UTMB Academic Enterprise Magazine - Issue 1, Fall 2015 by UTMB Health

The University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston

ACADEMIC ENTERPRISE

FALL 2015

HIGHLIGHTS ■

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UTMB Health League City Hospital Coming Soon School of Nursing’s Online Graduate Programs Garner Recognition First Class of Master of Science/ Dietetic Internship Students Graduates

Advancing research, health care and education in Texas and beyond

Leading the fight against infectious diseases

New Horizons State-of-the-art Jennie Sealy Hospital opens in 2016 and more

To 125 Years of Excellence… and 125 More

his October, the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston (UTMB) kicked off our 125th anniversary celebration. For more than a century, our institution has been innovating and facilitating health sciences education, research and patient care. Founded as the state’s first medical school in 1891, UTMB began with one building, 23 students and 13 faculty members. Now completing approximately $1 billion in repairs and renovations to our Galveston campus, UTMB has come a long way since the devastation caused by Hurricane Ike in 2008. After the storm, there were questions surrounding UTMB’s future; there were even those who thought UTMB might close. But the words of UT Board of Regents Chair Beauregard Bryan after the devastating hurricane of September 1900 rang just as true after Ike: “The University of Texas stops for no storm.” And with the help of friends, alumni, local officials and legislators, our institution began to rebuild. But UTMB has not only survived, we’ve been reinvigorated. This magazine is all about the great stories happening every day at UTMB. In this issue, you will read about two brand-new hospitals we will be opening this fiscal year, the Galveston National Laboratory, where scientists fight the battle against deadly infectious diseases, and how our School of Nursing is meeting today’s students’ needs and winning awards with innovative graduate programs. You will also see how UTMB leaders are advancing the use of telemedicine, sharing their research expertise and more. With this inaugural issue, we honor those responsible for our rich history and celebrate UTMB’s current contributions to health in Texas and beyond.

Danny O. Jacobs, MD, MPH, FACS Executive Vice President, Provost and Dean of the School of Medicine Thomas N. & Gleaves T. James Distinguished Chair

From left: EVP and CEO Donna Sollenberger; President David Callender; EVP, Provost and Dean of the School of Medicine Danny Jacobs; and EVP and Chief Business and Finance Ofﬁcer Cheryl Sadro

FALL 2015 David L. Callender, MD, MBA, FACS President

New Horizons: Growth Post-Ike Propels UTMB Forward

Danny O. Jacobs, MD, MPH, FACS Executive Vice President and Provost, Dean of the School of Medicine

Cheryl A. Sadro, CPA, MSM Executive Vice President, Chief Business and Finance Ofﬁcer

Donna K. Sollenberger, MA Executive Vice President and CEO, UTMB Health System

David W. Niesel, PhD Vice President and Dean, Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Chief Research Ofﬁcer

Elizabeth J. Protas, PT, PhD Vice President and Dean, School of Health Professions

of Nutrition and Metabolism 5 Department Attracts Dietetic Students

Future of Patient Care: 8 The UTMB on the Cutting Edge of Telemedicine

Pamela G. Watson, RN, ScD Vice President for Interprofessional Education and Institutional Effectiveness, Dean of the School of Nursing

MAGAZINE CONTRIBUTORS

School of Nursing Leads the Way With Award-Winning Online Graduate Programs

Sharing Expertise: Developing UT System’s Proteomics Core Facility Network

National Laboratory: 11 Galveston A World-Class Resource for Scientific Research

Editor

Alexis Loyd Writers

Connie Holubar, MS, MBA Tammie Taylor, MLA Photographer

Mark Kinonen

Competency-Based Education: Rethinking Curriculum to Improve Student Training

16 Highlights From Across the Academic Enterprise

Designer

Robert Cortez

ON THE COVER: Professor of microbiology and immunology Thomas Geisbert, PhD, took this up-close image of the Marburg virus, one of the many deadly pathogens scientists study at Galveston National Laboratory (GNL) on the University of Texas Medical Branch’s Galveston campus. The GNL is one of two National Biocontainment Laboratories on university campuses in the U.S. dedicated to the safe study of infectious threats to human health. Read more on page 11.

Clinic Medical Director Dr. Kwabena Sarpong cut the ribbon at a ceremony celebrating UTMB’s new Pediatric Primary Care Clinic and Pediatric Urgent Care Clinic in Galveston.

Unprecedented post-Ike growth propels UTMB forward

trolling UTMB’s sunny campus walkways amid clusters of eager students and physicians making their way to class and administrators conducting business on the run, it’s hard to imagine those paths were flooded by a 13-foot storm surge during Hurricane Ike seven years ago. Building on the spirit and hard work of the UTMB community, the academic health center has made an incredible recovery since the September 2008 storm hit — causing $1 billion in damage and uncertainty about the Galveston Island institution’s future — and is now in a phase of revitalization. What began as a recovery effort became a re-envisioning of UTMB’s role as an academic medical center, helping the historic institution discover new opportunities for growth, create financial stability and better prepare for future decades as a leader in academic medicine. 2

UTMB ACADEMIC ENTERPRISE

“Despite Hurricane Ike’s devastation of UTMB and the Galveston community, the storm also prompted us to re-evaluate our position in the health care market and our opportunities to provide services to communities that were underserved,” President David Callender says. “UTMB’s significant growth in the past few years stems from our recognition that services are needed in several Southeast Texas cities and towns, and we are positioned to meet those needs.” UTMB now has nearly 70 clinics in more than 30 locations all over the Southeast Texas region. The institution is set to expand its largest mainland facility, the UTMB Health League City Campus, in the coming months while also completing a new, 765,000-squarefoot hospital in Galveston in 2016. The Health System’s recent accolades include recognition as a Level 3 Epilepsy Center

by the National Association of Epilepsy Centers and re-verification as a Level 1 Trauma Center by the American College of Surgeons. In 2014, UTMB was also the first hospital in Texas to receive the American Heart Association’s highest award, the Get with the Guidelines® — Resuscitation Gold Quality Achievement Award, which it received again this year. Home to the Galveston National Laboratory, one of only two Biosafety Level 4 containment labs on a university campus in the country, UTMB was designated the only official Ebola treatment center for adults in Texas in 2014. In June of this year, UTMB was selected as one of nine nationwide Regional Ebola and Other Special Pathogen Treatment Centers by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Continued on page 4

State-of-the-Art Jennie Sealy Hospital Will Debut in Spring 2016 The new Jennie Sealy Hospital is scheduled to open in the spring of 2016. The 13-floor facility will eventually include more than 300 patient rooms. It will feature 20 state-of-the-art operating suites, 28 day surgery rooms and a 60-bed intensive care unit. “The Jennie Sealy Hospital will provide a healing environment for patients and their families where they will receive the most technologically advanced hospital services, from surgical care, to comprehensive stroke care, to specialized care for geriatric patients,” says Deborah McGrew, MHA, vice president and chief operating officer of the UTMB Health System. “The facility was designed by our patients and providers using evidence-based principles that promote team-based patient and family-centered care.” All productive areas of Jennie Sealy will be at least 25 feet above sea level and

all utilities are housed on upper floors. Elevated walkways will connect Jennie Sealy and the university’s existing John Sealy Hospital via the new Clinical Services Wing, which is home to core medical services such as the pharmacy, clinical laboratory, kitchen and sterile processing, many of which were displaced by Hurricane Ike. Jennie Sealy is a crucial element of UTMB’s recent revitalization, says McGrew. “This facility will facilitate the continuation of UTMB’s 125-year legacy of providing outstanding care, furthering research and other breakthroughs to improve care while educating the next generation of physicians, nurses and allied health professionals.” In addition, John Sealy Hospital, constructed in the late 1970s, is slated for a major makeover. Improvements and upgrades will include reconfiguration of

floors three through seven to provide women’s and children’s services. UTMB recently announced that the Sealy & Smith Foundation will contribute $75 million toward the renovation, which is expected to cost approximately $133 million. The Sealy & Smith Foundation has donated more than $900 million to UTMB over the years for a variety of health care-related projects, including $170 million for the Jennie Sealy Hospital.

