Jenna Welch Center Opens, Laura Bush in Town to Celebrate

Former First Lady Laura Bush was in the Tall City today. She was here to honor and celebrate the opening of the new Jenna Welch Center of the Laura W. Bush Institute for Women's Health.

Jenna Welch is Laura Bush's mother. Ms. Welch has lived in Midland for the last 64 years. The opening of this center is great news for west Texans because a center like this provides the specialized care and research needed locally, so patients don't have to make a long commute across the state of Texas just to stay healthy.

Making her own grand entrance, Jenna Welch sat front row to celebrate the opening of the new center.

"The center is named to honor Ms. Welch in recognition of the special bond between mother's and daughters in the important influence their relationship play in women's health and wellness," explains Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center President Tedd Mitchell, M.D.

The Jenna Welch Center is part of the Laura W. Bush Institute for Women's Health, which is under the umbrella of the Texas Tech University Health Science Centers.

"Today, the Laura Welch Bush Institute is the only University Center in Texas, uniquely focused on solving a broad range of women's health challenges," explains Former First Lady Laura Bush.

In the past, there hasn't been a lot of research done on women's health.

"So, now we have the ability to have research exclusively for women. Women have different bodies than men.  And, we know that some of the drugs act very differently for women and some of the treatments are different," says Assistant Dean Clinical Affairs for TTUHSC, Virginia Rauth, M.D.

Along with clinical research, the Welch Center will also be home to very specialized treatment that hasn't been available in West Texas before.

"Including early diagnosis of ovarian cancer, finding better drugs to treat breast cancer and an issue that's becoming more and more important to me is women and the aging process," says Bush.

"This is a centralized location with lots of multi-specialists and we really don't have that here.  So, we're taking a lot of doctors with different specialties and putting it all in one building which is unique," explains Regional Director of the TTUHSC at Permian Basin
Leslie Chupp, M.D. 

The sign may read, "Women's Institute", but there are many services available to male patients as well. Men are welcome to see a doctor at the Welch Center for behavioral, internal and family medicine.

The Jenna Welch Center has been open to patients since March 1st, which means you can call and make an appointment today.