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UTMB NEWSLETTER • SEPTEMBER 2017
This edition of Working Wonders honors all UTMB employees statewide who stepped up before, during and after Hurricane Harvey to serve the needs of our patients, families, colleagues and communities.
ON THE COVER: These individuals are just a few of the employees who truly worked wonders during
Harvey. They represent UTMB’s three campuses, clinics and Correctional Managed Care facilities across Southeast Texas. From all of us at Impact, thank you for your compassion and unwavering dedication to fulfilling UTMB’s vital mission—to improve health for the people of Texas, and beyond. #WeAreUTMB 1. Courtney DelBosque, nurse, Neonatal Intensive Care Unit 2. Philesha Evans, associate vice president, Human Resources 3. Mitchell Thomas, floor project supervisor, Environmental Services 4. Tamara Sherrod, digital communications, Marketing and Communications 5. Gary Eubank, chief nursing officer, UTMB Correctional Managed Care 6. Teresa Rivas, EVS building attendant, Environmental Services 7. Debra Harris, nurse, Carole Young Medical Facility, Correctional Managed Care 8. Laura Dobbs, certified nurse midwife, Regional Maternal Child Health Program 9. Devon Mican, CT technologist, Angleton Danbury Campus 10. Officer John Gonzalez, UTMB Police 11. Dr. Sidra Qureshi, chief resident, Internal Medicine 12. Patty Decker, nurse, Neonatal Intensive Care Unit
13. Angela Leake, Starbucks barista, Food Services 14. Sgt. Joel Rivera, UTMB Police 15. Dr. Joan Richardson, chair, Department of Pediatrics 16. Vincent Showalter, respiratory therapist, Angleton Danbury Campus 17. Dr. Rece Laney, fellow, Department of Surgery 18. Dr. Jong Lee, professor of Surgery 19. Dr. Terri Parks-Cannon, assistant program director and hospitalist, League City Campus 20. Shannon Porter, internal communications, Marketing and Communications 21. Dr. Steve Klimczak, resident, Internal Medicine 22. Jordan Sweet, environmental protection management technician, Environmental Health and Safety 23. Christopher Smith Gonzalez, media relations, Marketing and Communications
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From the President Welcome to the newest issue of Impact, a special edition dedicated to highlighting some of the significant contributions of our UTMB family during Hurricane Harvey.
S E P TE MB E R 2 0 1 7
As with Hurricane Ike in 2008 and with the John Sealy Hospital fire earlier this year, your response was nothing short of remarkable. Many of you worked tirelessly—some for days on end—to ensure that our patients, fellow employees, students and communities received care. I’m proud of the steady and thoughtful ways in which our family faced this crisis together, and I sincerely thank each of you for your selflessness and dedication during this difficult time.
Stopping for no storm
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More than a thousand members of our UTMB family suffered personal property losses from the storm, and we’ve heard from so many others who want to help them recover in any way possible. For that reason, we’ve established two Harvey Recovery Funds—one for students and another for employees—where you can make contributions or apply for assistance in the event you’ve been impacted. You can learn more at https://www.utmb.edu/harvey-recovery. Black Hawk delivers blood to UTMB
While this edition of Impact can’t recount every story of kindness, courage and self-sacrifice from you during this crisis, we’ve tried to capture as many as possible from across our institution. Among them:
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• UTMB employees, first responders and the Indiana Blood Center ensured patients received much-needed blood products during the storm • Surgeons, nurses and clinical staff found a way to ensure care continued to be delivered at the League City Campus despite rising floodwaters • Labor & Delivery teams across UTMB delivered more than 100 babies and provided care to mothers and newborns from across the region • Despite significant personal challenges at home, Food and Nutrition Services employees worked around the clock to feed and comfort patients, families and staff • CMC employees worked wonders across the state throughout Harvey’s devastation, ensuring patients continued to receive care despite serious challenges • And many additional stories of bravery, heroics and disaster relief response from all parts of our institution
#WeAreUTMB employee stories
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Again, I want to offer my appreciation and admiration for your response throughout this challenge. UTMB is strong because of each and every one of you. CMC stands up to Harvey
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Dr. David L. Callender UTMB President
Impact is for and about the people who fulfill UTMB’s mission to improve health in Texas and around the world. We hope you enjoy reading this issue. Let us know what you think!
Vice President Marketing & Communications Steve Campbell
CONTACT US Email: impact.newsletter@utmb.edu Phone: (409) 772-2618
Associate Vice President Marketing & Communications Mary Havard
Campus mail route: 0144 U.S. Postal address: UTMB Marketing & Communications 301 University Boulevard Galveston, TX 77555-0144
Editors KirstiAnn Clifford Stephen Hadley Shannon Porter Art Director Mark Navarro
P R INT E D B Y U T MB G R A P H IC D ES IG N & P RIN TIN G S ERVICES
THROUGHOUT ITS HISTORY,
UTMB has
weathered many significant storms.
The instances of heroic actions and moments of kindness are endless. “As in the past with Hurricane Ike and the John Sealy Hospital fire, when circumstances seem to be at their worst, the UTMB family is always at its best,” said Dr. David L. Callender, president of UTMB. “The response and results our family delivered for our patients, employees, students and communities were the same as with the previous two calamities: steady, selfless, thoughtful and outstanding.”
Our response philosophy was forged more than a hundred years ago, after the first hurricane to affect the new medical campus: the devastating 1900 Storm, still considered the deadliest natural disaster in U.S. history. In learning of heavy damage to university facilities on Overall response Galveston Island, a member of the University of Texas UTMB’s Emergency Operations Center activated days before Harvey made Board of Regents wrote the eight words we invoke to landfall as a category 4 hurricane, paying close attention to weather forecasts this day when presented with a monumental challenge: and putting plans in place to deal with any impacts to UTMB.
“The University of Texas stops for no storm.” Today, those words ring true once again as UTMB’s students and employees deal with the effects of yet another Gulf of Mexico hurricane. When Hurricane Harvey made landfall near Rockport on Aug. 25, it left a trail of devastation throughout Southeast Texas. In addition to destructive winds, many areas received more than 40 inches of rain over a four-day period as the system stalled over eastern Texas. The record-breaking rain resulted in high-water rescues, flooded homes and days of uncertainty and anxiety. Throughout it all, our people and facilities demonstrated UTMB’s trademark resiliency. Health care teams continued to deliver world-class care at each of UTMB’s three campuses, many working five or six days in a row without going home. Food services employees braved flood waters to make it to work so they could serve meals to patients, families, faculty and staff. Police officers ensured life-saving blood supplies made it to the Galveston Campus. Correctional Managed Care employees helped evacuate thousands of offenders, putting their own personal worries aside.