FALL 2015

Increasing growth and productivity “UTMB is growing clinically, in every way,” says Rex McCallum, MD, FACP, FACR, vice president, chief physician executive and associate dean for clinical affairs. In the past year and a half, UTMB expanded its service area with the addition of several new clinics and the Angleton Danbury Medical Center in Brazoria County. From late 2014 through spring 2015, UTMB opened three new facilities in Alvin, Galveston and Texas City. The 10,000-squarefoot Pediatric and Adult Primary Care Clinic in Alvin, more than three times larger than the previous clinic, includes 24 exam rooms and a full blood-draw station. The 7,500-square-foot Island West Pediatric Primary and Pediatric Urgent Care Clinic, with 12 exam rooms and on-site radiology, recorded more than 2,000 patient visits in its first month. The 35,000-square-foot Primary and Specialty Care Clinic in Texas City began serving patients in March 2015 and provides services from cardiology to ophthalmology. The facility, with 61 exam rooms, recorded more than 5,200 patient visits in its first six weeks. As Donna Sollenberger, executive vice president of the UTMB Health System, recently told the Houston Business Journal: “We expanded off the island initially out of necessity, but we stayed and have grown on the southern part of the Interstate 45 corridor in order to meet a need.” Clinic visits topped 875,000 in Fiscal Year 2015, Dr. McCallum says. “Next year, we’re budgeted to have nearly a million clinic visits.” Collections in the Faculty Group Practice are also trending positively, where work Relative Value Units (RVUs) have increased from 1.77 million in Fiscal Year 2012 to 2.22 million in Fiscal Year 2015. Clinical productivity has increased by double digits since 2011. All this growth has not meant sacrificing quality of care; it’s just the opposite. The majority of UTMB’s primary care sites have achieved Level 3 Patient-Centered Medical Home certification — the highest rating — from the National Committee for Quality Assurance. Five of the clinics were recognized earlier this year: the Pediatric and Adult Primary Care clinics in Alvin, League City and Friendswood, and the Pediatrics Clinic and the Adult Primary and Specialty Care Clinic in Texas City. Achieving Level 3 certification means the clinics met the highest standards: short 4

UTMB ACADEMIC ENTERPRISE

The UTMB Health League City Campus will feature spacious Labor Delivery Recovery Postpartum rooms.

UTMB League City Hospital Coming Soon UTMB is in a league of its own with the expansion of its first, newly constructed hospital on the mainland this fiscal year. The UTMB Health League City Campus will increase patient care in the coming months by adding a hospital, emergency department and a wider range of inpatient and outpatient services. The three-story hospital will initially have 21 patient rooms, including 11 for labor and delivery and 10 for medical/surgical patients, with plans to grow to 37 rooms. The Labor Delivery Recovery Postpartum rooms are designed with oversized windows, Wi-Fi, as well as sofa beds and will offer couplet care for mother and infant in the same room.

waiting-room times and same-day appointments; full, unhurried attention from health professionals; specific protocols for patients with chronic conditions such as diabetes

The Emergency Department will be adjacent to the hospital and include 24-hour care and a child-friendly waiting room, eight treatment rooms, a full diagnostics laboratory and CT/MRI capabilities. A League City facility — originally called the Specialty Care Center at Victory Lakes — opened to patients in May 2010, representing a major increase in services for patients in Galveston County and southern Harris County. The original 110,000-square-foot, two-story building included advanced imaging, outpatient surgery, breast health, orthopaedics and rehabilitation, pelvic health and vascular lab, among other services. The new space brings most services together under one roof using the latest technology. “We are delighted to have the opportunity to support the health care needs of League City and surrounding communities,” says Dr. Danny O. Jacobs, executive vice president, provost and dean of the School of Medicine.

and heart disease; and an electronic medical record system accessible to everyone on the medical team as well as patients and their families. AE

Pictured here: Dr. Chris Fry and student Loralyn Beck, who completed her Masters in Nutrition and Metabolism and Dietetic Internship at UTMB earlier this year.

Department of Nutrition and Metabolism Attracts Dietetic Students

nly four years old, UTMB’s Department of Nutrition and Metabolism has clearly struck a chord with students desiring advanced training in dietetics. The department’s new Master of Science and Dietetic Internship (MS/DI) program, which combines a master’s curriculum of only 15 months with a dietetic internship, has seen a fivefold increase in applicants in the past year. The first new department in UTMB’s School of Health Professions since 1994, the Department of Nutrition and Metabolism added five faculty members between 2014 and 2015 and celebrated the graduation of its first MS/DI class this August. Jean Gutierrez, PhD, RD, is the director for the MS/DI program and has been the driving force behind its success.

“We are very proud of our newest department that combines the best in professional education and research,” says Elizabeth Protas, PT, PhD, vice president and dean of the School of Health Professions. Chris Fry, PhD, assistant professor, who joined UTMB a year ago from the University of Kentucky, says he could not pass up the opportunity to come in on the ground floor of the new and dynamic department on a campus that fosters such a rich environment. The addition of the MS/DI program, which accepted its first students in the summer of 2014, is timely for several reasons, says Dr. Fry. To start, he says, companies are putting a greater emphasis on maintaining the health of their employees; food-based, hot-button topics are garnering more attention in the media — from the slow food movement to vegetarian and vegan diets — and individuals are embracing healthier lifestyles. “Today, nutrition plays a much more significant role in the lives of everyday Americans,” Dr. Fry says. In addition, the Commission on Dietetic Registration passed a motion in 2012 to change the entry-level registration eligibility education requirements for dietitians from a baccalaureate degree to a minimum of a graduate degree, beginning in 2024. And, according to the U.S. Department of Labor’s

Bureau of Labor Statistics, the demand for nutrition experts is on the rise: Employment of dietitians and nutritionists is expected to increase by 21 percent through 2022, faster than the average growth for all occupations. According to Blake Rasmussen, PhD, professor and chair of the Department of Nutrition and Metabolism, UTMB’s MS/DI program is unique because it integrates nutrition research into the professional dietetic didactic curriculum. “Our students have the opportunity to do research rotations in a variety of nutrition science settings — something that most other programs around the country are not doing,” says Dr. Rasmussen. The program also relies on 14 registered dietitians at UTMB who serve as preceptors to train the MS/DI students in a wide range of dietetic specialties, including bariatric, diabetes, pediatrics, inborn errors of metabolism/ genetics, organ transplant, early childhood intervention, renal and acute care. “UTMB has a long history of nutrition and metabolism research and we are clearly taking advantage of that research expertise. Our faculty includes both full-time nutrition and metabolism researchers as well as full-time registered dietitians. This combination provides the most up-to-date educational training for our students,” Dr. Rasmussen says. MS/DI students at UTMB have another advantage over other graduates with advanced degrees, says Dr. Fry, because they complete a concentration in Nutrition in Aging. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Administration on Aging expects the population of Americans aged 65 and older to reach 72.1 million (or 19 percent of the population) by 2030, more than double their number in 2000. “Through nutrition, we can help older people remain healthy and independent,” says Dr. Fry. UTMB is home to a Claude D. Pepper Older Americans Independence Center funded by the National Institute on Aging. One of only 14 in the U.S. and the only one in the Southwest, UTMB’s Pepper Center sponsors research, seminars and training opportunities in the area of aging. MS/DI students have the opportunity to participate in Pepper Center events and ongoing research. Dr. Rasmussen says the Department of Nutrition and Metabolism is exploring ways to build on its current momentum and is hoping to expand opportunities for students seeking specialized, advanced training in dietetics. AE FALL 2015

From left: Doctor of Nursing Practice Program Director Dr. Linda Rounds and Master’s Program Director Dr. Maureen Wilder

UTMB School of Nursing Leads the Way With Award-Winning Online Graduate Programs 6

UTMB ACADEMIC ENTERPRISE

ith national recognition and growing enrollment, the University of Texas Medical Branch’s School of Nursing has found a formula for success with its online graduate programs. The school’s online master’s degree program has been recognized as a leader in graduate education, ranking in the top 15 nationally for the past two years in the prestigious U.S. News & World Report survey of graduate nursing programs online. BestColleges.com recently recognized the school for having the best online Master of Science in Nursing program in their national annual rankings. And UTMB’s School of Nursing earned the top spot in the Fall 2014 Online Nursing Grad Rankings on GraduatePrograms.com. From 2006 to 2014, the nursing school has increased its enrollment by more than 69 percent, from 625 to 1,058, with its distance education graduate programs making up nearly half of the school’s students in 2014. “UTMB is a pioneer in online nursing,” says master’s program director Maureen Wilder, DNP, RN, ANP-BC. “If you’re not in online graduate education, you’re not competitive.” The School of Nursing, which now offers three graduate degrees through distance education — the Master of Science in Nursing (MSN), Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) and the Nursing Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) — began its foray into online training with the gerontological nurse practitioner program in 1998. The program was one of the first of its kind in the country to become fully available online. UTMB’s distance education programs meet the needs of students who want or need to work and attend school, and are also able to reach students in underserved areas around the country that do not offer graduate nursing programs. This not only benefits the students personally, says Dr. Wilder, but their communities as well, as nurses with advanced training are very likely to continue to work near where they live. The school’s newest addition, the Doctor of Nursing Practice program, graduated its first class in August 2014. The DNP is designed to prepare nurse practitioners with strong clinical competencies and focuses on vulnerable populations. It’s taught online, part time and requires only one trip to campus each semester for two to three days. Rebekah Penton just finished her second semester of the DNP program, works full time in private practice and has two children, 5 and 7 years old. “If it was not in a flexible format,” she says, “I would have to sacrifice so much.”

