Important note: Information in this article was accurate in 2008. The state of the art may have changed since the publication date.
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San Antonio Express-News (12.16.08) - Friday, December 19, 2008
Don Finley
TCID was built in 1953, when it was known as the State Tuberculosis Hospital. Though it has remained open, even as TB hospitals across the country closed due to advances in treatment that rendered the disease more manageable, its buildings no longer meet modern accreditation standards. A renovation plan was introduced in the early 1990s, but it stalled while lawmakers debated whether to relocate the facility. The new hospital, when completed in May 2010, will have 75 private rooms with special air-flow systems. TCID's three existing buildings - administration, the lab and a cafeteria - will be renovated.
"A lot of folks, when they think about tuberculosis, they think of it as a disease of other countries, a disease of yesteryear," said state Health Commissioner Dr. David Lakey. "But you look at the facts, one-third of the world's population is infected with TB. Worldwide, more than 8,000 people die each day because of tuberculosis. More and more strains are drug-resistant."
"We have over 1,500 [TB] cases each year here in the state of Texas," said Lakey.
"It's a great thing we're investing in this and continue to keep it going," said Dr. Sandra Guerra-Cantu, regional medical director for the Texas Department of State Health Services. She sends several patients to TCID annually. "We have a tuberculosis problem in the state, for a variety of reasons. But the fact we can treat these people humanely and appropriately with the best care is just amazing."
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