Since Hurricane Ike in 2008, UTMB has invested more than $1 billion to rebuild its infrastructure to face future storms. Improvements have included moving essential functions to higher levels, hardening utilities and adding protective walls around certain buildings. New buildings, including the Galveston National Laboratory and Jennie Sealy Hospital, were designed to withstand wind and storm surge. The resources devoted to addressing weather risks at the Galveston Campus and improving resiliency at the League City and Angleton Danbury campuses, has paid off. Despite widespread flooding throughout the surrounding region—which at times left the two mainland campuses dry, but isolated and almost inaccessible by normal vehicles— all of UTMB’s hospitals and emergency departments remained open during the storm and provided much needed help to their communities. Throughout UTMB’s weeklong period of emergency status, leaders from around the institution took part in Incident Command meetings twice a day, with ongoing efforts to monitor and adjust to changing conditions around the clock. The twice-daily meetings were followed up by communications efforts to keep employees and students informed.
Members of UTMB’s Environmental Services team during Harvey
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During the meetings, leaders from all three campuses and areas of the institution discussed the challenges they were facing and decided on next steps, based on available information. Whether it was finding ways to transport employees to a certain campus, ensuring all campuses had adequate supplies to support employees and patients, figuring out a way to get blood shipped to a hospital or finding ways to help tired staff members rest and recharge, UTMB employees worked across departments to find solutions.
response to the disaster. In addition to attending the final Emergency Operations Center meeting, McRaven toured UTMB’s East Plant, emergency room, NICU and medical ICU, where he had the opportunity to hear employee stories and voice his appreciation.
UT System Chancellor William McRaven (left), Executive Vice Chancellor for Health Affairs Dr. Raymond Greenberg (far right), and Chief Compliance and Risk Officer Philip Dendy (middle right), present Dr. Callender with messages of support from UT System employees.
“When circumstances seem to be at their worst, the UTMB family is always at its best.”
“The flexibility and willingness of our employees to adjust to changing plans was greatly appreciated,” Callender said. “This emergency event was different from others, as it lasted several days and we had to make our operational plans on a day-to-day basis as the storm moved in and out of the region.”
Thanks to a combination of factors including preparation, hard work and good luck, UTMB fared well overall, with no major damage to its facilities. The institution even helped partnering hospitals who needed to evacuate patients–including several babies from Baptist Hospital in Beaumont who were safely airlifted to the Galveston Campus neonatal intensive care unit.
McRaven thanks Susan Court, an MICU nurse, for her dedication during Harvey. impact
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“I want to express my profound gratitude and admiration to our health care professionals and staff who—despite the hardships their own families are facing, and potential damage to their own homes—have stayed on the job to provide life-saving care to fellow Texans in need,” McRaven said in a statement prior to his visit. “Together, I know we will rise to the occasion, and you can count on all of us at the UT System to do its part.”
Employee and student impact Although Hurricane Harvey is gone, the UTMB community did not emerge unscathed by Harvey’s wrath. While UTMB employees continued providing Best Care to patients and their families during some of the most terrifying moments, many employees and students suffered damage to their homes and vehicles. In some cases, members of the UTMB community lost all of their personal property in the storm. Even those who didn’t sustain property damage were affected by the experience.
“Our thoughts are with everyone affected by this tragedy,” Callender said. “I want to assure everyone that we will do all we can to assist our affected employees and Chancellor visit students with recovery. In the coming days, weeks and months, we need to take As UTMB returned to normal opera- care of ourselves and treat each other with patience and compassion.” tions on Sept. 1, University of Texas To ease recovery efforts, a new Harvey Recovery website (www.utmb.edu/ System Chancellor Bill McRaven and harvey-recovery) includes information on two recovery funds that have been Executive Vice Chancellor for Health established to support students and employees who experienced damage as a result Affairs Dr. Raymond Greenberg visited of Harvey. For more information on donating to these funds and for information on the Galveston Campus to thank the additional resources, turn to page 15. n UTMB community for its tremendous
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Mission: (Not) impossible Black Hawk helicopter delivers critical blood products to UTMB BY KIRSTIANN CLIFFORD
When a Black Hawk helicopter carrying 500 pounds of blood products landed in the parking lot at UTMB’s Galveston Campus on Aug. 29, a wave of relief came over Dr. Barbara Bryant. “It was carrying very important cargo—12 doses of platelets and 160 units of blood,” said Bryant, medical director of UTMB’s blood bank. “The shipment included a rare type of blood for one of our patients with sickle cell disease, fresh blood for our NICU babies and blood for an intrauterine transfusion.” Bryant’s relief was shared by many, as Hurricane Harvey presented several obstacles to getting the blood from Indiana to its destination on the island.
“It was pouring rain when I got out of the car to talk to the trooper,” recalled Rivera. “But if anyone knew about the roadways, it was him.” Rivera described the urgency, asking if it was possible to use a DPS helicopter for the delivery. While the trooper made a few phone calls, Rivera directed traffic. A few minutes later, the trooper came back and handed Rivera a phone number to a DPS dispatcher who had access to state and federal resources during the storm. Because of the weight of the blood, it was determined that a Black Hawk helicopter would be the best bet for safe transport. Within an hour, a Black Hawk carrying a crew from the Nebraska National Guard landed in the Angleton Danbury Campus parking lot. They were in between missions to rescue those stranded by the flood waters and happy to help in whatever way they could.
Realizing the potential for a blood and platelet shortage in the aftermath of Harvey, Bryant and Health System leadership first worked with partners at the Indiana Blood Center to get the products transported. A charter plane arranged “It worked out great—we ran up with the boxes and loaded by Premier, Inc. volunteered to fly the blood to Galveston, them one-by-one and before you knew it, the helicopter but was unable to land due to winds and flooding. Instead, was gone and on its way,” said Rivera. “I felt so relieved, Sgt. Rivera stands ready to load the knowing how many people would benefit from that blood. the plane landed at the closest open airport, Brazosport blood products onto the Black Hawk. Regional Airport, about 45 miles away. The shipment was As the helicopter lifted off, everyone started high-fiving transported by a high-clearance emergency vehicle to UTMB’s Angleton Danbury each other. It was one of those extremely unusual moments where everything Campus, where UTMB Police Sergeant Joel Rivera was tasked with finding a way just lines up.” to get the blood to Galveston. After witnessing the collaboration between local, state and federal agencies,
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“It was a race against the clock,” said Rivera, who also helped out at UTMB during Hurricane Ike. “Not just because our patients urgently needed the blood, but I was told that when blood is packaged for shipment, it needs to be delivered within 24 hours.”