For Penton, attending the DNP program is her fourth time at UTMB. She completed her BSN, MSN and post-master’s Adult/Gerontology Primary Care Nurse Practitioner program before choosing the DNP program to maintain a clinical focus while also participating in research. “To truly change nursing, we have to go to the heart, or core, of it, and that is patient care,” says Penton. “This new degree allows those of us at the center of patient care to start generating change.” According to DNP Program Director Linda Rounds, PhD, RN, FNP, FAANP, FAAN, establishing the DNP program was part of a national effort to create a clinical doctorate. Because UTMB’s School of Nursing is on a health science center campus and has such a long history with other online programs, she says, “It was a natural fit.” Since 1984, Dr. Rounds has been instrumental in teaching and creating nurse practitioner programs at UTMB. While the school’s history as a leader in online education is a major asset to its graduate programs, Dr. Rounds says that adaptability and innovation are crucial components of the programs’ continued success. “UTMB allows us to be creative.” The nursing school uses multiple digital media tools — such as Lync and VoiceThread, programs with voice, video or text capabilities — to meet the communication challenges that can arise with online courses. And, a team of experts in a dedicated multimedia lab facilitates the technology needed to support these interactive programs. “Very few online programs have the support we have,” Dr. Rounds says. Dr. Rounds, who keeps pictures of her current DNP students tacked to the bulletin board above her desk, says that knowledgeable and dedicated faculty members who are

The 2015 class of Doctor of Nursing Practice program graduates

interested in teaching online are at the core of the school’s student-centered curriculum. “It’s a different way to teach. We spend at least as much time as teaching face to face, if not more,” she says. “I think I know my online students much better than I ever did my students in the classroom.” Recent DNP graduate Dr. Sharon Marshall could not agree more. “The professors are very involved, supportive, engaging and really steer you in the right direction, rather than let you flop around like a beached whale,” Dr. Marshall says. Having been in nursing for 35 years, Dr. Marshall’s first encounter with UTMB was through the online gerontological nurse practitioner program. She earned her bachelor’s degree in the traditional, on-campus setting at Texas Woman’s University, but says that the online format suits her needs better.

For some of us, says Dr. Marshall, it’s not just about being able to attend school while keeping a work commitment: “We do better without the four walls.” Though some students excel in a classroom, she says, other independent and motivated learners like herself thrive with an online program that is both demanding and allows more latitude. The School of Nursing’s success is backed up by statistics. Student pass rates on certification exams consistently exceed the national average. Retention and graduation rates are equally impressive, exceeding 90 percent. But the proof is in the student testimonials, says Dr. Wilder: “Our graduates are our best ambassadors.” “For more than 25 years, UTMB’s School of Nursing has been at the forefront of distance education. Its online education efforts were launched with a major grant from the Ronya and George Kozmetsky Foundation in the 1980s. From that beginning the school received many federal grants for the online master’s degree preparation of nurse practitioners,” says Dr. Pamela Watson, vice president for interprofessional education and institutional effectiveness and dean of the UTMB School of Nursing. “In Texas and across the nation, UTMB is known for its online expertise and we are so proud of our achievements.” Established in 1890, UTMB’s School of Nursing was the first nursing school in Texas and is the oldest in the Southwest. This year, the school is celebrating its 125th anniversary and more than 540 students recently graduated: 368 students earned bachelor’s degrees, 165 received master’s degrees and 15 received their doctorates. AE

UTMB’s deans participate in the School of Nursing’s 2015 commencement ceremony: Dr. Pamela Watson, Dr. Danny Jacobs, Dr. Elizabeth Protas and Dr. David Niesel (from left). FALL 2015

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The Future of Patient Care

UTMB on the cutting edge of telemedicine

elemedicine holds tremendous promise for increasing access to quality health care, coordinating care among providers, mitigating increasing health care costs, addressing workforce shortages and ensuring quality service and safety for patients. With an average of more than 115,000 real-time tele-

UTMB ACADEMIC ENTERPRISE

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medicine encounters per year during the last five years, UTMB has set the bar for academic medical centers around the world for the effective use of telemedicine. According to Alexander Vo, PhD, who returned to UTMB this year as vice president for telemedicine and health services technology, nowhere are the benefits of telemedicine more evident than in Texas. With a land mass area of nearly 269,000 square miles and a population of close to 27 million residents, Texas more than doubled the national growth rate between 2000 and 2009, while the state’s population of adults aged 65 and older is growing rapidly as well. In Texas, as in many other states, many communities are struggling to care for an increasing number of underserved, disadvantaged and atrisk populations. In many communities, especially in rural areas, health care is not organized to promote prevention and early intervention, coordinate services or monitor access to and quality of care. Consequently, many people seek care in emergency rooms, often as a last resort, in an unmanaged and episodic manner. The costs of such care are borne by caregiving institutions, local governments and, ultimately, taxpayers, many of whom are already burdened with meeting their own health-related costs. Since 1994, UTMB has responded to these challenges by designing and implementing new and innovative ways of educating health professionals and providing care to our communities. “UTMB Health has a long-standing history

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of advancing the use of telecommunications technology for improving health care delivery,” says Dr. Vo. “From the humble beginnings of providing limited services to prison populations, UTMB Health has grown and developed into a world leader in using technology to provide remote medical services to a number of patient populations, including pregnant mothers, children, adults in need of primary and specialty care, corporate employees and scientists in Antarctica.” Dr. Vo is directing efforts to research, develop and implement health care innovation in both the UTMB Academic Enterprise and Health System. Widely published on the topic of telemedicine, and a member of the Texas Health and Human Services Commission Telemedicine/Telehealth Advisory Committee and former member of the American Telemedicine Association Institutional Council Executive Committee, Dr. Vo lends vital expertise in telemedicine and health services technology. Also joining UTMB last spring, Aaron Bridges, MPH, became our new associate director for the Faculty Group Practice. Bridges is a member of the team that leads the development and implementation of strategic and tactical plans to grow and optimize the Faculty Group Practice. “As a new member of the UTMB family, I am truly excited to be part of a program that is using telemedicine to reach patients in incredible ways,” Bridges says.

WHAT’S

Dr. Alexander Vo

How Advancing Technology Is Changing Health Care Aaron Bridges

ince the earliest science fiction portrayals — think, “The Machine Stops” by E. M. Forster in 1909 — telemedicine has been a way for patients to reach out to providers regardless of geographical distances between them. UTMB has spent the last 20 years developing patient services that use this model and it is clear that patients want and need to consult with their providers at times that may not be convenient and from places not accessible to their physicians. Texting, transmitting images and video conferencing with one’s physician are a daily occurrence at UTMB. Today, a child in rural Texas can be treated by a specialist without traveling to an office; a new mother can get advice at home late at night from her child’s pediatrician and a rural emergency department can consult with a specialist on how to treat a patient with a stroke. All these advances in health care delivery were brought about by the implementation of a high-speed data transmission infrastructure. And now, health care delivery is about to make another significant leap forward. The development and installation of inexpensive high-speed wireless networks, coupled with large-scale search engines and handheld smartphones, will change health care delivery as well as the scope of health care services. With more than 355 million wireless subscriber connections and approximately 44 percent wireless-only households in the United States*, mobile phones have become ubiquitous in American life. The smartphone and its data network are game-changers for health care providers and the health care system. Today, a physician can conduct a video conference through mobile devices. While that might seem amazing, it is not much different than the telemedicine consultations conducted between two medical clinics or a physician’s office and a patient’s home. A modern smartphone (or mobile platform)

*According to 2014 data from CTIA - The Wireless Association®

By Alexander Vo, PhD, and Aaron Bridges, MPH

can foreseeably be connected wirelessly to physiologic monitors worn on a patient’s body or embedded into a patient’s garment. One can envision small monitors — blood glucose, blood pressure, temperature, kinematic, EKG, imaging and electromagnetic field monitors — communicating with a portable blood-testing kit. In the future, a patient

health care at a distance has the potential to be one of the defining medical revolutions of the 21st century. With the U.S. health care system under scrutiny, telemedicine can increase access while decreasing costs. Advances in sensor networks are making remote monitoring an actuality, contributing to a level of quality care that is unprecedent-

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The use of advanced technology to deliver health care at a distance has the potential to be one of the defining medical revolutions of the 21st century.

could be given a set of monitors tailored to his or her specific health care needs, which then sends data to a physician for evaluation or to a monitoring program designed to give the doctor an alert based on observed findings. This real- or near-time monitoring could enable a health care team to address patient problems before they require major intervention in a specialty care center. This type of monitoring, ideal for managing chronic conditions such as diabetes, hypertension and cardiovascular disease, has been shown to reduce hospitalization and, in some cases, mortality rates. The vision of providing tailored medical care to remote patients is exciting and offers the promise of better and more effective health care. The often-mentioned patient-centered medical home will, most likely, be distributed over a secure wireless network accessible by the patient and his or her health care team regardless of who is part of the team or where the patient is located. The use of advanced technology to deliver

