Doctors Teaching Doctors
What it means to be an academic medical center
Academic medical centers are known to be at the forefront of cutting-edge medical care and technologies. They are where medical knowledge is continuously evolving through research and where new cures, therapies and treatments are found. They are the training ground for the next generation of healthcare leaders and they are a vital part of America’s healthcare system.
Charles D. Fraser, Jr., MD, world-renowned pediatric heart surgeon and UT Austin distinguished alum, recently stepped back on campus as a Longhorn once again. As UT Austin’s newest academic surgeon with a full-time faculty position within the Dell Medical School and pediatric cardiology practice in partnership with UT Health Austin and Dell Children’s Medical Center, he excitedly said to a group of undergraduate students, “I can’t believe I get to do what I get to do here.”
Dr. Fraser recently returned to Austin with the goal of developing a leading pediatric cardiovascular program that will serve the needs of the city of Austin, greater Texas region and beyond. As a teaching physician he will continue to push the threshold for improving systems of care while simultaneously training medical students, residents, and fellows.
“This is where education, research, and clinical care come together in one place,” said Dr. Fraser, “the clinicians taking care of the patients aren’t just using the latest treatment methods and technologies they are also a part of developing them.”
Connecting discovery and patient care
As the up-and-coming academic medical center in Central Texas, UT Health Austin and the Dell Medical School strive to provide the highest quality patient care and medical education by bridging the gap between the latest healthcare developments and the clinical delivery. “When you are a part of this vibrant community with extremely high expectations, great ideas surface,” said Dr. Fraser. “I count on the students to bring me great ideas, they teach me as much as I teach them, we challenge each other to do better, they are the ones that have the future’s solutions to some our biggest medical problems.”
As part of the training and education process, residents, fellows, and medical students are part of a patient’s healthcare team, led by an experienced faculty physician. Patients benefit from a collaborative team approach and high-quality care delivery.
Dr. Fraser believes that the collective resources of The University of Texas at Austin, Dell Children’s Medical Center and an innovative greater Austin community offer an unparalleled environment for the development of a preeminent program focused on patient care, education and problem-directed research. “I’m counting on this vibrant new view and great intellect to help us all think about new ways to take care of patients, ways we’ve never done before,” said Dr. Fraser.
The world’s leading academic physicians combined with the newest leaders in healthcare bring together innovations and unparalleled experience to provide patients the best care. “’What Starts Here Changes The World’ isn’t a cliché,” said Dr. Fraser, “we are here to change it.”
To learn more about the Texas Center for Pediatric and Congenital Heart Disease or to make an appointment, visit here or call 1-855-324-0091.
Charles D. Fraser, Jr., MD, Chief of Pediatric and Congenital Heart Surgery, Texas Center for Pediatric and Congenital Heart Disease, speaks with KXAN's Gigi Barnett.
On Wednesday, March 2, Charles D. Fraser, Jr., MD, an internationally recognized congenital heart surgeon, was named the inaugural Executive Director of the new Institute for Cardiovascular Health, a collaboration between Ascension Texas and The University of Texas at Austin, which includes the Dell Medical School.