Bryant calls the Black Hawk delivery a “UTMB First.” “I’ve never seen a Black Hawk deliver blood in a non-combat situation…never!” she said. “This went as smoothly as you could possibly imagine and it was just unfolding right in front of us.
With the clock ticking, Rivera and another officer went on a quick reconnaissance mission to see if any roads leading to Galveston were open. About two miles into their drive, they spotted a Texas Department of Public Safety trooper turning traffic around because of high water.
Because of this shipment, we were able to provide patients with necessary blood and that was excellent. It took so many people to come together to get this done—I’m so thankful to everyone who did everything they could to make it happen.” n impact S E PSTEEPMTBE EMRB E2 R0 1270 1 7impact
BY SHANNON PORTER
This image and the photo below were taken by Dr. Doug Tyler on his cell phone, while traveling along I-45 in Dickinson. WHEN DEB MCGREW FIRST HEARD that hospitals in the northern part of Galveston County were not taking patients, and possibly even closing during Hurricane Harvey, she knew something needed to be done. “We realized we had a critical need,” said McGrew, UTMB’s chief operating officer. “We were concerned about having services open in the area.” It was Aug. 27 and Harvey, downgraded from a hurricane to a tropical storm but no less deadly, was still dumping historic quantities of rain all along the southeast Texas coast. “A lot of people who staff that campus are from the communities that were hit so hard,” Dr. Doug Tyler, chairman of the Department of Surgery, said. McGrew had called Tyler because a surgeon was needed at the League City Campus. Those on call could not get to the hospital due to flooding all across the area. Tyler agreed to staff the hospital himself, along with senior residents Drs. Chris Guidrey and Pablo Padilla. “He said, ‘I’ll go.’” McGrew said. “Just like that.” But it wasn’t that simple.
in front of the Jennie Sealy Hospital in Galveston and began the trip toward League City. And while Tyler’s years of education, training and practice have prepared him for anything as a surgeon, it could have never prepared him for what he was going to see along Interstate 45. Near Dickinson, flood water at times was as high as the running board on the truck he was riding in, boats and kayaks traveled along the interstate, and hundreds of people were stranded on the grassy hills and overpasses. “People would get to the water and then turnaround and drive on the wrong side of the road,” Layer said. “We weren’t sure we were going to make it at first.” When the crew arrived at the League City Campus, Tyler was Dr. Doug Tyler shocked to see just how bad the flooding was around the campus. “It was a little bit of an island,” Tyler said. During his four-day stay at the League City Campus, Tyler performed a number of surgeries—some for flood-related injuries, others not. While the hospital was surrounded by water, patients continued to come in—some on foot, some in dump trucks, and others in the National Guard’s high-water vehicles.
Roads, highways and entire neighborhoods had been swallowed up by local bayous. Roads that normally were easily traveled were now only accessible “We had to be prepared for anything,” Tyler said. by high water vehicles or flat-bottomed boats. Residents turned to the highest points of their homes, which often was the roof, to escape flood waters. And Tyler credits the ability to do so to how well all three UTMB campuses worked as water continued to pour down, seemingly all available emergency vehicles, together. boats and helicopters were in use rescuing stranded residents. “We had a lot of creative solutions to our problems during the storm,” McGrew said. UTMB police officers worked with neighboring agencies to try and find safe “It was very important to us that we stayed viable and open to our community.” alternative routes from Galveston to League And it just wasn’t one person or one City, many of which were found through department who made those creative neighborhoods, Lt. Noel Layer said. solutions possible. McGrew contacted UTMB’s Business Operations and Facilities department and asked if they had any type of vehicle that could get Tyler through the deep water and onto the League City Campus. What they decided to use was a large Ford F-550, which picked up Tyler and Guidrey
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“Sometimes the glamour of taking care of patients is what gets recognized, but it took people from all across UTMB to keep things functioning,” Tyler said. “From facilities management, nursing, food services, and environmental services—it took us all to keep everything running so successfully.” n
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E COULDN’T POSSIBLY RECOUNT every story of kindness, compassion, courage and self-sacrifice that occurred across our institution and in the surrounding communities during and after Hurricane Harvey. There are endless accounts of employees, students and volunteers going above and beyond, even when faced with the effects of flooding that experts are saying is a 1-in-1,000-year event. Here are just a few of the many examples that show #WeAreUTMB.
Feeding first responders Beaumont Regional Maternal Child Health Program employees Christina Garcia, Karen Rocha, Vivian Chavez and Naomi Reyes kept in touch throughout the storm and wanted to give back to the community. They got together and cooked enough food to feed 49 members of the Cajun Navy, an informal network of boat owners from Louisiana who assisted in rescue efforts. “I felt we were able to give back to the heroes, and we spent a few hours reconnecting with our own stories,” said Garcia, a maternal and child specialist. In addition, RMCHP employees from around Southeast Texas banded together to collect supplies for two Beaumont RMCHP employees whose homes were flooded. The truckload of supplies was delivered by the spouses of Marlo Cochran, RMCHP administrative director, and Maria Lee, senior practice manager.
Behind the scenes On any other day, the UTMB supply chain—purchasing, delivery and distribution—usually works behind the scenes. But during a historic flood, it’s one of the key factors that kept UTMB running and ready to meet the needs of the entire region. During Harvey, UTMB’s Logistics team had to make sure there was enough food, medical supplies and linen for patients and employees who were sheltering in place at all three campuses. It wasn’t an easy task, as most of UTMB’s supplies come from hard-hit Houston, and distribution routes and methods were disrupted as flooding progressed over many days. Preparations beforehand were important, like making sure each campus had enough supplies for four-plus days. As the flooding wore on, the team monitored supply levels daily and decided how best to conserve resources to keep everyone safe while extending the supplies on hand, said Frank Reighard, associate vice president of supply chain management. The team continually evaluated the best and safest routes for getting needed materials to each UTMB campus. When regular trucks could not get through, the team helped arrange for unique transportation methods, such as an amphibious “duck boat” and Black Hawk helicopter. (See related story on page 6.) After the storm, the team was instrumental in quickly obtaining materials for repairs and helping identify alternate sources for needs such as furniture for student housing for those students affected by flooding. “It was a true 24/7 effort. Thanks to the flexibility of our Supply Chain teams, UTMB was there to serve people in a time of great need. We’re grateful to have been able to help,” Reighard said.