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ed. Embracing telemedicine as a viable and effective means of health care delivery means a better and healthier future. UTMB continues to be a leader in the field of telemedicine. Since 2010, we have increased our clinical telemedicine encounters by approximately 34 percent, from 99,673 to 133,271 in 2015. We provide medical, dental and health services to 80 percent of the state’s inmate population through our Correctional Managed Care program; multispecialty care to both passengers and staff aboard several Holland America Line cruise ships; and child and adolescent behavioral health consultations through our established telepsychiatry clinics. UTMB physicians also supply real-time medical support to researchers of the National Science Foundation’s U.S. Antarctic Program. The future of telemedicine has incredible potential. At UTMB, we will build on our existing programs while looking to expand our telemedicine practices in various ways, such as providing services tailored to a company’s specific needs, as well as through partnerships with accountable care organizations. AE FALL 2015

Sharing Expertise:

UTMB chosen to develop UT System Proteomics Core Facility Network

mart college roommates connect before move-in day to introduce themselves and begin negotiations — Do you care which bunk you get? Do you shower at night or in the morning? And then comes the discussion of shared resources — I can bring a microwave. Do you have a mini-fridge? Facing a new world of tiny dorm rooms and tight budgets, students don’t need a lesson in economics to grasp the value of shared resources and expertise. The same is true of research scientists. With price tags of $100,000–200,000 for basic machines and more than $1 million for a single mass spectrometer, scientists know they must work cooperatively to stretch every research dollar as far as possible. This is part of the strategy behind UTMB’s core facilities. In the realm of biomedical research, a core facility is a unit that provides investigators access to cutting-edge shared resources, in the form of instruments, technologies and research services, as well as expert consultation. “We are very proud of our core facilities,” says David Niesel, PhD, vice president, dean of the Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences and chief research officer. “They provide high-quality service and expertise to researchers at UTMB and elsewhere. Plus, they enhance the competitiveness of investigator grant applications.” In September 2014, UTMB was named the lead institution for the University of Texas System Proteomics Core Facility Network. Based in Galveston, the proteomics core

Dr. Alexander Kurosky in his UTMB laboratory

UTMB ACADEMIC ENTERPRISE

network is available to researchers at UTMB, as well as 14 other institutions: five medical schools — UT Health Science Center Houston, UT MD Anderson Cancer Center, UT Health Northeast (formerly UT Health Science Center at Tyler), UT Southwestern Medical Center Dallas, UT Health Science Center at San Antonio — and nine academic campuses within the UT System. UTMB and the participating UT institutions received a $5.7 million grant from the UT System to develop the proteomics research network. As director for the initiative, Alexander Kurosky, PhD, professor in our Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, brings more than 40 years of experience researching protein structure, function and genetics to the project. Proteomics is the comprehensive study of protein expression and function, which can provide insight into the biological processes of many diseases. “UTMB serves as the hub, coordinating and connecting scientists across Texas with specialized facilities that provide investigators with novel proteomics technologies that will aid their research,” Dr. Kurosky says. “We’ve just started and already have a resource network of more than 30 outstanding investigators from across the UT System — all with different backgrounds and training, and different areas of expertise. It’s very promising.” The concept was introduced by Patricia Hurn, PhD, UT System vice chancellor for research and innovation, and her colleagues. “When we brought the idea of a system-wide research core to the Board of Regents, we were very intentional in selecting proteomics as the focus,” Dr. Hurn says. “We appreciate the fact that proteomics research is moving very quickly and that it requires expensive, rapidly evolving technology. The core infrastructure allows us to leverage resources across the UT System and also promotes powerful scientific collaboration.”

David Gorenstein, PhD, associate dean for research at the UT Health Science Center Houston School of Medicine, chairs the Texas Regional Clinical and Translational Science Awards Consortium core working group, representing the five UT health institutions, including UTMB, supported by NIH’s Clinical and Translational Science Awards program. Dr. Gorenstein’s group worked with Dr. Hurn to help establish a proteomics core network in Texas. “I think one of its most important benefits is this network significantly enlarges the opportunity for collaborative science between faculty at different institutions,” says Dr. Gorenstein. “Proteomics research is a truly dynamic field with the capacity to accelerate many important advances against disease.” Dr. Hurn adds, “And this is exactly the kind of research the systemwide core concept was conceived to support.” One principal area of proteomics research focuses on identifying biomarkers used to diagnose disease and predict treatment outcomes. Dr. Kurosky says, “Proteins are the workhorses of all biological systems. We study proteins because they can define the presence and progress of disease, which helps us evaluate the therapeutic potential of new drug treatments.” In addition to fostering research advances through collaboration, the proteomics network also represents a tremendous educational opportunity. The new core offers research trainees and young investigators access and training in key proteomics technologies — an opportunity not otherwise available to many of them. “The system-wide proteomics research core is experimental,” Dr. Hurn says. “We will closely evaluate its progress and results to determine the effectiveness of this type of infrastructure. Success with the proteomics core may lay the groundwork for additional system-wide research networks.” AE

The Galveston National Laboratory A world-class resource for scientiﬁc research

Why do scientists at a leading academic medical center study exotic diseases like Ebola? It became obvious when a single patient arrived on U.S. soil in September 2014 and proved that highly contagious and deadly diseases are only a plane ride away. “Not only is it a small planet with a mobile population, but American health care workers

and military personnel are often among the first to deploy to infectious disease outbreaks. It’s no longer a matter of if a disease is going to arrive, it’s a matter of when, which is why we’re working on vaccines and therapeutics for diseases many in this country have never heard of,” says Dr. James LeDuc, GNL director.

Frederick A. Murphy, DVM, PhD

efore 2014, it’s likely that very few people in the United States spent much time thinking about the Ebola virus, but behind tightly sealed submarine doors in a biocontainment lab deep inside the Galveston National Laboratory (GNL), world-renowned scientists have for years been dedicated to understanding the deadly virus, creating vaccines to prevent the disease it causes and developing drugs to cure it.

Krista Versteeg and Courtney Williams are students in the Geisbert Lab working on a cure for Ebola (inset) and related viruses. FALL 2015

Dr. LeDuc, a member of the World Health Organization’s Emergency Committee on Ebola, was a top strategist and adviser in last year’s fight against Ebola, which is estimated to have killed more than 11,000 West Africans. “Until this outbreak, there were only 2,400 documented cases of Ebola in all the previous outbreaks combined. The magnitude emphasizes the degree to which rare diseases can quickly become a global threat,” Dr. LeDuc says. On the ground tracking the Ebola outbreak last year was UTMB researcher and professor Dr. Tom Ksiazek, director of High Containment Operations at the GNL and a veteran of more than 15 infectious disease outbreaks around the world. Last fall, Dr. Ksiazek spent six weeks leading contact tracing efforts in Sierra Leone for the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. He helped health care workers track exposures for every case presented: No easy task, but it’s the only way to isolate, educate and stop the spread of the deadly disease. “In West Africa, families traditionally care for the sick at home. Between home care and the body washing that is a part of funeral preparation, the risk of the spread of Ebola had potentially deadly consequences for entire families and villages,” Dr. Ksiazek explains.

One-of-a-Kind Facility Back at UTMB, the 186,000-square-foot GNL is an impressive structure amid the Galveston skyline. Inside, laboratories range from Biosafety Level 2 (BSL-2), where pathogens like hepatitis, influenza, HIV and anthrax are studied,

Galveston National Laboratory

to the highest containment laboratories, BSL-4, where researchers don protective “spacesuits” to work with deadly viruses like Ebola and Marburg, as well as dozens of others. Dr. Thomas Geisbert, a professor in the Department of Microbiology and Immunology at UTMB, is a GNL scientist who is recognized as one of the world’s foremost authorities on Ebola. He was among those named as Time Magazine’s 2014 Person of the Year Ebola Fighters, having spent the better part of three decades working with Ebola and related deadly viruses. Vaccines developed and tested by Dr.

Michelle Watson

In February 2015, ﬁve GNL researchers were the ﬁrst scientists ever to be honored during the San Luis Salute, Galveston’s annual Mardi Gras Gala, hosted by Landry’s Inc. owner Tilman Fertitta and his wife Paige. Pictured here from left: Dr. Scott Weaver, Dr. Alan Barrett, Dr. Thomas Geisbert, Tilman Fertitta, Dr. Thomas Ksiazek and Dr. James LeDuc.

