NTX Magazine Volume 1 | Page 35

Industry Spotlight HEALTH CARE Simmons Cancer Center integrates research, clinical care and cancer control outreach across UT Southwestern University Hospitals and clinics, Parkland Health and Hospital System and Children’s Medical Center Dallas. Its cancer center members are currently involved in thousands of cancer-related studies and clinical trials. “Our cancer program is indeed a big asset for the region,” Wilson said. “It brings together UT Southwestern, Parkland and Children’s, and is the largest cancer center in the region. Over 5,000 new patients are cared for each year.” For each $1 million worth of research Simmons Cancer Center receives from external sources, 41.6 jobs are generated; and in 2008, during the peak of the recession, that total was nearly 17,000. Every $1 million of research also generates about $3 million of business activity within the state, and in 2008 that equaled to nearly $1.2 billion. “UT Southwestern has provided the opportunity to recruit outstanding cancer researchers to Dallas, and of course with them, come collaterals of not only research money, but also new members of their faculty. It has a multiplying effect,” Wilson said. “Bringing into our community are researchers contributing not only to the economic impact, but economic growth that is placing us in a position to build innovative technologies and further our industry.” And that translates into innovative patient care with an amazing impact on the health of our community, he added. A Commitment to Research and Growth Like many metropolitan areas, Dallas-Fort Worth is lacking in the number of practicing pharmacists. And to further the issue, it’s a metropolitan region that is also the largest market in the country without an academic pharmacy program. With an aging population growing, the demand for more pharmacists continues to rise. This is especially true within the North Texas region, whose overall population has increased by more than 23 percent over the past 10 years. To address this need, The University of North Texas Health Science Center (UNTHSC) in Fort Worth began working on a plan to open the area’s first College of Pharmacy in an effort to position itself as a continued leader in medical training and research. After a decade in the making, the College of Pharmacy four-year degree program will be offered beginning in August 2013, with 80 students enrolled. The new College will be the 11th program offered by UNTHSC, which includes the Texas College of Osteopathic Medicine, the Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, the School of Public Health and the School of Health Professions, as well as one of the top DNA forensics and investigative genetics lab, The Center for Human Identification. With support by the National Institute of Justice, it has become the recognized national center to provide scientific and technical support for law enforcement, medical examiners and crime labs throughout the country. “We are very proud of our DNA and human identification lab,” said Dr. Scott Ransom, UNTHSC president. “We have The University of North Texas Health Science Center’s Medical Education and Training building in Fort Worth. www.ntc-dfw.org North Texas Magazine 33