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The kidney transplant a hurricane couldn’t stop As Hurricane Harvey closed in on Texas, Dr. Kristene Gugliuzza and UTMB’s Texas Transplant Center team performed a life-saving kidney transplant on the Galveston Campus. Had the procedure not taken place in time, the opportunity for the transplant would have passed. Not only did the surgery go well, but UTMB social workers made sure the patient, Hector Enriquez, had accommodations in Galveston afterward, since the weather made it impossible for him to make it home to Beaumont. “Quite a few people have been praying for me—it’s a miracle,” said Enriquez. “With the hurricane coming, we made it to UTMB just in time and everything worked out just right. I’m doing really good, the kidney is working and I’m already feeling a lot better—everything has changed for me Enriquez with transplant nurse now.” Cheryl Smith
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Ready to run How do you get two very large rooms with network equipment and more than 325 computers with monitors, keyboards and mice set up in less than five hours? You call UTMB’s Information Services team. On Aug. 30, the team was called upon to get the Student Testing Center in Research Building 6 re-equipped and ready for classes to resume. It was a huge task in itself, but many of the team members who would normally do the work could not get to the island because of flooding, said George Gaddie, associate vice president and deputy chief of Information Services.
An “all call” went out to IS staff in every division asking for volunteers to meet in the Testing Center as soon as possible. Less than an hour later, more than 30 people from Network Services and Clinical Information Services, along with the department’s two administrative fellows, were on-site putting things back in place. The work involved crawling on the floor under desks, connecting cables and carefully testing every item to make sure each worked properly. But each person was happy to be able to help get the job done, Gaddie said. “Information Services pulled off what was seen as ‘impossible!’” he said. “We had committed that the work would be completed by the end of the day on Aug. 31, and it was a great pleasure to confirm shortly after 4 p.m. on Aug. 30 that the work was done!”
UTMB students “First to Serve” in recovery efforts
Through the water and back
The Phi Chi Zeta Medical Fraternity, made up of UTMB School of Medicine students, lived up to their slogan of “First to Serve” by partnering with a local church to assist in the recovery efforts in the Houston-Galveston area. The first- and fourth-year medical students were assigned to an especially hard hit location in Friendswood where many homes received extensive water damage.
With flood waters so high in League City on Aug. 26, Dr. Rafael Fonseca knew he wasn’t going to be able to safely drive his car to the hospital.
“We assisted in home repair, removal of damaged furniture, and various other tasks as requested, but we were just a small group of the many UTMB students and employees who have worked since the storm to assist in the community,” said SOM student Shangir Siddique. “While we may be occupied with our medical studies, our primary goal remains to serve our communities in any way we can, be it in the clinic or helping our community deal with disasters such as Hurricane Harvey.”
So, he packed his backpack and grabbed his bike. Trekking through water that at times covered his legs and tires, he said. He knows the area well because he doesn’t live too far and often rides his bike around the area with his children, so he knew the drainage system. He tried to stay on the sidewalks whenever he could because the water was slightly shallower. “It took way longer than normal because of the pressure of the water,” Fonseca said. Taking this route two to three times a day was the only way he was able to get to the League City Campus, where he was working to take care of babies in the Level 2 nursery during Hurricane Harvey. “I was soaking wet by the time I got to the hospital,” Fonseca said. “But we all did what needed to be done to take care of our patients.”
A jack of all trades
Care management during crisis
As a self-proclaimed jack-of-all-trades, volunteer and member of Angleton Danbury’s Auxiliary, Larry Timeaus couldn’t just sit back and not help out at the hospital during Hurricane Harvey.
When a hurricane threatens UTMB, we often think about the care we provide to patients who are in the hospital, but not of the work it takes to help discharge patients safely with everything they need to remain healthy at home.
“We didn’t have much damage at my house,” Timaeus said. “And I knew there was going to be people needing help at the hospital.”
UTMB’s Care Management Department, with the support of its leadership team and Dr. Leah Low, was instrumental in discharging over 50 patients a day in the immediate aftermath of Hurricane Harvey.
So, he showed up on campus to help with anything the administration needed, said Katrina Lambrecht, vice president and administrator of the Angleton Danbury Campus. “His presence and his willingness to help was something I saw in every person who was at the hospital with us throughout the storm, but he is a shining example of it because he was not even called. He just came to help—exemplifying the spirit of so many,” Lambrecht said.
The work of the team, including some who performed vastly different roles from their day-to-day tasks, was vital in ensuring that patients received necessary medications, were discharged to safe locations, and had resources available to them when they arrived.