UTMB ACADEMIC ENTERPRISE

Geisbert’s team have in recent months moved into the human clinical trials phase of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approval process. Dr. Geisbert is one of several UTMB scientists with expert knowledge of infectious diseases. In fact, exotic diseases are a major reason why the medical school exists, dating back to the 1800s when tropical diseases and outbreaks of yellow fever plagued the island. Today, UTMB researchers like Dr. Scott Weaver, the GNL’s scientific director, are looked to for expertise on new and re-emerging maladies like mosquito-borne illnesses, including the West Nile and chikungunya viruses. Dr. Weaver’s New England Journal of Medicine article last spring on chikungunya is a timely primer on the very real threat of this virus that has recently emerged in the U.S., and his lab has been responsible for developing a new diagnostic platform that will identify the disease in its early stages. While typically not deadly, the virus can cause long-term joint pain and lasting neurological effects. Research on vector-borne illnesses (transmitted by an arthropod bite) like chikungunya is aided by a unique insectary at the GNL, which is authorized by the U.S. Department of Agriculture to import arthropods from around the world. The Insectary Services Division studies the potential role of arthropods in the transmission of biological agents. This includes studies with mosquitoes, ticks and fleas, which during the past 40 years have introduced or reintroduced infections that can dramatically impact public health and agriculture.

The National Biocontainment Training Center’s Global Reach

Shaded countries have either sent students to train in Galveston or have welcomed trainers from the NBTC.

The National Biocontainment Training Center, a part of the Galveston National Laboratory, is an international resource, providing the specialized training that prepares research scientists who work around the world to do their jobs safely.

Dr. Thomas Ksiazek addressed a packed auditorium at UTMB after returning from Sierra Leone during the Ebola outbreak.

The Continuing Mission of the GNL The GNL received state, national and international media attention during the Ebola outbreak, and several state and national legislators and representatives of federal agencies have visited the facility in recent months, helping to raise its profile even further. Of increasing interest and importance is the National Biocontainment Training Center (NBTC) at UTMB, which prepares researchers and support personnel to work with the world’s most dangerous pathogens. The GNL’s track record of safe, successful research continues to attract researchers from across the country and around the world for training at the NBTC. National security has been a major focus for the GNL. The lab is one of two National Biocontainment Laboratories in the U.S.; Boston University is home to the second. There are also 12 Regional Biocontainment Laboratories at universities across the country that form a network to support the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) and its biosecurity agenda. NIAID built these laboratories initially to ensure preparedness in the event of bioterrorism. Today they continue to focus on understanding and pursuing cures for emerging infections diseases.

Dr. Alan Barrett, director of the Sealy Center for Vaccine Development at UTMB, says universities have long been the proving ground for research that leads to vaccines that cure infectious disease, and the GNL provides the facilities and trained personnel that make that work possible. “Many people think big pharma develops vaccines, but the research and development efforts have typically come out of universities. This is true for everything from the polio vaccine and Salk’s work at the University of Pittsburgh to the measles vaccine that came out of Harvard,” Dr. Barrett says. As Dr. LeDuc explains, “Our team is working on more than 160 funded research projects during any given year, but in the event of a national biodefense or emerging infectious disease emergency, we are prepared to rapidly realign activities to assist response efforts in the U.S.” For Galveston and UTMB, the faculty members, research staff and students who are conducting medical research in the GNL are a collective entity worthy of praise. Individually the scientists will tell you they aren’t doing it for praise. They are doing it for humanity. AE FALL 2015

Competency-Based Education Rethinking curriculum to improve student training

ed by dedicated faculty members with a drive for change, UTMB is working to better prepare trainees and shorten education time by implementing the principles of competency-based education across its four schools: Health Professions, Medicine, Nursing and the Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences. Education has always been a balancing act between the theoretical and the practical. By the late 1960s, many felt the pendulum had swung too far in one direction as graduates emerged from high school and college illequipped for life after school. Enter competency-based education. At its core, this theory is pretty simple. You take three things — a curriculum, a method of delivery and a standard of assessment — and carefully align them to yield learners who demonstrate a proficiency in the knowledge and skills deemed essential for the subject. The picture becomes less clear when you factor in debates surrounding what knowledge and skills should be labeled essential and the corollary that this process must not be constrained by time — it takes as long as it takes — making competency-based education an academic polemic with little consensus and no easy answers. Despite these hurdles, many health professions educators agree that competency-based education can help address some of the shortcomings of health care delivery in the U.S. At UTMB, this model is connected to an institutional goal to deliver high-quality outcomes in education, research and patient care. The leadership at each school within the Academic Enterprise is working to advance competency-based education to produce graduates who are well-equipped to begin or progress toward careers in health care and biomedical science. These changes also

UTMB ACADEMIC ENTERPRISE

can potentially shorten the time required to complete a degree, reducing student debt in the process. Generally, degree plans associated with health careers are designed to produce graduates within a defined timeframe. The School of Medicine, however, is working with other medical schools in the University of Texas (UT) System to rethink that paradigm. Michael Ainsworth, MD, vice dean for academic affairs at the School of Medicine, says it typically takes four years of training at the undergraduate level, plus four years of medical school to earn an MD. “What if we could shorten that process to six or seven years total?” he asks. One way to achieve that goal is for medical schools to take a more active role as partners with undergraduate schools. “Basically, we can change medical school education by changing what happens before students enter medical school,” Dr. Ainsworth says. Steve Lieberman, MD, senior dean for administration in the School of Medicine, co-chairs UTMB’s committee on competencybased education. He also co-chairs the UT System-wide Transformation in Medical Education (TIME) initiative. “We have two basic goals with respect to competency-based education,” he says. “First, we’d like to reduce the duration of instruction from the model that’s basically been in place since 1910. That involves UT health institutions partnering with UT undergraduate programs to modernize both the premedical and medical school curricula. Second, we must reach a consensus on when and how to measure competencies across the continuum.” Traditional assessment methods for medical students include the use of simulators and standardized patients (individuals trained to portray patients). Dr. Ainsworth emphasizes

that it’s critical to use standardized tests to evaluate what a student knows, “but for future physicians, we must also test what they can do — this is the essence of competency-based education.” Going a step further, UTMB has embraced new guidelines from the Association of American Medical Colleges for Core Entrustable Professional Activities (EPAs) for Entering Residency. The idea is to identify when a medical student can perform 13 defined activities like taking a patient’s history and performing a basic physical. “Going back to building more elasticity into our curriculum, it’s important for us to acknowledge some students progress faster than others,” says Dr. Lieberman. “Progressively entrusting students and residents with specific aspects of patient care has long been done on an informal basis,” he says, “but using EPAs will help us more accurately identify those ready to move on to residency training and better assist those who are struggling.” Dr. Lieberman and representatives from each school within the Academic Enterprise meet regularly to share progress, discuss challenges and arrive at solutions. “Competency-based education appropriately focuses attention on ensuring students achieve their maximum potential,” says Dr. Lieberman. “At UTMB, each school has its own plan to reach that goal, although we share methodologies and certainly see some of the same obstacles along the way.” Dr. Lieberman specifically notes that trying to move away from the traditional number of years to earn a degree presents many challenges. At UTMB, the Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences (GSBS) has time flexibility built into its degree programs. When they begin, GSBS students complete required curriculum and lab rotations, then undergo a qualifying exam to ensure core competencies are achieved. To continue academic progress to candidacy, students also must maintain a satisfactory grade point average, secure approval of their research proposal and be recommended for advancement by their program faculty. Time guidelines are built into the degree programs. Once students are admitted to candidacy, however, they generally have up to five years to complete and successfully defend their dissertation. José M. Barral, MD, PhD, GSBS associate dean for academic affairs, says, “By its very nature, biomedical science graduate education is competency-based education. Students must pass rigorous qualifying exams to advance,

and then the thesis or dissertation process ensures graduates have authoritative command of a substantive topic within their field.” In the School of Nursing, competency-based education looks somewhat different. Clinical courses in the undergraduate program are currently taught by combining face-to-face lecture/ discussion sessions with a component of active learning. Students take what they learn in class and begin practicing that skill on a lab partner, simulation manikin or task trainer. Trish Richard, PhD, RN, associate dean for the School of Nursing undergraduate program, says, “It’s very important for our students to learn and practice in a setting where it’s OK to make mistakes. The safety of the patient is our highest priority and practice in the simulated setting helps us ensure patient safety.” Next, nursing students begin working, under supervision, in an actual clinical setting. “We use simulation trainers that mimic some human sounds and actions, but nothing can replace the sensation of human touch needed to complete your nursing education,” Dr. Richard says. After graduation, but before they begin their professional careers, nursing students must demonstrate their competency by passing a state licensing exam. A similar process

occurs for many students in UTMB’s School of Health Professions. Patricia Fingerhut, PhD, OTR, associate professor and chair in the Health Professions’ Department of Occupational Therapy, says competency standards for their students are rooted in the school’s accreditation processes. “Each program is accredited by an external board or council,” she explains. “For occupational therapy, we’re examined by the Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education (ACOTE), and that accreditation process really drives our curriculum and assessment standards.” Danny O. Jacobs, MD, MPH, FACS, provost and dean of the School of Medicine, says, “Competency-based education is not just a catchphrase at UTMB. We are committed to increasing the quality and value of education delivered to students at each school within the Academic Enterprise, and competency-based education plays a significant role in that process. I am pleased with our progress thus far, and am excited about the prospect for continued advances.” AE FALL 2015

Highlights

From Across UTMB’s Academic Enterprise

UTMB’s Sealy Center on Aging was re-designated a World Health Organization/Pan American Health Organization (WHO/PAHO) Collaborating Center in Aging and Health. UTMB is one of only three collaborating centers in the United States that are focused on aging. The other institutions are New York University and Dr. Rebeca Wong the New York Academy of Medicine. Rebeca Wong, PhD, serves as director of the UTMB WHO/PAHO Collaborating Center in Aging and Health. WHO/PAHO Collaborating Centers help investigate public health issues from many angles, ranging from basic science and animal studies to clinical trials, public policy, training and dissemination.

