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t m c ยป p u l s e | m a y 7, 2 0 1 4 9 M.D., Ph.D., who received the 1997 Nobel Prize in Medicine for his role in "the discoveries concerning the peptide hormone production of the brain." Collectively, these milestones are a source of pride within the Texas Medical Center. Founded in 1976 by James "Red" Duke, M.D., Memorial Hermann Hospital's Life Flight was one of the first emergency medical air transport programs in the nation. David Vetter, the famous "Bubble Boy," born in 1971 with an immune deficiency, lived in a specifically designed bubble at Texas Children's Hospital, where he played, slept, ate and attended school. Study of his condition led to significant contributions in the research of immune system disorders. Already holding the title of the world's largest medical center, the Texas Medical Center's physical growth in the past few decades has skyrock- eted. With a sprawling campus that receives over 160,000 visitors daily, the Texas Medical Center alone ranks as the 8th-largest downtown business district in the United States, right after Philadelphia and Seattle. In recent months, the momentum of the Texas Medical Center's new strategic vision, designed to advance the medical center as a world leader in life sciences, has intensified. Since January's two-day Strategic Planning Retreat, the Texas Medical Center is making strides toward its collective future. Leaders within the Texas Medical Center have come together in sup- port of five initiatives, with a special emphasis on collaboration, to usher the 54 member institutions into the future. Their vision falls squarely in line with the original plan set in motion by Anderson nearly a century ago: "to the promotion of health, science, education and advancement and diffusion of knowledge and under- standing among the people." In the 1960s, Denton A. Cooley, M.D., and his colleagues designed new artificial heart valves, and the mortality rate for valve transplant patients fell from 70 to just eight percent. Other distinguished doctors gained national and international acclaim in various fields through the organiza- tions they served. In 1998, Ferid Murad, M.D., Ph.D., chairman of Integrative Biology and Pharmacology at The University of Texas Health Science Center's Medical School, was awarded a Nobel Prize in Medicine. It marked the second Nobel commendation for a Texas Medical Center physician, follow- ing in the footsteps of Roger Guillemin, Today, the Texas Medical Center has 54 member institutions, composed of 27 government agencies and 27 not-for-profit health care facilities. This past year, 7.1 million patients visited institutions within the Texas Medical Center. (Credit: Texas Medical Center) With a sprawling campus that receives over 160,000 visitors daily, the texas Medical center alone ranks as the 8th-largest downtown business district in the united states, right after philadelphia and seattle.