelerator which ensures accuracy in targeting tissue affected by cancer. Hurst calls the technology “revolutionary.”
“I'm just very thankful for this cancer center,” he said. “At first it was just lung cancer. We had a growing emphasis on doing a good job in cancer.”
Calhoun is optimistic about plans for the hospital, which sits on nearly 600 acres. He maintains that it is their desire to grow slowly.
“We try to remain focused and we try to do it one bite at a time and it's served us well so far,” he said.
Quoting a favorite book by Jim Collins, he said administrators set high goals and are careful not to become complacent when they achieve them.
“Being good is the enemy of being great,” he said. “Because if you get good, you're satisfied with where you are. I will probably never tell you that we have achieved greatness because the minute you're satisfied with where you are, you'll stop trying to get better and we will never, as long as I'm president here, we will never stop trying to get better.”
Boyd oversees radiation treatments utilizing a linear accelerator which ensures accuracy in targeting tissue affected by cancer. Hurst calls the technology “revolutionary.”
“I'm just very thankful for this cancer center,” he said. “At first it was just lung cancer. We had a growing emphasis on doing a good job in cancer.”
Calhoun is optimistic about plans for the hospital, which sits on nearly 600 acres. He maintains that it is their desire to grow slowly.
“We try to remain focused and we try to do it one bite at a time and it's served us well so far,” he said.
Quoting a favorite book by Jim Collins, he said administrators set high goals and are careful not to become complacent when they achieve them.
“Being good is the enemy of being great,” he said. “Because if you get good, you're satisfied with where you are. I will probably never tell you that we have achieved greatness because the minute you're satisfied with where you are, you'll stop trying to get better and we will never, as long as I'm president here, we will never stop trying to get better.”