For additional #WeAreUTMB employee stories, check out the online edition of Impact at www.utmb.edu/impact. impact
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UTMB delivers more than 100 babies, provides care for newborns from Beaumont during Harvey BY CHRISTOPHER SMITH GONZALEZ
ON A LATE AUGUST MORNING as Tropical Storm Harvey moved north of the Galveston County area, anyone would have excused Latasha Vernon if she was a bit cranky. She had been in her hospital room in John Sealy Hospital for a week. She had no idea when she would finally be able to take her twin newborns home. To top it off, her home in Bacliff had been flooded. But instead of anger or annoyance, Vernon cooed happily over her less-than-week-old babies. “The staff here is just really wonderful and they care so much,” Vernon said. “They can’t get over the twins. They want to cuddle them and hug them.” When Vernon and her husband arrived at John Sealy Hospital on Aug. 24 for monitoring, they had no idea they’d be going home with their twins in their arms. But like pregnancies, storms can be unpredictable. Once Vernon arrived at the Galveston Campus, flooded roads made it impossible to go back home. What started as monitoring turned into a longer stay at the hospital. Then, even though it was still about a week before her predicted due date of Aug. 26, her doctor said it was time to deliver the babies. The once-in-a-generation storm raging outside didn’t matter. On UTMB’s Galveston, League City and Angleton Danbury campuses, mothers still had to have their babies. UTMB nurses, doctors and other essential employees were there to make sure Vernon, and over 100 other mothers like her, were cared for. “Delivery, once you are pregnant, is not an elective procedure,” said Deb Mordecai, director of patient care and assistant chief nursing officer for Women’s, Infants’ and Children’s Services at UTMB. “Babies must be delivered.” In the approximately one week that UTMB was under emergency operations due to Harvey, 99 babies were born on the Galveston Campus, 19 at the League City Campus and another 10 at the Angleton Danbury Campus. UTMB also took in patients from other hospitals in the region, including several babies who had to be flown in from a Beaumont hospital. All this was done while some of the worst flooding ever seen ravaged Southeast Texas. UTMB had prepared by calling in faculty and staff to each campus and by having women with planned inductions or C-sections come in early before the storm hit. At the League City Hospital, faculty and staff found themselves on what amounted to an island during the worst of the storm. But even then, mothers needing to deliver continued to come in. Some women got to the hospital in dump trucks, one in a garbage truck and some lost everything but what they brought with them, said Christine Varisco, 10
a labor, delivery, recovery and postpartum nurse at the League City Hospital. Varisco, like many other faculty and staff, was unable to leave the campus and could only talk to her husband and other family members over the phone as the flood waters rose. Still, she and her co-workers kept doing their best to help the mothers and keep them and their newborns safe. “Taking care of the patients has been a little bright area in a very dark, dark storm,” Varisco said. While patient safety and comfort were a priority, UTMB’s faculty and staff were going through their own rollercoasters of emotions and tribulations. Megan Sharpe, a nurse in the labor and delivery department in John Sealy Hospital, was frantic Patient Latasha Vernon and her twin when her husband told her their newborns. house in Dickinson was flooding. He was at home with their four children—ranging from 4 months to 12 years old—while Sharpe cared for mothers and their babies. “I just took a deep breath and said ‘OK, here we go. We have to do this because it’s not about us, it’s about our patients,’” Sharpe said. With the help of her colleagues, Sharpe made it through her shift. Eventually her husband and children were rescued by the U.S. Coast Guard. She was reunited with her family two days later when relief nurses came in to replace staff. Mordecai said an important part of the successful operation of the hospitals during the emergency was caring for the needs and morale of the employees, as well as the patients. “The best way to support the patients is to support the staff who have to take care of them,” Mordecai said. For Vernon, the mother of newborn twins, it made all the difference to have nurses who she could relate to and trade stories with about Harvey. As the storm started to pass and the sky cleared, Vernon was ready to get back to her house and the rest of her family. Still, she said, she was amazed by the UTMB staff that cared for her and other mothers during the storm. “I thought it was really amazing that a lot of nurses and doctors stayed here to make sure the patients were safe and taken care of,” Vernon said. “I know we felt like we were taken care of.” n
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BY SHANNON PORTER
Food and Nutrition Services employees work around the clock to feed and comfort patients, families and staff In the days leading up to Hurricane Harvey’s landfall, Pam Buttaccio began watching the weather channel a little more closely than normal. On Aug. 23, Harvey had regenerated into a tropical depression about 535 miles southeast of Port O’Connor, Texas with maximum sustained winds of 35 mph. By Thursday, Harvey had strengthened into a Category 2 hurricane with winds as high as 100 mph. Buttaccio started getting to work at 3 a.m. on the mornings of Aug. 24 and 25 to get a head start on preparations. She has only been working as the food service director at the Angleton Danbury Campus since May and wanted to make sure her area was as prepared as possible. “There was no way of knowing how many people we would be feeding,” Buttaccio said. “We had to try our best to prepare for anything.”
Angleton Danbury Food Services Manager Pam Buttaccio (with tray).
Garibay and her staff, along with help from some Galveston Campus food service employees, worked around the clock, beginning as early as 3:45 a.m. to prepare food for the entire hospital, taking short breaks to sleep in different empty offices and rooms. Doctors and nurses had to do the same, she said. Doug Cravey and Steve Mikitish, both food service employees, volunteered to head up to the League City Campus from Galveston to take supplies and help relieve staff. They both knew how badly the roads were flooded, but they also knew how essential it was to get supplies and additional staffing to League City. Garibay didn’t even let her car getting flooded stop her from making it back to work after her one break during the almost full week she was at the hospital. Maria Falen, one of the Galveston employees who volunteered to help in League City, along with the help of her husband and a large truck, helped get Garibay back to the League City Campus safely. Shaken but not deterred, they went straight back to preparing meals for the patients and staff all over again.
By Aug. 26, the once-in-a-1,000-year storm moved into the Houston area, bringing thunderstorms, tornadoes and, in some areas, more than 50 inches “We were not thinking about anything else of rain. besides concentrating on what we really needed to do,” Garibay said. “We had to All three UTMB campuses not only do everything we could to take care of our became a safe place for patients, but patients and staff.” for employees, too, who couldn’t return
safely to their homes. That meant the limited food service staff from Angleton Danbury, Galveston and League City all were in charge of feeding breakfast, lunch and dinner to everyone sheltering at the hospital.
League City Food Services Manager At times, taking care of patients and staff Claudia Garibay also meant steering away from their usual job description, Buttaccio said.
“Sometimes people just wanted to talk,” she said. “In tragedy, I think some people just want to be heard. Everyone has their own personal story and a personal connection.”
In Galveston, there was no interruption of food services during the storm. The patients at the hospital were able to continue to order meals just as they would any other day. On average, the food service employees at the Galveston Campus fed about 700 people for each meal during Hurricane Harvey.
Buttaccio and her staff worked to find ways to lift the spirits of everyone at the Angleton Danbury Campus, she said. Whether that was by playing music, making special desserts with whatever ingredients they had in the kitchen, or by simply smiling.
At Angleton Danbury, Buttaccio and only one other employee from her staff were feeding all three meals, on average, to about 50 to 120 people a day from Friday to Sunday.
“We made cookies, banana pudding and strawberry cobbler,” Buttaccio said. “Who doesn’t want some chocolate when they’re feeling down?”
“I’m from a large Italian family, so I’m used to feeding big crowds, but nothing like this,” Buttaccio said. “It was all hands on deck.” At the League City Campus, Claudia Garibay, food services director, was facing similar challenges. Flood waters were covering all major roadways, which made getting in and out of the hospital not only dangerous, but in some cases impossible for her employees. With just four employees and herself, the food services team managed to provide breakfast, lunch and dinner to the hospital’s more than 25 patients, their families and the 100-person staff. impact
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But despite the stress and constant worrying, Buttaccio said there was something incredible brought together by Hurricane Harvey—a sense of family. “Usually the staff is busy and will only take 30-minute lunches in the cafeteria here and there,” she said. “During Harvey, everyone got together in the cafeteria—it was a gathering place. It was really neat to see.” Buttaccio and Garibay were both impressed with how their teams stepped up to serve others even when some didn’t know what was going on with their own homes and families. “A life living in service of others is a life worth living,” Buttaccio said.
