12:15 p.m.



Houston’s KPRC-TV medical reporter Silvia Castañeda interviews Dr. Diane Bodurka- Bevers about ovarian cancer.

ach year, M. D. Anderson’s Communications Office handles more than 3,000 contacts with representatives of the news media. More than 80 percent of those are stories initiated by staff to promote newsworthy activities in cancer patient care, research, education and prevention, as well as special events and new services.

In spring 1998, the Communications Office launched “Cancer Newsline,” a video news release series produced in collaboration with UT-Television in an effort to enhance national media visibility for M. D. Anderson programs and services. Three ready-for-broadcast stories are distributed quarterly to 150 television stations.

12:35 p.m.

ealth information specialists stand ready to answer questions from people calling The M. D. Anderson Information Line or accessing its web site at www.mdanderson.org/contact/.

Each month, the staff responds to more than 2,300 telephone inquires to the 1-800-392-1611 (press 3) toll-free number Monday-Friday between 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Central time.

On any given day, they receive requests for information about M. D. Anderson patient care services and programs, available cancer treatments and clinical trials, access to prevention and/or screening services, second opinions, appointment or consultation scheduling, insurance coverage, parking, housing and how to get to the hospital.

“We try to be the ‘friendly front door,’ introducing patients to M. D. Anderson and its services, as well as helping to ease their fears of coming to the cancer center by providing them with useful information,” says Linda Mercer, program coordinator of the Information Line.



Health information specialist Michelle Villanueva answers patient calls to The M. D. Anderson Information Line.

1:00 p.m.