Teaching Facilities

General:

The primary teaching sites are University Hospital (UHS), the Audie L. Murphy Veterans Medical Center (VA) and South Texas Reference Laboratories (STRL) located in UT Health San Antonio Long School of Medicine Building. All major teaching sites are co-located and physically connected to each other in the South Texas Medical Center in northwest San Antonio.

The majority of the Pathology Services activities, including the gross room, frozen-section area, sign-out areas, clinical laboratories and resident’s room are located in contiguous spaces at both teaching hospitals (UHS and VA).

Additional core rotations and electives are performed at various facilities within San Antonio including the Bexar County Medical Examiner Office and South Texas Dermatology laboratory. Notably, the Bexar County Medical Examiner Office, though not officially associated with UT Health San Antonio, is located on the UT Health San Antonio Campus where a core rotation and electives are available.

University Hospital

The 762-bed hospital originally opened in 1968 as the principal teaching hospital of the University of Texas Health San Antonio’s program. UHS is composed of three towers: Rio, Horizon and Sky Tower. The UHS Sky Tower was occupied in 2014 and includes a ten-story tower, state-of-the-art technology and additional parking.

A new Women’s and Children’s Hospital located on UHS campus, connected to the Sky Tower, will be expected to open in late 2022.

01/02/2014 192303 — San Antonio, TX — © Copyright 2014 Mark C. Greenberg
Construction of new 10 story Trauma Tower on the campus of University Hospital.

UHS is a county hospital serving the community. A wide variety of adult and pediatric services within this institution provide educational patient case materials in both anatomic and clinical pathology. Services include Hematology & Oncology, Obstetrics & Gynecology, Neurosurgery, Cardiothoracic Surgery, Trauma, Urology, Transplant (liver, lung, kidney), and other surgical subspecialties. Additional patient case materials are obtained from the five associated UHS outpatient facilities, including the Robert B. Green which has additional operating room capabilities and large outpatient laboratory.

UHS Pathology Services are located on the third floor of University Hospital, a short walk from the cafeteria and are connected to Sky Tower and the VA Hospital by a skywalk. The grossing activities are attended by numerous support staff including a pathologist assistant. Sign out with the faculty is located in a space that is immediately adjacent to other Pathology functions. The main Resident room is located at UHS, where each resident is provided their own personal desk, computer and microscope. Additionally, they are provided shared access to state of the art Olympus SC50 Microscope Digital Camera with CELLSENS software attached to a microscope and computer in the resident’s office. They are also provided access to the resident’s physical and digital library.

The South Texas Veterans Health Care System

The Audie L. Murphy Veterans Medical Center is adjacent to the University Hospital and is one of the teaching sites affiliated with the Pathology Residency Program. Medical services provided are complimentary in patient case material and bring forth a different demographic than those served by University Hospital. VA Pathology services are located on the first floor, a quick walk from the skywalk connection with the UHS Sky Tower. The residents on clinical and anatomic pathology rotations are provided with offices to include microscopes, computers, and access to reference books.

UT Health San Antonio Campus

UT Health San Antonio Long School of Medicine building is home to the various laboratories within the Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine. The laboratories known as South Texas Reference Laboratory (STRL), include specialties such as cytogenetics, flow cytometry, molecular diagnostics, histopathology and immunohistochemistry, electron microscopy, and fungus identification and susceptibility testing.

STRL, along with most pathology faculty offices, are located on the third floor of the Long School of Medicine building. This floor directly connects to the third floor of UHS where easy access is obtained to the UHS pathology department, also located on the third floor. Core rotations and electives are performed within these laboratories for pathology residents and fellows.

The South Texas Veterans Health Care System

The Audie L. Murphy Veterans Medical Center is adjacent to the University Hospital and is one of the teaching sites affiliated with the Pathology Residency Program. Medical services provided are complimentary in patient case material and bring forth a different demographic than those served by University Hospital. VA Pathology services are located on the first floor, a quick walk from the skywalk connection with the UHS Sky Tower. The residents on clinical and anatomic pathology rotations are provided with offices to include microscopes, computers, and access to reference books.

UT Health San Antonio Campus

UT Health San Antonio Long School of Medicine building is home to the various laboratories within the Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine. The laboratories known as South[GLJ3]  Texas Reference Laboratory (STRL), include specialties such as cytogenetics, flow cytometry, molecular diagnostics, histopathology and immunohistochemistry, electron microscopy, and fungus identification and susceptibility testing.

STRL, along with most pathology faculty offices, are located on the third floor of the Long School of Medicine building. This floor directly connects to the third floor of UHS where easy access is obtained to the UHS pathology department, also located on the third floor. Core rotations and electives are performed within these laboratories for pathology residents and fellows.

Additional patient case materials are obtained from the Mays Cancer Center with large outpatient laboratory, the UT associated outpatient clinics and the Medical Arts & Research Center (MARC) which has additional operating room capabilities. The Mays Cancer Center, affiliated with MD Anderson Cancer Center, has a large outpatient laboratory and is the location of several of the multi-disciplinary tumor boards that the pathology department participates in.

New UT Health San Antonio Hospital

A new free standing hospital with multiple subspecialties, including bone marrow transplant and surgical services, is currently in the development phase with an expected opening date in late 2024. The hospital laboratory is being designed and developed by current UT Health pathology faculty and will be a site for resident and fellow training. The patient populations served will provide additional diversity and learning opportunities for our residents