GALVESTON, Texas – The Sealy & Smith Foundation awarded two grants totaling $707,790 to the University of Texas Medical Branch for new state-of-the-art equipment that will improve the diagnosis and treatment of arterial disease and breast cancer.
The first $576,000 grant will allow UTMB’s Department of Radiology to acquire 3-D breast imaging technology—the first of its kind at UTMB—that will bring a new level of breast cancer screening and diagnosis to the Galveston community.
The digital imaging combines X-rays taken from multiple angles to produce a more detailed picture that far surpasses the capabilities of typical mammograms. The 3-D technology detects more cancers with fewer false positives and is more comfortable than traditional mammograms.
The second grant in the amount of $131,790 will be used to purchase an intravascular ultrasound machine for the Division of Vascular Surgery and Endovascular Therapy. The equipment helps identify patients at-risk for peripheral artery disease and help in treating others with aortic aneurysms.
Physicians are able to see the amount of plaque within patients’ arteries through the use of a tiny ultrasound device attached to a catheter.
“UTMB has a long, proud history of partnering with The Sealy & Smith Foundation to ensure the people of Galveston receive the best possible medical care,” said UTMB President Dr. David Callender. “This latest act of generosity by the foundation builds on that partnership and promise to bring world-class treatment to the city we call home.”
John W. Kelso, president of The Sealy & Smith Foundation, said the grants reflect the foundation’s confidence in UTMB to continue to advance health care for Galveston. “Our community is fortunate to have the excellent medical expertise offered by UTMB,” Kelso said. “The Sealy & Smith Foundation is pleased to support the academic health science center’s mission to deliver outstanding medical care to the patients it serves.”
The Sealy & Smith Foundation has been a major benefactor of UTMB since it was established in 1922, contributing more than $850 million to the university. Most recently, its board of directors approved a $75 million gift to UTMB to renovate John Sealy Hospital.