UT Physicians opens comprehensive health center for seniors
Carmel B. Dyer, M.D., professor and director of the Division of Geriatric and Palliative Medicine at UTHealth, confers with patient Alice Johns at the UT Center for Healthy Aging at Bellaire.
Photo by Meredith Raine
HOUSTON – (Aug. 16, 2010) – In response to the growing population of people over the age of 65 in the Houston area, UT Physicians has opened the UT Center for Healthy Aging. The center, located in Suite 130 at 6700 West Loop South, is a premiere health clinic dedicated solely to the well-being of older adults.
“Our healthcare team offers comprehensive primary and specialty geriatric medicine services at a single site outside of the medical center,” said Carmel B. Dyer, M.D., the Roy M. and Phyllis Gough Huffington Chair in Gerontology at The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth) and director of the UT Center for Healthy Aging.
At the UT Center for Healthy Aging, patients have access to a team of specialists including nurses, nutritionists, geriatricians and other clinicians who specialize in geriatric cardiology, orthopedics, psychiatry, urogynecology, neurology, wound care, gastroenterology, palliative medicine and other fields of medicine. Patients with memory problems or dementia can receive care in the Brain Health Clinic at this center.
Clinic services include preventive care, immunization screenings, annual physical exams, care for chronic and acute health problems, memory and depression screening, functional assessments, medication reviews and advanced care planning. The UT Center for Healthy Aging also offers consults and second opinions. Its lab is on-site and imaging services can be conveniently scheduled at the UT Imaging facility in the same building.
Kathleen Pace Murphy, Ph.D., professor and holder of the Suzie Conway Endowed Professorship in Nursing at UTHealth, is part of a team of geriatric specialists seeing patients such as Marlene Matalon at the new UT Center for Healthy Aging at Bellaire.
Photo by Meredith Raine
“We offer patients continuity of care, with a house call program for those with increasing disability and inpatient services for those requiring hospitalization,” said Dyer, executive director of the UTHealth Consortium on Aging. “A key component of our services is that we work with our patients to understand their goals. We inform patients and family members about available community resources to meet their needs. Our ultimate goal is to provide superior medical care and assist patients in maintaining their quality of life.”
UT Physicians is the medical group practice of The University of Texas Medical School at Houston, a part of UTHealth. Incorporating the latest medical treatments and most advanced technologies, UT Physicians offers high-quality, personalized care from a flagship location in the Texas Medical Center and at a growing number of health centers throughout the Houston area. UT Physicians has more than 1,000 doctors who are certified in 80 medical specialties and recognized for cutting-edge medical research and treatment.
The UT Center for Healthy Aging is open Monday through Friday. UT Physicians is a preferred provider for nearly all managed care insurance plans.
For information or to schedule an appointment, please call 713-486-5150 or visit www.UTPhysicians.com. Also, visit UT Physicians on Facebook.
Meredith Raine
Media Hotline: 713-500-3030
