Irving Police sought the public’s help in locating two missing persons on Oct. 27.

James Florez, 37-years-old, and his 11-month-old daughter, Victoria Florez, were last seen leaving his mother’s house in Irving at 6:30 p.m., Oct 26. A short time later, at about 7 p.m., he spoke with his wife who was at work. Florez told her he was at home and did not mention going anywhere.

When his wife arrived home at 9 p.m., they were gone. No had seen or heard from them since he last spoke with his wife. There were no signs of foul play at the residence and Florez’s truck was gone.

Investigators learned that Florez is a drug user who is known to stay gone for a number of days while using drugs. Investigators were concerned for the welfare of the child. Florez was not answering his cell phone or had turned it off. The phone was pinged several times and was shown to be in the east Irving or west Dallas area. Officers and investigators looked in those areas but were not immediately successful in locating them.

This was the first time Florez has left with his daughter and not told anyone where he was going. Family members did not think he was trying to leave with her.

Early on the morning of Oct. 28, just after midnight, the two missing persons were located near the Trinity River at Loop 12 and Northwest Hwy. Family members had been driving around and looking for the two when they spotted Lopez' truck. Lopez and his daughter were in good condition. Lopez' truck was off the road and stuck in the mud. 

It appeared as if they had been at the location for some time. Based on officers’ conversations with Lopez, their observations of the vehicle, the child and the conditions around the truck, Lopez was taken into custody and transported to Parkland Hospital for evaluation. The child was checked by paramedics and cleared to be released to her mother.

On 10/29/2012, at 9:55 a.m., the Coppell Police Department received reports of a single vehicle major accident on Westbound IH 635 between S. Beltline Road and S. Royal Lane. Coppell Police and Fire Departments were dispatched and located the accident scene in the median of IH635 between Beltline Rd. and Freeport Parkway.

Preliminary investigation indicates a Toyota Camry traveling Westbound on IH 635, left the roadway onto the center median, and struck a TxDOT sign pole. The driver, and only occupant of the vehicle, was pinned inside and was extricated by the Coppell Fire Department. The driver was transported to Las Colinas Medical Center and pronounced deceased.

The driver was identified as a 66 year old female resident of Dallas.

The Coppell Police Traffic Division and Dallas County Medical Examiner’s office are investigating the accident. Neither speed nor alcohol appear to be a factor in the crash.

Source: City of Coppell

The University of Dallas signed a letter of intent to offer an engineering dual degree program with the University of Texas at Arlington (UTA). The agreement will make it possible for University of Dallas students to earn a bachelor of arts degree in physics from the University of Dallas and bachelor of science degree in electrical engineering from UTA.

University of Dallas engineering majors will still be required to complete the university’s rigorous Core curriculum as part of the suggested 172 credit hour curriculum, which can be completed in five years. A unique feature of the new program is that students will take courses at both schools throughout the five year program. Students will be granted both degrees after they have completed both universities’ degree requirements.

The first students are expected to enroll in the program beginning next fall.

“We knew our students were interested in engineering, so we found a way to meet that interest.” said Charles W. Eaker, dean of the University of Dallas Constantin College of Liberal Arts. “Because of this program’s unique structure, our students will be able to take engineering courses in all five years, which is a very powerful thing. They will begin thinking of themselves as engineers as early as their freshman year.”

“This agreement is a win-win, with students being the beneficiaries,” said Jean-Pierre Bardet, dean of the UTA College of Engineering. “That’s the true spirit of this partnership, that we do what will most benefit our students.”

The University of Texas at Arlington's College of Engineering provides one of the most comprehensive engineering programs in the nation, with nine baccalaureate, 13 master's and nine doctoral programs.

Source: University of Dallas

Baylor Medical Center at Irving recently earned the full Heart Failure Accreditation status from the Society of Cardiovascular Patient Care. The Society’s goal is to help facilities manage the heart failure patient more efficient and improve patient outcomes. All other Baylor facilities have applied to receive this accreditation. By the end of 2012, Baylor Health Care System expects to announce those accreditations as well.

“At Baylor Irving, quality and patient-centered care continue to be the cornerstone of everything we do,” said Cindy Schamp, president, Baylor Medical Center at Irving. “Receiving heart failure accreditation reaffirms our commitment to improving patient outcomes through evidence-based care processes while continuing to provide safe, quality, compassionate care.”

More people are developing heart failure because of increasing life spans, survival of heart attacks, and other medical conditions that put them at risk for heart failure. People 40 and older have a 1 in 5 chance of developing heart failure in their lifetime, according to the American Heart Association. More than 5 million people in the United States—mostly older adults—already have heart failure.

In addition, heart failure patients are responsible for 12 to 15 million physician office visits per year and 6.5 million hospital days according to the Society of Cardiovascular Patient Care.

Baylor Irving demonstrated the clinical staff’s expertise and commitment to quality patient care by meeting or exceeding a wide set of stringent criteria and undergoing an onsite review by a team of the Society’s accreditation review specialists. Accreditation expires in October 2015.

The protocol-driven and systematic approach to patient management allows physicians to reduce time to treatment and to risk stratify patients to decrease their length of stay.

Source: Baylor Medical Center at Irving