The total number of students enrolled at UTMB’s four schools increased by 42 percent from the fall of 2006 to the fall of 2014. The greatest

boost occurred in the School of Health Professions, where the number of students increased by more than 85 percent. The School of Nursing also showed impressive growth at 69.3 percent. The Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences’ fall enrollment went up by 18.7 percent and the School of Medicine increased its student enrollment by 8.1 percent. The number of students

joining the institution has been trending positively for the last several years, with total enrollment reaching more than 3,200 students in 2014.

The Sealy Center for Vaccine Development was named a World Health Organization Collaborating Center for Vaccine Research, Evaluation and Training on Emerging Infectious Diseases. UTMB is only the second university

in the Western Hemisphere and the seventh in the world to receive this designation from the World Health Organization. UTMB’s renowned vaccine development team joined a select network of other international experts helping to facilitate vaccine research and development against important infectious diseases. The other collaborating centers are: the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health; the University of Geneva, University of Zurich, and University of Lausanne in Switzerland; the Second Military Medical University in Shanghai and the University of Antwerp in Belgium. Alan D. Barrett, PhD, director of the Sealy Center for Vaccine Development and professor in the Departments of Pathology and Microbiology and Immunology, serves as director of the WHO Collaborating Center. David Beasley, PhD, associate professor in the Department of Microbiology and Immunology, serves as associate director.

David Niesel, PhD, was appointed chief research ofﬁcer in March 2015. In his

new role, he oversees all universitywide, researchrelated activiDr. David Niesel ties. Dr. Niesel is vice president and dean of the Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences and holds the Lawrence E. Ethridge Jr. Professorship.

UTMB ACADEMIC ENTERPRISE

He also holds appointments in the Institute for Human Infections and Immunity, Sealy Center for Structural Biology and Molecular Biophysics, Sealy Center for Vaccine Development, Center for Tropical Diseases, Center for Biodefense and Emerging Infectious Diseases and Institute for the Medical Humanities. Dr. Niesel joined UTMB’s Department of Microbiology and Immunology in 1983. He has since had an incredible impact on the university, serving in vital roles in the Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences including as assistant dean for recruitment and alumni and vice dean. He was the co-founder of the Summer Undergraduate Research Program that has provided experiences to more than 700 undergraduates for 24 years. Under his leadership, the Department of Microbiology and Immunology rose to a top five ranking in National Institutes of Health (NIH) funding. The department is currently ranked third, and received more than $23 million in NIH funding in 2014.

Michael Laposata, MD, PhD, joined UTMB in July 2014 as chair of the Department of Pathology. He holds the

1955 Teaching Professorship in the School of Medicine. Dr. Laposata joined UTMB from Vanderbilt University Medical Center, where he served as the Edward and Nancy Fody Professor and executive vice chair of Pathology, Mi- Dr. Michael Laposata crobiology and Immunology. He also served as director of the Division of Laboratory Medicine and Clinical Laboratories at Vanderbilt University Hospital. World renowned for his expertise in blood coagulation, Dr. Laposata has published more than 175 works including peer-reviewed articles, seven books, 12 book chapters and numerous editorials and reviews. He is editor of “Laboratory Medicine: The Diagnosis of

Disease in the Clinical Laboratory,” now in its second edition. Dr. Laposata is also widely celebrated for his innovations regarding the clinical interpretation of laboratory data that earned him recognition from the Institute of Quality in Laboratory Medicine of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Douglas S. Tyler, MD, FACS, joined UTMB as chair of the Department of Surgery in October 2014. Dr. Tyler holds the John Woods Harris Distinguished Chair in Surgery. He previously served as professor of surgery, chief of the Division of Surgical Oncology and vice chair of the Department of Surgery at Duke University Medical Center, as well as chief of surgical services at the Durham Veterans Affairs Medical Center. Dr. Douglas Tyler Dr. Tyler was a member of the Duke Comprehensive Cancer Center for more than 15 years and served as director of the melanoma program and associate director of strategic planning within the Duke Cancer Institute. A national leader in his field, Dr. Tyler ran one of the largest regional chemotherapy treatment and clinical research programs in the country. He is a director for the American Board of Surgery.

Mariano A. Garcia-Blanco, MD, PhD, joined UTMB as chair of the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology in September 2014. Dr.

Garcia-Blanco holds the Mildred Hajek Vacek and John Roman Vacek Distinguished Chair, in Honor of President Truman G. Blocker Jr. of the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston. Prior to joining UTMB in September 2014, he served as the Charles D. Watts Professor of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, professor of medicine and director

of the Duke Center for RNA Biology. In addition to his UTMB appointment, Dr. GarciaBlanco has a fractional appointment as professor in the Emerging Infectious Diseases Program Dr. Mariano Garcia-Blanco at Duke-NUS Graduate Medical School in Singapore. Dr. Garcia-Blanco has made seminal and clinically relevant contributions to the study of RNA biology and virology. For the last 10 years, Dr. Garcia-Blanco has focused his expertise on pathogenic flaviviruses that threaten both U.S. and global public health. His work has shed light on mechanisms that regulate splicing during disease and introduced a new RNA-based therapy. He and his team pioneered imaging of alternative splicing events in vivo, an advance with great potential for patient care.

The School of Nursing’s Bachelor of Science in Nursing, Master of Science in Nursing and Doctor of Nursing Practice programs recently received reaccreditation until 2025. According to the national accreditation agency, the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE), the three programs met all necessary standards. The voluntary CCNE accreditation process evaluates the success of a nursing program in achieving its goals and expected outcomes and assesses the extent to which the program meets accreditation standards.

The UTMB Claude D. Pepper Older Americans Independence Center directed by Elena Volpi, MD, PhD, has been funded for the next ﬁve

years by a $3.4 million grant from the National Institute on Aging to continue

its mission to improve physical function and independence in older adults. Since its establishment in 1999, the UTMB Pepper Center has nurtured scientific collaborations by providing support for research infrastructure, training and pilot studies. The focus of the UTMB Pepper Center for the next Dr. Elena Volpi five years is to identify pathways of physical function loss and gain, and develop targeted interventions to improve functional recovery from illness in older adults. Dr. Volpi has been serving as the center’s director and principal investigator since 2010. Dr. Volpi, director of the Sealy Center on Aging, was recently appointed chair of the Aging Systems and Geriatrics Study Section at the Center for Scientific Review, National Institutes of Health.

The Association of American Medical Colleges awarded Bernard Karnath, MD, FACP, professor in the Department of Internal Medicine, with the 2014 Alpha Omega Alpha Robert J. Glaser Distinguished Teacher Award. Named for longtime Alpha Omega Alpha Executive Director Dr. Robert Glaser, the award recognizes gifted teachers who have made significant contributions to medical student education.

The American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene awarded Scott Weaver, MS, PhD, the 2014 Walter Reed Medal, and Slobodan Paessler, DVM, PhD, the 2014 Bailey K. Ashford Medal at its annual meeting. The

society awards the Water Reed Medal every three years to recognize distinguished accomplishments in the field of tropical medicine. The Bailey K. Ashford Medal is given annually FALL 2015

Highlights

From Across UTMB’s Academic Enterprise

for distinguished work in tropical medicine by an early or mid-career member of the society who has made outstanding contributions to the field. Dr. Weaver is professor in the Departments of Pathology and Microbiology and Immunology, interim chair of microbiology and immunology, director of the Institute for Human Infections and Immunity and scientific director of the Galveston National Laboratory. He was also elected this year as a fellow in the American Academy of Microbiology. Dr. Paessler is a professor in the Department of Pathology, director of the Galveston National Laboratory Preclinical Studies Core and scientific director of the Animal Biosafety Level 3 facilities. He was recently selected as a member of the Center for Scientific Review’s Virology B Study Section.

Dr. Nichols presented at TEDx Vienna. Joan Nichols, PhD, presented “Bioengineering the Lung: High-Risk Research with Breathtaking Results” at the annual TEDx Vienna Dr. Joan Nichols conference. The theme for the event was “Brave New Space,” and Dr. Nichols was one of 20 speakers chosen to talk about their ideas, concepts and inventions. Dr. Nichols, who has grown lungs in her UTMB lab, is a professor of infectious diseases and associate director of research and operations for the Galveston National Laboratory. She is currently investigating transplanting lab-grown lungs into living pigs.

