Current Projects
_
Research Projects
A sentinel COVID-19 Case in Houston
Drs. Monica Lopez, Samuel Luber, Samuel Prater, Jamie McCarthy and Bentley J. Bobrow from the Department of Emergency Medicine share a case report from one of the first patients with COVID-19 in Houston that appeared in JACEP Open Journal. Their case is helping change the landscape of COVID-19 diagnosis including broadening screening symptoms to include gastrointestinal features (such as vomiting, diarrhea and abdominal pain). Read the article online at JACEP Open.
Clinical Projects
COVID-19 Southeast Texas Data Sharing Dashboard Project
Led by Dr. Nathan Hoot in the Emergency Department, UT Health is working to lead this project that will allow the creation of a centralized Dashboard to collect information from hospitals all across Southeast Texas regarding their hospital capacity, bed availability, ventilator supplies, and other hospital metrics. Key information will provide an immense resource for our region against this virus by assuring EMS providers bring individuals to the most equipped hospitals at a given time and will provide a method to track and allocate resources across Southeast Texas.
COVID-19 Telemedicine Project
COVID 19 has put unprecedented strain on patients within the Houston area. Doctors offices are closed and high-quality urgent care is hard to find. Many of our vulnerable patients, those who are old, young, or immune-compromised still have concerns about their health and are unsure of where to turn. However, a trip to the ER puts more strain on the doctors working there and also exposes patients to long wait times and potentially infectious patients.
Led by Dr. Jonathan Rogg, UTHealth and the Department of Emergency medicine is proud to offer telemedicine urgent care for the residents of Southeast Texas. Patients can now speak to a local board-certified emergency physician during the late evenings and weekends from the comfort of their home. This new telemedicine service provides expert clinical evaluations where UTHealth emergency physicians can give advice, prescribe medications, and if necessary, order COVID testing. We provide high-quality, convenient care for the most vulnerable populations in our region. Staffed by UTHealth emergency physicians, the dedicated team is able to treat minor complaints from a wide variety of patients including children, adults, pregnant women, or anyone with complex medical needs.