By UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS MEDICAL BRANCH

University of Texas Medical Branch stroke experts will be in the John Sealy Hospital lobby from noon to 2 p.m. Wednesday through Friday performing free blood pressure checks and providing educational materials on stroke risks and prevention. Knowing the signs of stroke, how to prevent it and how to help others just might save a life. May is National Stroke Awareness Month.

New women’s and surgical specialties clinic in Webster

The medical branch continues to expand its services in the Clear Lake area with the opening of the Women’s and Surgical Specialties Clinic in Webster. The 12,000 square foot clinic, 17448 state Highway 3, Suite 200, is now open and includes the OB-GYN offices of Drs. Truong Nguyen and Gina Rizzo. Clinic hours are from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays. For more information, visit utmbhealth.com/clinicsclearlake.

New hospital in League City dedicated

More than 400 people attended the ribbon-cutting last week for the medical branch’s new hospital on the League City Campus, 2240 Interstate 45 N., in League City. The state-of-the-art, 150,000 square-foot hospital to serve patients in and around the League City and Clear Lake area will begin admitting patients next month. The new hospital is an expansion of health care services that are provided at the medical branch’s primary and specialty care clinics in the Bay Area.

Perez addresses national group about health care for Hispanics

Dr. Norma Perez, executive director of the medical branch’s Hispanic Center of Excellence, recently spoke at the Public Health Ethics Forum at the Centers for Disease Control. This year’s theme was “Making Latino/Hispanic Health Count.” Perez spoke about the future of health care for Hispanics in America. About one out of six people in the United States are Hispanic. A Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report last year showed that while the death rate among Hispanics is 24 percent lower than whites, Hispanics are 50 percent more likely to die from diabetes or liver disease than whites.

Berenson gets grant for HPV campaign

Dr. Abbey Berenson has been awarded more than $1.4 million from the Cancer Prevention and Research Institute to increase the number of teens and young adults vaccinated against HPV, which is linked with several cancers. The research team will use several methods to achieve this goal including counseling patients or their parents, providing vaccinations at no cost to the patient, conducting cervical cancer screening on women over 21 and providing information to health care providers about HPV vaccination.