UTMB faculty members are part of a national research group awarded a $20 million human immunodeﬁciency virus (HIV) grant. Kathleen Vincent,

MD, assistant professor in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology; Richard Pyles,

UTMB ACADEMIC ENTERPRISE

PhD, professor in the Department of Pediatrics; and Massoud Motamedi, PhD, professor in the Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences are members of a research collaboration that received a $20 million grant to develop an intravaginal ring capable of delivering powerful antiretroviral drugs to prevent the spread of sexually transmitted HIV in women. Led by the Oak Crest Institute of Science in Pasadena, CA, the five-year research initiative is supported by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases of the National Institutes of Health. UTMB investigators will lead projects determining pharmacokinetics, drug safety and efficacy utilizing ex vivo, preclinical and clinical studies of the effectiveness of the novel device.

UTMB’s School of Health Professions (SHP) ranked in the top 10 for NIH funding in 2014. The SHP ranked

ninth out of 59 schools in the nation that received funding from the National Institutes of Health, bringing in $2,583,045 in NIH grants in 2014, up from $2,448,176 in 2013.

The National Institutes of Health recently awarded David N. Herndon, MD, three grants for burn care. Dr.

Herndon was awarded more than $4.3 million for a four-year grant to study the effects of administering fenofibrate, alone or in combination with propanol, in patients with severe burns. Dr. Herndon, Jesse H. Jones Distinguished Chair in Burn Surgery at UTMB and chief of staff and director of research at Shriners Hospitals for Children in Galveston, is the principal investigator on two additional grants recently renewed by NIH: UTMB’s postdoctoral training Dr. David Herndon in trauma

and burns program and “Mitigation of the Catecholamine Surge in Severely Burned Patients.” The postdoctoral training program, an integrated two-year program for young physicians and scientists interested in burns and trauma research, has been funded for its 24th year at more than $400,000 for two years. In 2014, Dr. Herndon was awarded the Medallion for Scientific Achievement, the highest accolade bestowed by the American Surgical Association, and became the eighth person to receive the International Burn Foundation’s Tanner-Vandeput-Boswick Burn Prize.

Alexander Bukreyev, PhD, has been awarded roles on multiple ﬁve-year grants funded by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and the Defense Treaty Reduction Agency totaling more than $6.58 million. Through these projects, Dr.

Bukreyev is working to develop antibodies and small molecules to treat Ebola and Marburg infections, investigating their pathogenetic mechanisms and studying the innate immunity that allows bats to harbor these viruses. Dr. Bukreyev is a professor in the Departments of Pathology and Microbiology and Immunology.

Three faculty members from the Department of Surgery have been awarded grants totaling more than $3.67 million from the U.S. Army Medical Research Acquisition Activity. Responding to a call for applica-

tions regarding care for critically injured burn patients, Drs. Celeste Finnerty, Ravi Radhakrishnan and Oscar E. Suman — who also are scientific colleagues at Shriners Hospitals for Children in Galveston — each earned multiyear grants exceeding $1 million. Celeste Finnerty, PhD, serves as associate professor in the Department of Surgery and associate director of research for the Department of Surgery Burn Unit and Shriners. Ravi S. Radhakrishnan, MD, MBA, FACS, FAAP, serves as assistant professor in the Departments of Surgery and Pediatrics, chief of pediatric surgery, director of the adult and pediatric extracorporeal membrane oxygenation programs and is the Leonard

and Marie Louise Aronsfeld Rosoff Professor of Surgery. Oscar Suman, PhD, serves as professor in the Department of Surgery, Leon Hess Professor of Burn Injuries Research, associate director of research for the Department of Surgery Burn Unit and Shriners, as well as director of the children’s wellness center at Shriners.

The National Institute of Child Health & Human Development awarded Kenneth J. Ottenbacher, PhD, OTR, approximately $5.2 million for his ﬁve-year grant supporting the Center for Large Data Research and Data Sharing Rehabilitation. An extension of the previously funded Center for Rehabilitation Research using Large Datasets, the new center will focus on large data research and archiving information from complet- Dr. Kenneth Ottenbacher ed rehabilitation research studies. Dr. Ottenbacher is professor and director of rehabilitation sciences and holder of the Russell Shearn Moody Distinguished Chair in Neurological Rehabilitation. He is also director of the Center for Recovery, Physical Activity and Nutrition, and associate director of the Sealy Center on Aging.

Laura Rudkin, PhD, will chair the University of Texas System Women’s Senior Leaders Network 2016 retreat. The women’s network launched in October 2012 with a mission to increase the representation of women in leadership roles at UT System institutions. Chair of the Department of Preventive Medicine and Health, Dr. Rudkin is an elected member of the UT Kenneth I. Shine, MD, Academy of Health Science Education, a UT Distinguished Teaching Professor and a 2013 recipient of a UT System Regent’s Outstanding Teaching Award.

The Liaison Committee on Medical Education (LCME) recently voted to continue full accreditation of UTMB’s medical education program for the maximum allowable eight-year term. As part of the accreditation process, a review team conducted a site visit to the school in December 2014, an event preceded by an intense 18-month self-study involving examination of over 100 LCME standards by more than 110 faculty and staff, and extensive student input.

care in terms of skill, expertise, experience, compassion and efficiency. The AMC complements UTMB’s other mentoring and faculty development programs through the Academy of Research Mentors and Academy of Master Teachers. Linda G. Phillips, MD, Truman G. Blocker Jr., MD, Distinguished Professor and Chief, Division of Plastic Surgery, Department of Surgery, has been appointed to serve as director of the AMC for a two-year term.

James LeDuc, PhD, was appointed chair of the Committee on Public Health of the Public Health and Scientiﬁc Affairs Board. Dr. LeDuc is

director of the Galveston National Laboratory (GNL), holder of the John Sealy Distinguished Chair in Tropical and Emerging Virology and professor in the Department of Microbiology and Immunology.

Camille Loftin, DHEd, MPAS, PA-C, received the 2015 Physician Assistant Education Association Rising Star Award. PAEA, a Dr. Camille Loftin national organization representing physician assistant educational programs, honored Dr. Loftin for her notable contributions to PA education at an awards ceremony in Washington, D.C. She is an assistant professor and interim vice chair in the School of Health Professions’ Physician Assistant Studies Department.

The Academic Enterprise introduced its new Academy of Master Clinicians (AMC) earlier this year. The AMC

is a major initiative created to celebrate the contributions of UTMB’s gifted clinicians who epitomize the highest standards of clinical

Christopher Thomas, MD, was elected director of the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology (ABPN). Dr.

Thomas will serve as director of the ABPN beginning January 1, 2016. He is holder of the Robert L. Stubblefield Professor of Child Psychiatry, assistant dean for graduate medical education and director of UTMB’s child psychiatry residency training program.

Steven R. Shelton, MBA, PA-C, UTMB’s assistant vice president for community outreach and executive director of Texas AHEC East, received the 2015 Louis Steven Shelton Gorin Award for Outstanding Achievement in Rural Health Care at the National Rural Health Association’s annual conference. FALL 2015

Highlights

From Across UTMB’s Academic Enterprise

Karen D. Wagner, MD, PhD, was appointed chair of the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences effective October 1, 2015. Dr. Wagner

is vice chair, director of the Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and holder of the Titus Harris, MD, Endowed Chair in Psychiatry. World renowned for her expertise in treating childhood mood disorders, Dr. Wagner’s many honors include an Honorary Doctorate Dr. Karen Wagner from the State University of New York, the Distinguished Alumnus Award from the State University of New York School of Medicine at Stony Brook, the Psychiatric Excellence Award from the Texas Society of Psychiatric Physicians, the Klerman Senior Investigator Award from the Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance, the Blanche F. Ittleson Award for Research in Child and Adolescent Psychiatry from the American Psychiatric Association and the Colvin Award for Outstanding Achievement in Mood Disorders from the Brain and Behavior Research Foundation (formerly NARSAD). Dr. Wagner is president of the American Association of Directors of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and president-elect of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. She is editor of the Journal of Clinical Psychiatry’s Child and Adolescent Section and has served as a member of the National Advisory Mental Health Council of the National Institutes of Health.

UTMB received a $22 million Clinical and Translational Science Award (CTSA) from the National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences. The CTSA will be overseen by the Institute for 20

UTMB ACADEMIC ENTERPRISE

Translational Sciences, led by Dr. Allan Brasier, to support teams of researchers from diverse scientific disciplines working together to translate discoveries and innovations into clinical practices that improve health. The institute is one of 62 currently funded by the highly competitive cooperative agreement. The new award recognizes the accomplishments that the ITS has made since first receiving funding in 2009.

