The opening of UT Southwestern Medical Center at RedBird marks a vital step in the revitalization of the former mall and the southern Dallas County neighborhood. Peter Brodsky, CEO of Reimagine RedBird, and Ericka Walker Williams, M.D., a primary care physician at UTSW RedBird, explain the role that accessible, high quality health care can play in enriching a community.

Time is of the essence when a patient exhibits signs of sepsis – the body’s extreme reaction to an infection. At UT Southwestern, Sterling Overstreet, M.D., an emergency medicine physician, and Cary Orrick, Performance Improvement Coordinator for Nursing, have helped introduce protocols to diagnose sepsis early and reduce mortality rates, raising awareness about the potentially life-threatening condition.

Survival rates for most forms of cancer have improved in recent years, but pancreatic cancer remains a deadly anomaly because early detection is very difficult. By focusing on a unique prevention program for high-risk individuals, clinical research, and advances in endoscopic and surgical treatments, UT Southwestern specialists are working to change the outlook for pancreatic cancer patients.

The rise of Omicron mutations BA.4 and BA.5 has created a fresh wave of confusion and concern for a COVID-weary public. Dr. Brad Cutrell, an infectious diseases expert, and Dr. Jeffrey SoRelle, a pathologist whose lab at UT Southwestern is sequencing COVID-19 subvariants, tackle the tough questions about accelerated transmission rates, milder COVID-related illness, reduced vaccine efficacy, and Omicron-specific booster shots.

Gliomas have long been considered one of the most daunting forms of cancer, but advances in research, imaging, and treatments are turning the tide on these brain tumors. Dr. Elizabeth Maher, Director of UT Southwestern’s translational research program in neuro-oncology, and Dr. Toral Patel, a neurosurgeon who specializes in advanced surgical techniques, provide a glimpse into the precise and personalized treatment options now available to patients.

The revolution in cancer survival rates has created a new field in medicine called cardio-oncology, in which heart specialists work closely with cancer doctors to maximize care and minimize cardiovascular risks from treatments such as chemotherapy. UT Southwestern cardio-oncologist Dr. Vlad Zaha and Dr. Suzanne Conzen, Chief of the Division of Hematology and Oncology, explain how this bridge between cancer and heart care provides long-term benefits patients.

The magnitude of America’s opioid crisis can feel overwhelming – we lose more people every year to overdoses than we did in the Vietnam War. But Marti Taylor, President and CEO of OneFifteen, a treatment center in Dayton, Ohio, says investments in evidence-based care and screening, plus reducing the stigma surrounding addiction, can help turn the tide.

The field of organ transplantation has improved dramatically in the past 20 years, with longer-term survival rates, fewer post-transplant infections, and more living donors coming forward. For Donate Life Month, the leaders of UT Southwestern’s Kidney and Liver Transplant Programs discuss the tremendous progress that’s been made and the challenges that still lie ahead.