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UTMB Correctional Managed Care employees work wonders during times of crisis BY KIRSTIANN CLIFFORD
JUST OVER A YEAR AFTER THE RAMSEY PRISON CLUSTER IN ROSHARON “I helped organize the triage room and was even granted the amazing privilege was evacuated due to flooding of the Brazos River, Hurricane Harvey lingered of clamping the baby’s umbilical cord before it was cut,” she said. “I thank God over the region, dumping record rainfall on the area again. the Carole Young team was able to work together during such a chaotic time and deliver a healthy baby girl.” Once more, UTMB Correctional Managed Care employees rose to the occasion. “Our CMC employees always do a great job, but it is in times of crisis that they rise to an even higher level,” said Owen Murray, UTMB vice president for Offender Health Services. Not only were thousands of offenders evacuated from Ramsey for the second time since last May, but many other prison units in Southeast Texas were impacted as well. At any one time during the storm, CMC employees had to shelter in place at about a third of the 80+ prison units that UTMB serves. If they weren’t sheltered in place for days on end, many helped evacuate or intake displaced offenders, ensure needed medications were stocked, and continue providing quality patient care—even if their own homes or families were impacted by the storm. When nobody could get in or out of the Carole Young facility in Texas City, FaceTime became the best method for Dr. Olugbenga Ojo, chief medical officer of TDCJ Hospital Galveston, to help female offenders going into labor. While pregnant offenders are usually housed at Carole Young during the third trimester, they deliver at UTMB in Galveston. However, major flooding made the roads impassable.
In addition to taking on additional duties as assigned, many CMC employees also volunteered their time and resources to help affected communities. Brant Cain, a UTMB Correctional Managed Care practice manager at the East Texas Treatment Facility in Henderson, 40 miles southeast of Tyler, is no stranger to the trauma of a natural disaster. Just last year, his lake house in East Texas flooded during extreme weather. So when he watched the Cain bends over in his boat to unload supplies in between news showing water rescues in The Woodlands area. people in danger during Harvey, he jumped into action, taking his boat first to The Woodlands, then to the Katy and Port Arthur areas. Carrying six people at a time in his boat, Cain helped first responders rescue more than 200 people from their homes over a four-day period.
Using his smartphone, Ojo was able to guide the Carole Young nursing staff, including Debra Harris, Gregory Burkhalter, Nakia Jones-Quintana, Melinda Mullins and Assistant Warden Lorie Larson, through the afterbirth care for one mother and baby, and then helped stabilize another It was a life-changing event he won’t soon forget. pregnant woman who was having contractions. “It was just something I felt like I needed to do,” said Cain. “I have a boat that “They were concerned about the baby’s heart rate dropping, so I took can run in shallow water, so we had the ability to help people in places that no a screenshot of the patient’s cardiotocography (CTG), which monitors other boats could access. I used to work in a nursing home before UTMB, so the fetal heartbeat and uterine contractions,” said Ojo, who has a I’m especially passionate about helping the disabled and elderly—I made sure background in obstetrics. “I enlarged the image on my phone and they took all their medications with them when they were rescued.” could tell them exactly what the problem was and how to care for the woman. I talked them through laying her on her side, giving Inside and outside of work, Murray said the UTMB CMC family has consistently her IV fluids, and even got an obstetrics specialist on the phone so we could responded to crisis in a way that protects patients, employees and others in the community. have a three-way conversation.” Jones-Quintana, an LVN at Carole Young, assisted with the first laboring woman “We had no negative clinical outcomes as a result of this ordeal—many of our by retrieving medications, supplies, blankets and gowns while also checking on staff members even went above and beyond to help people in the community. That really is a testament to our fantastic employees.” n her own patients.
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Aerial view of the Terrell and Stringfellow Units in Rosharon on Aug. 30
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PASSING THE TEST
Emergency planning ensured safety of students, preserved research mission
BY ALEXIS LOYD
The start of the 2017-2018 academic year was a memorable one for UTMB students and faculty. Just days after welcoming new students from all schools to campus at fall orientation, leaders in UTMB’s Academic Enterprise had the safety of students, faculty and staff in mind when they decided to cancel classes as Hurricane Harvey closed in on the Texas gulf coast. Classes were halted on Friday, Aug. 25; the hurricane made its first landfall between Port Aransas and Port O’Connor that night. The storm slowly moved north along the Texas coast, flooding a large swath of Southeast Texas over the next few days. Student support groups were held throughout the time UTMB was on emergency status, and the Student Government Association turned its focus to helping community members by setting up the UTMB SGA Hurricane Harvey Relief Fund. University staff ensured that classroom and testing spaces were ready for the students’ return on Sept. 5. In addition to ensuring the safety of students, academic leaders took action to preserve UTMB’s research mission. As a result of efforts before and during the storm, the university’s research enterprise had no damage and essentially had a smooth return to normal operations on Sept. 1. UTMB’s Animal Resource Center (ARC) team evacuated all large animals to safe housing
in central Texas, and relocated 2,800 cages of rodents and supplies to elevated facilities on the Galveston Campus. Veterinary technician Erika Main spent the night on campus to provide any necessary clinical care and husbandry support. A small group of facility supervisors, husbandry technicians and veterinarians also remained on-site every day to care for the animals: feeding, performing health checks and standing by in case clinical care was needed. “Many of these individuals went above and beyond their prescribed duties to cover animal care over the weekend and during the peak of the storm in Galveston,” said Doug Brining, DVM, ARC director and attending veterinarian. The institution’s research community also collaborated with Business Operations and Facilities staff members to identify buildings that would lose air-handling capabilities in a power outage. Working closely with departments located in the at-risk facilities, the university ordered and distributed dry ice to preserve freezers. And buildings were monitored throughout the emergency period to quickly identify and address any issues. “Luckily, we escaped any institution-wide damage and this event let us test our emergency preparedness plan and lessons learned from Hurricane Ike,” said Toni D’Agostino, associate vice president for research administration. “And, because of everyone’s hard work, we passed the test.” n
Answering the call Access Center, regional clinics respond to patient needs during Harvey BY CHRISTOPHER SMITH GONZALEZ
As a major health care provider that residents of Southeast Texas depend on for primary and specialty care, UTMB works hard to safely maintain clinical operations during any adverse event. Hurricane Harvey was no exception. During the storm, patient calls to the UTMB Access Center never stopped. Patients wanted to know if their upcoming appointment would be rescheduled, if they could get medication refilled, if elective surgeries were being canceled and when clinics would reopen.
