NEWS BRIEFS
2023 HEALTH CARE EDITION
ARC Four Points to provide multiple sclerosis care to region
ACCESSING CARE Residents of Austin and the region will now have comprehensive care for MS.
FIRST OF ITS KIND Williamson County’s rst children’s hospital opened in April.
Current and prospective patients can call 737-247-7200 to inquire about MS care and treatment. Patients can receive therapies in the form of infusions or steroids that will be administered at the Four Points location. ARC Four Points will be the network’s rst dedicated care center for patients with multiple sclerosis. Evaluations need to be conducted rst to understand a patient’s circumstances and to create an e ective treatment plan.
BY ZARA FLORES
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speci c issues, and Andino will serve as the head coordinator. Andino will be the only MS special- ized doctor within ARC. “There are only [very few] comprehensive, designated care centers in Texas; they’re very few and far between, less than six or so,” Andino said. Andino expects to see patients throughout the region as other MS doctors are located as far as Lubbock and Dallas. Despite the lack of comprehensive care centers dedicated to MS, there is a sizable network of doctors in the Central Texas region that she aims to create a network with to under- stand and improve upon the needs of the community. Additionally, she hopes to begin conducting research as part of the center because what is known about MS evolves quickly, Andino said.
Come August, Austin Regional Clinic at Four Points will pioneer a new hub of specialized and com- prehensive care for patients with multiple sclerosis with the arrival of Dr. Diana Andino. Also referred to as MS, the disease is an autoim- mune illness that a ects the central nervous system and can present itself through symptoms such as mobility issues, di culty with dexterity, loss of vision, loss of bowel and bladder function, Andino said. While the disease is incurable, there are treatments, such as immunother- apy and infusions. Located at 11714 Wilson Parke Ave., Ste. 150, Austin, ARC Four Points will begin taking on patients Aug. 21 for MS, for which Andino will be creating comprehensive care plans. Some care and treatment will be outsourced to other specialists for
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WilCo gets rst pediatric hospital
BY BROOKE SJOBERG
Community members gathered April 12 to celebrate the opening of Dell Children’s Medical Center North, the rst pediatric hospital in William- son County. Located at 9010 N. Lake Creek Parkway, Austin, the hospital is four stories tall. The 36-bed hospital o ers emer- gency and trauma services as well as two operating rooms, endoscopy and procedure rooms, sleep labs, and shelled space for future growth.
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SOURCE: AUSTIN REGIONAL CLINIC COMMUNITY IMPACT
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LAKE TRAVIS WESTLAKE EDITION • JUNE 2023
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