When you make a PBS documentary series about the most critical issues facing 21st-century Texans, health care and health research quickly become two of the dominant themes.
“Our goal was to focus squarely on significant issues – and there’s no more significant issue than how we provide first-class health care for a rapidly growing population of Texans,” says Randa Safady, UT System vice chancellor for external affairs and executive producer of State of Tomorrow™. The 13-episode series began airing statewide in April.
Along with other critical statewide issues covered in the series, such as energy, urban planning and the shortage of water, Safady says, State of Tomorrow emphasizes groundbreaking work at the state’s public health institutions in disease research, air quality, the nursing shortage and disaster response. Other topics can be seen at the series’ Web site, www.stateoftomorrow.com.
“Texas’ public health institutions play a vital part in protecting and enhancing the quality of life in our state,” Safady says. “We’ve tried to capture as many of those stories as possible in the series. But there were simply too many great stories to be covered in a single season.”
Health and medical stories highlighted in this season’s State of Tomorrow episodes include:
“21st Century Cancer Care” (Episode 1): A 16-year-old patient undergoes proton therapy, an innovative cancer treatment that spares the amputation of her leg. (Featuring UT M. D. Anderson Cancer Center)
“Disaster Response” (Episode 2): Health institutions across the state help train emergency responders and coordinate rescue efforts in disasters such as hurricanes Katrina and Rita. (Featuring UT Health Center - Tyler)
“Biosafety Level 4” (Episode 5): World-prominent physicians and researchers dedicate their professional lives to preventing and curing natural or terrorist-planned outbreaks of diseases like Ebola and West Nile virus. (Featuring UT Medical Branch - Galveston, UT Health Science Center - Houston)
“Fighting Obesity and Diabetes” (Episode 6): Across the state, health experts research the origins of these growing, intertwined health crises, as well as design widespread programs to prevent both obesity and diabetes. (Featuring UT Health Science Center - Houston’s Brownsville campus, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, The University of Texas System)
“Thinking Small” (Episode 6): Nanotechnology – the manipulation of materials at the molecular level – is being used to create artificial muscles. (Featuring UT Dallas)
“Rebuilding the Heart” (Episode 7): Dr. James Willerson, president of UT Health Science Center - Houston, and his colleagues are pursuing adult stem-cell therapy research to repair failing hearts – and heal growing numbers of heart-disease patients. (Featuring UT Health Science Center - Houston, The University of Texas System)
“The Shortage of Nurses” (Episode 9): With a growing – and aging – population, Texas is falling behind in providing adequate numbers of health-care workers. Innovative programs at two state institutions are designed to improve and accelerate nurses’ training. (Featuring Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center’s School of Nursing, UT Arlington Nursing School)
“Aging With Dignity” (Episode 9): Researchers and medical practitioners explore the causes of and treatments for the ravages of age, such as Alzheimer’s disease and loss of muscle and balance. (Featuring UT Health Science Center - San Antonio’s Barshop Institute, UT Southwestern Medical Center - Dallas)
“The Brain Trust” (Episode 10): Top medical, science and engineering researchers from across Texas gather annually to exchange ideas and learn about new areas of promising research. (Featuring UT Southwestern Medical Center - Dallas`)
“Clearing the Air” (Episode 12): The City of Houston, originally one of the most polluted cities in the nation, gathers a consortium of higher-education experts to examine the health effects of toxics in the air. (Featuring UT Health Science Center - Houston, UTMB)
-Ruth Pennebaker
