Kathleen Smith

Collaboration is an efficient way to achieve goals by capitalizing on mutual resources. Cultivated, collaborative partnerships are just one of the reasons the Texas Medical Center is branded as "a city of health."

Two years after Tropical Storm Allison decimated the Texas Medical Center, construction will widen the Brays Bayou watershed. When complete, about 30,000 structures, including those in the TMC, will no longer lie within the 100-year flood plain.

Within 10 years, Texas will need up to 138,000 nurses and nurse aides. Statistics project nursing as the fastest-growing occupation in the next five years. Many TMC institutions offer incentives for those who want to become, and remain, nurses.

An appeal for new and repeat blood and blood component donors. There is a year-round need, yet donors are eligible every eight weeks.

The Houston Museum of Health & Medical Science was renamed for John P. McGovern, celebrated allergist and namesake of the prominent McGovern Allergy Clinic. His charitable foundation has also given abundantly to numerous North American organizations.

TMC infectious disease, emergency medicine and internal medicine experts are working together to ensure the safety of all Houstonians. The collaboration is in response to the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.

Biotech is one of the fastest-growing U.S. sectors. There are approximately 1,400 firms, employing about 153,000 people with an economic impact of about $27 billion. A 64-acre master-planned biotech park in the TMC will be developed over 17 years.

New national standards were set, requiring all U.S. hospitals to measure a patient's pain levels regularly. Proper pain relief must begin as soon as possible, or hospitals could risk losing their JCAHO accreditation.

NHTSA statistics show that in the U.S., 1,800 children younger than 14 die in motor vehicle crashes and 274,000 are injured annually. A Safe Kids Coalition study shows that most states don’t have adequate laws to protect children riding in vehicles.

Do you know about 9-1-1? The Presidential Commission on Law Enforcement established the three-digit emergency number in the U.S. in 1967. What is the 9-1-1 emergency service and how does it work? Never waste a second ... a life could depend on it.

New websites crop up at an astounding pace, and it is the most important new communication medium since television. Sometimes the most valuable areas on the Internet are not the most popular and the most popular areas are often not valuable.