“When we have a big weather event, we begin to think about how long it has been since our patients have been able to receive care,” O’Connell said. “During the storm, several days went by when we knew patients couldn’t get to their providers to seek care if they needed it.” This included cancer patients needing chemotherapy or radiation therapy, expectant mothers needing prenatal care and patients with chronic diseases needing follow-up care, among many other needs. So beginning on Monday, Aug. 28, clinics that could be safely reopened, did so.
As the effects of Harvey wore on during the final week of August, employees of the Access Center—which was relo“The first priority was to assess which clinics we could safely cated from the Clear Lake Center building to the League City Emma Beard, a patient access specialist, reopen and adequately staff each day,” O’Connell said. “Second Campus and into a makeshift call center on the Galveston answered calls throughout the storm at the priority was to make urgent care and primary care services Campus—took thousands of calls. In fact, call volumes were League City Campus. available as soon as possible, since patients in some areas higher than normal, with the Access Center responding to had been without access to care for several days. It was also more than 2,800 calls a day during the storm. They reassured callers and helped important to open the Regional Maternal Child Health Program (RMCHP) clinics and WIC patients find the answers they needed as weather conditions changed. clinics as they serve some of the most vulnerable women and children in the state.” And amidst the historic flooding, UTMB providers and staff did their best to reopen clinics across Southeast Texas. UTMB has 90 clinics across 50 locations. The complex job of determining which clinics could be safely reopened fell on the shoulders of Ann O’Connell, vice president of ambulatory operations, and Dr. Rex McCallum, vice president and chief physician executive and associate dean for clinical affairs. “There is a balancing act between making ourselves available to our patients and ensuring the safety of our providers, staff and patients,” McCallum said. O’Connell said as the storm continued and affected different regions across Texas, it was a matter of strategic decision-making as to which clinics could safely reopen.
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During the weeklong period when UTMB was on emergency status, conditions across Southeast Texas changed—sometimes quickly. It took a lot of flexibility and dedication from available providers and staff to safely reopen the clinics and urgent care centers and to keep the Access Center operational 24/7, O’Connell added. Now, about a month after Hurricane Harvey made landfall, all but two of UTMB’s 50 clinic locations have reopened. The Texas City Primary and Specialty Care Clinic and the RMCHP Dickinson Clinic are still closed while repairs continue. “Things on the whole worked well and our providers and staff were ready and willing to work when it was safe to do so,” McCallum said. “I was proud of our staff, proud of our faculty and proud of our organization.” n
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BY SHANNON PORTER
AFTER 30 YEARS IN THE U.S. NAVY, Glen Baker has his own set of experiences riding out hurricanes all across the country, but Hurricane Harvey was his first time as a hospital facilities manager. Baker even rode out Hurricane Hugo in 1989 from inside a submarine while based in Charleston, S.C. His years of training have helped him stay calm—even in high-pressure situations, such as when the Angleton Danbury Campus lost power on Aug. 26 in the middle of the night, he said. On Friday before the storm hit, a generator unit was delivered to ADC to help support the hospital’s chillers, which did not have a permanent generator connected. The facilities crew was waiting on a breaker switch to install so if the hospital lost power, they would be able to move it over to the generator easily. Unfortunately, the breaker was being flown in on Friday and did not arrive to the campus until that evening when the torrential rain began. This did not deter the facilities team. “We were out in the storm installing the breaker,” Baker said.
On three separate occasions, when high-water vehicles were needed, Walker volunteered to move people and materials between campuses. At one point, when all means of access were flooded, he shuttled doctors to a point in Dickinson where they could then be moved by boat to the League City Campus, Blanchard said. He also helped transport an ICU nurse and materials to League City. In addition, Walker and Dan Marsh, a senior environmental protection specialist, drove across the Bluewater Highway and San Luis Pass to retrieve blood and deliver cots for the Angleton Danbury staff. He was also able to identify a safe route for a local ambulance operator who was willing to transport a dialysis patient back to UTMB. “They had previously declined to make the trip because of unknown road conditions,” Blanchard said. “Walker and Mr. Marsh escorted them back.” Gutierrez himself was involved in helping with tasks way beyond his usual job description—like helping load a Black Hawk helicopter with blood, he said. Gutierrez set up a rotation for staff to be able to do their laundry once it became clear they were not going home and staff was in need of clean clothes, Lambrecht said.
This proved to be invaluable because when the hospital lost power Saturday night, they were able to switch the chillers to generator power quickly, said Katrina Lambrecht, vice president and administrator of the Angleton Danbury Campus. “Many times the EVS team finished laundry that someone else had started because they got called to other issues related to patient care or another The facilities team also was supported by Anthony Gutierrez and his environmen- crisis,” she said. tal services team, who jumped in to help them get the emergency power going The environmental services team was always very calm, always helpful, and and air handlers switched over to the generator. They also helped troubleshoot provided a presence that made you feel like things were almost normal, Lamother issues that came up when the hospital lost power. brecht added. “Anthony’s willingness to dive right in epitomizes the spirit of “That was important to us,” Gutierrez said. “To remain every person on site in Angleton during the storm,” Lambrecht cool, calm and collected. I knew, if I get nervous, “It was all hands on deck. said. “Everyone was pitching in to do what needed to be done.” they’ll get nervous.” Gutierrez, the environmental services manager, had a team We all had to be there for It was that kind of mentality and life-long training of six employees, including himself, that would ride out the each other and for the that helped manage the stress of it all, Baker said. storm. All six of those employees stayed on campus the hospital.” Even when you hear stories of patients and entire time. co-workers who had lost everything, Guti“For those six days, we answered to whatever errez said. came up,” Gutierrez said. Ronnie Walker, a utility technician from the Galveston Campus, was a great example of that, said Marcel Blanchard, associate vice president of utilities operations.
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“It was all hands on deck,” he said. “We all had to be there for each other and for the hospital.” n Front (left to right): Glen Baker, Brett Pennington Back (left to right): Jeremy Evans, David Fowler
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There are a variety of local, regional and federal programs and services to assist our faculty, staff and students through each phase of the disaster recovery process. For additional resources and programs, see UTMB’s disaster relief web page at hr.utmb.edu/relations/disaster_relief/.
