MEDIA RELEASE
For Immediate Release:
March 21, 2012
World Tuberculosis Day March 24
From medical resident at the Beck Sanatorium to physician in hospital and community clinic, Dr. Tom Austin is witness to significant change
(LONDON, Ontario) – One hundred years ago, tuberculosis (TB) was a leading cause of death. London had the fourth highest rate in the province and a hospital, the Beck Sanatorium, dedicated solely to the care of TB patients.
Saturday, March 24 is World TB Day and much has changed in TB care in London over the years.
Infectious diseases physician, Dr. Tom Austin, did a three-month medical residency at the Beck in 1966. By that time the patient population was at about 50, down from 500-600 during its height. Treatment for TB patients has also changed radically over the years, even as the disease has evolved to more treatment-resistant strains.
Dr. Austin is available to speak with the media about work at the Beck Sanatorium, TB disease and prevention, and changes in TB treatment.
If you’d like to book an interview time in advance of World TB Day, Saturday March 24, Dr. Austin is available to speak with members of the media on:
Friday, March 23 between 1 p.m. and 4 p.m.
If you would like to set up an interview time, please contact Bärbel Hatje at 519-695-8500 ext. 75947.
About London Health Sciences Centre
London Health Sciences Centre has been in the forefront of medicine in Canada for 137 years and offers the broadest range of specialized clinical services in Ontario. Building on the traditions of its founding hospitals to provide compassionate care in an academic teaching setting, London Health Sciences Centre is home to Children’s Hospital, South Street Hospital, University Hospital, Victoria Hospital, two family medical centres, and two research institutes – Children’s Health Research Institute and Lawson Health Research Institute, a joint research initiative with St. Joseph’s Health Care, London. As a leader in medical discovery and health research, London Health Sciences Centre has a history of over 50 international and national firsts and attracts top clinicians and researchers from around the world. As a regional referral centre, London Health Sciences Centre cares for the most medically complex patients including critically injured adults and children in Southwestern Ontario and beyond. The hospital’s nearly 15,000 staff, physicians, students and volunteers provide care for more than one million patient visits a year. For more information visit www.lhsc.on.ca
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For media inquiries contact:
Bärbel Hatje
Corporate Communications and Public Relations
London Health Sciences Centre
(519) 685-8500 ext. 75947
barbel.hatje@lhsc.on.ca
