The Division of Infectious Diseases in the Department of Internal Medicine works to improve health by building care partnerships throughout the community — with a focus on patient-centered care, evidence-based medicine and health care value — in addition to training students and residents at Dell Medical School.
Division of Infectious Diseases
Education
The Division of Infectious Diseases is involved in Dell Med’s innovative curriculum through all years of medical school — plus an elective for visiting students — and through the affiliated Internal Medicine Residency. Students and residents have opportunities to participate in inpatient or outpatient elective experiences and scholarly or quality improvement activities within the division’s consultative service or antibiotic stewardship and infection prevention programs.
The division also provides continuing medical education opportunities for practicing physicians.
Community Work
The Division of Infectious Diseases works with a variety of organizations including Dell Seton Medical Center at The University of Texas, Central Texas Veterans Health Care System, CommUnity Care (David Powell Clinic), UT Health Austin, Ascension Seton (Seton McCarthy Clinic) and Vivent Health (formerly AIDS Services of Austin). Many of these programs provide services to patients that lack commercial insurance.
In particular, the division has led a number of efforts in the response to COVID-19, including infection prevention policies, therapeutics guidelines, state guidance, and contact tracing and testing.
Clinical Programs
The Division of Infectious Diseases is a leader in innovating ways to connect with patients, including in rural areas, via telehealth. The division has ongoing, expanded telemedicine HIV and hepatitis treatment services in the Permian Basin (Odessa and Midland) and has begun telemedicine infectious diseases services (including HIV and hepatitis) for veterans in the El Paso area.
Areas of expertise include general inpatient and outpatient infectious disease, HIV/AIDS, sexually transmitted infections, antibiotic stewardship, infections in travelers, emerging infectious diseases and infection control and hospital epidemiology.