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R E S O L U T I O N
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WHEREAS, Students from The University of Texas Medical Branch |
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at Galveston are visiting the State Capitol on February 5, 2013, and |
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this occasion offers a welcome opportunity to pay tribute to their |
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university's vital role in meeting the health care needs of |
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countless Texans; and |
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WHEREAS, Established in 1891 as The University of Texas |
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Medical Department, UTMB was the first academic health center to be |
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created in Texas and is among the oldest in the nation; its 84-acre |
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campus features four schools, three institutes for advanced study, |
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a comprehensive medical library, and numerous research facilities, |
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along with a network of hospitals and clinics that provide a full |
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range of primary and specialized medical care; and |
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WHEREAS, Among UTMB's many superb components is the |
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Dr. Truman Blocker Burns Treatment Center, which, along with the |
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affiliated Shriners' Hospitals for Children-Galveston, is |
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internationally recognized for its surgical training program and |
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for the quality of care for burn victims; other major health care |
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resources include the Texas Transplant Center, part of UTMB's |
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renowned Department of Surgery, and the Level 1 Trauma Center, one |
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of three such facilities in Southeast Texas and a leader in overall |
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survival and recovery rates; moreover, furthering the university's |
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research mission is the Galveston National Laboratory, the only |
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BioSafety Level IV national laboratory in Texas and one of just two |
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in the United States dedicated to the safe study of infectious |
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diseases; and |
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WHEREAS, Enrollment at UTMB is at an all-time high, with more |
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than 3,000 students registered for the 2012-2013 school year, 600 |
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more than in 2008; UTMB continues to offer students an outstanding |
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education, boasting board exam scores and passing rates that exceed |
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the national average; moreover, the National Institutes of Health |
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ranked three School of Medicine departments in the top 10 among |
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grant recipients in their disciplines, and the School of Health |
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Professions was ranked ninth among its peers nationally; and |
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WHEREAS, This notable institution is likewise acclaimed for |
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its innovative curriculum, which helps to prepare students for |
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real-world challenges by training them to work as members of |
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inter-professional health care teams in learning scenarios that |
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mirror what they are likely to encounter in practice; UTMB has also |
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contributed significantly to the diversity of the medical |
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profession over the past decade, graduating more Hispanic |
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physicians than any other medical school in the country and ranking |
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among the top 10 in graduating African American physicians; and |
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WHEREAS, The faculty, staff, and students at The University |
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of Texas Medical Branch have made important advances in the field of |
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medicine while benefiting untold numbers of individuals in the |
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Galveston area and beyond, and their many worthwhile endeavors are |
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indeed deserving of special recognition; now, therefore, be it |
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RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 83rd Texas |
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Legislature hereby welcome the delegation from The University of |
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Texas Medical Branch at Galveston and extend to them sincere best |
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wishes for an enjoyable visit to Austin. |