2-1-1 Texas 2-1-1 Texas, sponsored by the Texas Health and Human Services Commission, connects Texas citizens with the services they need including housing, child care, crisis counseling, etc. Simply dial 2-1-1 from anywhere in the state or visit www.211texas.org/ for information about the resources in your community.
See www.disasterassistance.gov/ for more details and www.femaevachotels.com/ for the list of FEMA participating hotels and motels.
American Red Cross Immediate Assistance Program
Texas Rent Assistance provides an online directory of rental assistance programs in Texas. To find out what type of assistance is available in your area, go to www.rentassistance.us/st/texas.
Texas households that were significantly affected by Hurricane Harvey can receive $400 for emergency needs through the American Red Cross Immediate Assistance Program. To learn more about this program or to apply for assistance, go to disasterverification.com/. Registration is open until Oct. 10.
Individual Assistance Grant Disaster survivors may apply for an Individual Assistance Grant through the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) within 60 days from the date a federal disaster was declared. There is no income threshold for this type of assistance, and the grants do not need to be paid back to FEMA. It is important to note, however, that some applicants may not qualify for a grant and may be referred to the Small Business Administration (SBA) for a low-interest disaster loan. Visit www.disasterassistance.gov/ or call 1-800-621-3362 to apply for assistance.
Transitional Sheltering Assistance FEMA will pay for the cost to stay in certain hotels and motels for a limited period of time if you are eligible for Transitional Sheltering Assistance. Costs covered include room fees and taxes; all other expenses are not included.
Texas Rent Assistance
University of Texas Employee Assistance Program (UTEAP) The UTEAP offers free and confidential counseling services for employees and their family members who may be experiencing significant stress as a result of the storm. Call 1-844-872-5986 or complete an online request form at www.uth.edu/uteap/contact.htm to request assistance. Experienced counselors are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week to discuss your concerns and appropriate service options. Providers and other solutions will be selected based on your needs and location.
Guidelines for Repairing Your Flooded Home FEMA and the American Red Cross have teamed up to produce an online booklet for homeowners with flood or water damage to their homes. The booklet is available at utmb.us/25d, and gives advice for cleaning up, rebuilding and protecting your property from future disasters.
Ways to help the UTMB family Many students and more than 1,100 UTMB employees have self-reported significant personal property losses because of Hurricane Harvey. To ease their recovery, UTMB has established two ways to help:
Student Recovery Fund
Employee Recovery Fund
The Student Recovery Fund offers you a way to show your support for UTMB students in this time of need. Your generosity will ensure that students can get back to the business of being students, preparing to become tomorrow’s health caretakers and biomedical research pioneers.
Working through a critical community partner, the United Way of Galveston, 100 percent of the funds raised in the Employee Recovery Fund will go directly to UTMB employees in need.
Your contribution can be made through the Student Recovery Fund website at (alumni.utmb.edu/student-recovery) or can be mailed to: UTMB Development Office 301 University Blvd. Galveston, TX 77555-0148
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The deadline for applying for assistance through the UTMB Employee Recovery Fund is Friday, October 6; please go to www.utmb.edu/harvey-recovery to apply. This website also includes a link to the United Way where you can donate to help your UTMB colleagues.
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Tips for self-care and recovery post-disaster By Dr. Jeff Temple, Dr. Sara Nowakowski, and Lauren Scott, MSW, Behavioral Health and Research Department of Ob/Gyn Self-care is critical to coping in the aftermath and recovery of a disaster. Even with the (short) notice of an impending hurricane versus other natural disasters, the storm impacts are often unexpected, sudden and overwhelming. Knowing the common reactions and responses, how to cope and how to support each other can help us on a path to recovery. Here are some simple and useful tips that promote self-care and resilience postHarvey. • Recognize that abnormal situations cause abnormal reactions and that is perfectly normal. Know that a wide range of responses is normal and include thoughts, feelings and behaviors such as: —— Intense or unpredictable feelings like anxiety, worry, sadness, fear, anger, irritability and even no response at all are all normal. Feeling like an “emotional rollercoaster” and racing thoughts are also common. —— Strained interpersonal relationships with partners, children and friends. Disagreements, conflict and disengaging or withdrawing from social networks is also common. —— Fatigue and difficulty concentrating and losing interest in things or activities you once found interesting. —— Changing and/or interrupted sleep patterns and eating habits. • Get back on your routine or establish a new routine. Routines are important for adults and children and give us a sense of normalcy. The quicker we can get back on routine or establish a new one, the better our ability to cope. *adapted from American Psychological Association
• Re-establish sleep routines and get adequate sleep. —— Try to maintain a regular sleep schedule and consistent rise time, regardless of how you slept. —— Go to bed when sleepy. —— Spend 30-60 minutes unwinding before bed and do something relaxing until you get sleepy. —— Shut off the chatter in your brain. You may be worrying about repairing your home, helping your loved ones, or preparing for the next potential storm. Instead of worrying at night, try scheduling 10 to 20 minutes during your day (not too close to bedtime) to sit down and jot down your worries and potential solutions. At night, remind yourself this is not the time or place to worry. • Eat healthy and balanced meals—it’s important for physical and mental health. Try to avoid junk food and too much alcohol. Exercise and get back to the things you enjoyed before the hurricane. • Take media breaks. Too much trauma-related television or social media viewing may have a negative impact. Limit exposure to disaster-related coverage by taking breaks and checking in on a “need to know” basis. • Connect with others. Social support is perhaps the most important coping tool we have. Share stories and experiences with friends, neighbors and colleagues. Connect with your social network or create new ones. Try to focus on the stories of hope, as well as progress and next steps. • Reach out for support if needed. If symptoms persist after about six weeks or they increase in frequency or severity, seek additional support from a licensed mental health professional such as a social worker, psychologist or licensed counselor.
PARTING SHOT
A special ‘thanks’ to Harvey’s heroes UT System Chancellor William McRaven stops to say ‘hello’ to one of UTMB’s smallest patients in the NICU on the Galveston Campus. He toured the campus on Sept. 1, met with the UTMB Incident Command team and stopped to personally thank many of the employees who worked tirelessly throughout Hurricane Harvey. Check out UTMB’s Flickr page at www.flickr.com/photos/ utmb/ for more photos from the Chancellor’s visit.