Six UTMB faculty members were awarded the top teaching award by the UT System Board of Regents this June. The Regents’ Outstanding

Teaching Award recipients were: Kimberly Brown, MD, associate professor, Department of Surgery; Lisa Cain, PhD, associate professor, Department of Neuroscience and Cell Biology; Mark Holden, MD, FACP, professor, Department of Internal Medicine; Susan McCammon, MD, associate professor, Department of Otolaryngology; Victor Reyes, PhD, professor, Department of Pediatrics; and Carolyn Utsey, PT, PhD, associate professor, School of Health Professions. Faculty members undergo a series of rigorous evaluations by students, peer faculty and external reviewers. The review panels consider a range of activities and criteria in their evaluations of a candidate’s teaching performance, including classroom expertise, curricula quality, innovative course development and student learning outcomes. The regents’ award is among the nation’s most competitive teaching awards. Each recipient received $25,000 and was honored at a dinner hosted by the UT System Board of Regents in Austin.

Tom Ksiazek, DVM, PhD, received the 2015 Distinguished Alumnus Award from the Kansas State College of Veterinary Medicine and the Veterinary Medical Alumni Association for his outstanding achievements,

humanitarian service and contributions to the veterinary profession. He was honored during the 77th Annual Conference for Veterinarians in June in Manhattan, Kansas. He is director of high containment laboratory operations for the Galveston National Laboratory and professor in the Departments of Pathology and Microbiology and Immunology.

Jin Mo Chung, PhD, was appointed chair of the Department of Neuroscience and Cell Biology this October. Dr. Chung has successfully led the department as interim chair since February 2013. He holds the Cecil H. and Ida Green Distinguished University Chair in Neuroscience. An internationally renowned pioneer in the field of medical neuroscience, Dr. Chung has received continuous support from the National Institutes of Health for Dr. Jin Mo Chung more than three decades. He is a highly recognized teacher and, for more than 25 years, has led the Basic Neuroscience Course for Graduate Students and the Lectures and Laboratories Medical Neuroscience Course at UTMB. Among his many accomplishments, Dr. Chung is a founding member of the Association of Korean Neuroscientists (AKN). He was also the founding director of the Gulf Coast Consortium for Translational Pain Research and is chair of the newly formed Texas Pain Research Consortium. Perhaps Dr. Chung’s most notable contribution to the field of neuroscience is the spinal nerve ligation chronic pain model in rodents, otherwise known as the “Chung Model,” which he developed in 1992. The model is now used worldwide to test and develop new analgesic drugs for managing pain.

Thomas Blackwell, MD, FACP, was chosen as one of three outstanding Designated Institutional Officials (DIO) in the nation to receive the 2015 Parker J. Palmer Courage to Lead Award from the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education. The award is given to individuals who have consistently demonstrated leadership and vision in Graduate Medical Education.

Total Workforce*: 12,126

898

Academic Enterprise: 4,070 Staff – 2,442 Residents - 580 Post-Doc – 143 Faculty – 898 Research Fellows – 7 Health System w/o CMC: 3,477 Correctional Managed Care: 2,916 Institutional Support: 1,663

36.3%

*FY2014

Education

Women Men

Faculty Members

American Indian Asian Black Hispanic Pacific Islander Total

of Faculty Members Are Underrepresented Minorities

• 112 (53%) matched in Texas • 63 (30%) matched within the UT System • 35 (17%) matched at UTMB

UTMB is ranked in the lowest 5% for total cost of attendance for 2014 graduates at $176,401 for in-state and $228,801 for out-of-state graduates. Average student debt has decreased 5.3% annually since 2009.

UTMB is training more students — the total number of students enrolled increased by more than 42% from 2006 to 2014. Student enrollment in Fall 2014: • School of Medicine: 931 • School of Nursing: 1,058 • School of Health Professions: 860 • Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences: 362

Texas:

$4,000,000,000 total spending

$2B output (goods, services); 26,000 permanent jobs* Houston/ Sugar Land/ Baytown region: $2.5B total spending $1B output 18,000 jobs*

Medical services by UTMB-trained physicians (Texas): $24B total spending $13B output 169,000 jobs

Galveston County:

Tax revenue offsets:

$2B total spending $1B output 15,000 jobs*

$96M to Texas $56M to local taxing authorities

Research (Texas):

Construction (Texas):

$3B total spending $1B output 16,000 jobs

$3B total spending 16,000 employed (person-years)

UTMB leads as regards the diversity of our medical students. From 2000 to 2014,

*Annual impact of education and patient care activities Based on FY2009 data

UTMB’s School of Medicine ranked**:

Financial Health

• 1st nationally in the number of Hispanic graduates • 4th nationally in the number of African-American graduates • 3rd nationally in the number and 2nd in percent of underrepresented minority graduates ** For the 14-year period from 2000-2014

3 201 48 72 2 326

Economic Impact

Match Day 2015 94% of School of Medicine students were matched to at least a Postgraduate Year One (PGY-1) position. Of the 212 entering residencies:

417 (46%) 481 (54%)

$1,800,000,000 Budget (FY15)

For the sixth consecutive year, UTMB has maintained a positive financial margin to reinvest in its mission and support growth.

Patient Care Continued improvement as regards clinical performance. Listed % changes are for FY13 to FY15 data: Discharges up 17.7% Deliveries up 14.2% ED, non-trauma up 52.7% ED, trauma up 9.9% Surgical operations up 29.4% Clinic visits: • Island, up 36.4% • Mainland, up 19.9% • RMCHP, up 28.7% • Cath total, up 20% • EP total, up 64.6% • Total MRI, up 26.7% • Total CT, up 50.4%

Clinical Productivity Data for FY15: Physician productivity has increased by double digits since 2012.

The National Committee for Quality Assurance gave five UTMB clinics Level Three Patient-Centered Medical Home (PMCH) certiﬁcation — its highest level of achievement. UTMB’s TEAM Clinic — a collaborative effort between the Academic Enterprise and Health System — was among the 4% of 1450 statewide DSRIP projects under the 1115 Healthcare Transformation Waiver to be selected for presentation at the upcoming Statewide Learning Collaborative in Austin. MakerNurse and the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston unveiled the MakerHealth™ Space at UTMB, the ﬁrst makerspace in the country for health care providers. The space provides nurses and other medical staff with robust tools, resources and expertise to test out their ideas for improving health care.

Research In Fiscal Year 2015, UTMB received 149 grant awards from the National Institutes of Health for a total of

$73,345,646 a nearly 5% increase over last fiscal year. In the 2014 NIH research rankings, the School of Health Professions ranked

9th out of 59.

44 UTMB doctors were honored as Texas Super Doctors® in 2014. The chronic obstructive pulmonary disease program earned the Joint Commission’s Gold Seal of Approval by demonstrating continuous compliance with national standards for health care quality and safety in disease-specific care. UTMB was recognized as a Level 3 Epilepsy Monitoring Center by the National Association of Epilepsy Centers. For the second year in a row, UTMB received the American Heart Association’s highest recognition, the Gold Quality Achievement Award, for continuing to achieve resuscitation standards set under the AHA’s Get with the Guidelines® program.

C E L E B R A T I N G

1 2 5

Y E A R S

Did you know…? UTMB has graduated more health professionals than any other academic health center in the state.

UTMB faculty members helped construct the ﬁrst X-ray machine in Texas in 1896.

Dr. James Edwin Thompson, UTMB’s first chair of surgery, became the ﬁrst vice president of the American College of Surgeons in 1913. UTMB has nearly 30,000 alumni.

In Fiscal Year 2015, UTMB processed nearly 35,000 applications and hired 3,575 new employees.

MISSION • VISION • VALUES

UTMB’s mission is to improve health for the people of Texas and around the world. We work together to work wonders as we define the future of health care and strive to be the best in all of our endeavors.

During a Typical Day at UTMB… We educate

3,200 students

We invest

We demonstrate compassion for all. We always act with integrity.

$326,000 in research We deliver

We show respect to everyone we meet. We embrace diversity to best serve a global community. We promote excellence and innovation through lifelong learning.

17 babies

We admit

patients into the hospital We treat

People

Value

116

Invest in the success of our workforce and commit to an interprofessional and collaborative environment that rewards innovation, professionalism and excellence.

Deliver quality outcomes, discoveries, and responsiveness with amazing breakthroughs in health care delivery, education, and research that are changing the world.

We conduct

Strategic management and growth Foster organizational innovation, improvement, and entrepreneurship to take advantage of the opportunities in a competitive market place.

patients in the ER/ Trauma Center

327

telemedicine encounters We provide care to

Resources Maximize resources to educate the health care team of the future, advance global & life saving research to improve health.

2,000

patients in our primary & specialty care clinics Based on Fiscal Year 2014 data

NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATION U.S. Postage PAID North Houston, TX PERMIT NO. 27600 The University of Texas Medical Branch Office of the Provost 301 University Blvd. Galveston, Texas 77555

Nurses, 1897. An early class of the Training School for Nurses at John Sealy Hospital, which opened on March 10, 1890, with 18 students. UTMB is celebrating its 125th anniversary this academic year, 2015-16.