UTMB NEWSLETTER • JULY 2016
Oh baby! First infants born at LCC Hospital Spotlight on Marcel Blanchard, Utilities Operations Flood waters rise, CMC employees rise to occasion
Relieving pain and getting back in the game
Marcus Yanez, a pharmacy technician at UTMB’s Angleton Danbury Campus, was recently honored by Angleton High School students for being an exceptional teacher. As part of the Health Technology partnership with area high schools, students come to ADC to shadow various positions and learn about health care careers. The students appreciated Yanez so much, they presented him with a card and invited him to the 25-yard line at the high school graduation ceremony so they could introduce him to their parents. Teaching was Yanez’s My Road Ahead goal. His pharmacy manager, Samantha Kibodeaux, says he has done a great job and students really look up to him.
Jim LeDuc, PhD, director of the Galveston National Laboratory, has been recognized by the National Academy of Sciences with a lifetime appointment as a National Associate of the National Research Council. This honor is bestowed upon those who have provided extraordinary service to the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine. While thousands volunteer their time to committee activities each year, only a select few are singled out for their dedication and exemplary contributions for the honor of National Associate.
UTMB has earned the “Military Friendly” designation thanks to the efforts of UTMB’s Diversity Council and the Veterans Resource Group. The designation comes from Victory Media, a nationally recognized ratings entity and trusted resource on post-military education and employment options for veterans and military families. Military Friendly schools and employers represent the top tier of institutions in the recruitment and retention of military employees, students and spouses.
Amber Clayton will serve as the director of Health System Special Projects in support of the John Sealy Hospital Modernization Project. She has been at UTMB for 17 years and had been serving as a project development and support manager. UTMB Health System Chief Operating Officer Deb McGrew said, in addition to Clayton’s experience in project management, quality and nursing, Clayton’s personal experience will bring a great perspective to the team as the Women’s, Infants’ and Children’s units are modernized. Clayton is the mother of triplets who were born almost three months early and spent three months in a neonatal intensive care unit.
UTMB’s Nursing Service received a Houston Press Club’s 2016 Lone Star Award (Silver) for the “UTMB Health Nursing Annual Report” in the Public Relations Annual Report category. The annual event honors the best in Texas media and is open to media professionals working in TV, radio, magazines and to all public relations specialists. Award recipients were honored at a banquet at Rice University’s Grand Hall on June 25.
Maribel Bhojani, a clinical educator at UTMB, has been elected to serve on the Board of Directors for the Association for Nursing Professional Development–Houston Affiliate. The ANPD aims to inspire members to excel by providing educational services, networking, advocacy and research to support the unique needs of nursing professional development.
Dr. Steve Lieberman, senior dean for administration in the School of Medicine, has been named interim dean of the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley School of Medicine in the coming year during the search for a permanent dean. During this time, he will return to Galveston Campus approximately monthly as he continues to serve UTMB through strategic oversight of the SOM’s teaching allocation system and executive sponsorship of UTMB’s TEAM Clinic in Texas City. He will also continue to mentor faculty members and continue some of his teaching duties.
The Internal Communications Team in the Office of Marketing and Communications was awarded the national Silver Anvil Award of Excellence from the Public Relations Society of America for “Let’s Talk! Strengthening Internal Communications at UTMB.” This team, working with the UTMB Internal Communications Council, developed and implemented the Weekly Relay meetings we have throughout UTMB, which earned the award. The team also was awarded the Silver Excalibur Award of Excellence from the PRSA Houston chapter and the Bronze Quill Award of Excellence from the Houston chapter of the International Association of Business Communicators.
More than 80 people gathered outside the Moody Medical Library on June 24 to remember the victims and survivors of the Orlando night club shooting. The vigil, organized by UTMB’s Student Government Association, honored the 49 lives that were lost and signified the SGA’s unwavering objection to hateful actions against any person, particularly the LGBTQ community, both on campus and beyond. The event included a reading of each victim’s name followed by a moment of silence for prayer and remembrance; an opportunity for people to express their grief, condolences and hope by signing a #WeAreOrlando banner (pictured) to be displayed at the Student Center; a performance of Amazing Grace by the student a cappella group, Syncope; and access to counselors from Student Health and Wellness.
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From the President Thanks to your efforts, UTMB is considered a leading academic medical center in our state, focused on providing exemplary patient care, research innovations and educational excellence.
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Economically speaking, our institution’s contributions to our local communities, to the counties we serve and to the state of Texas are significant as well. According to an economic impact study released in June, each year UTMB generates $3.3 billion in business volume, $2 billion in personal income and creates 46,242 jobs both directly and indirectly across the state. (There will be more in-depth coverage of the report’s findings in an upcoming issue of Impact.)
First babies born at LCC Hospital Page 5
While the economic contributions of UTMB are relevant and impressive, it’s our mission that drives us. The opening of League City Campus Hospital last month enabled us to further our work of improving health for people in our region. As of July 11, the numerous health care professionals at the hospital had already welcomed 51 new babies into the world, a feat worthy of recognition and celebration. You can learn more about the great work being done at the new hospital in this latest issue of Impact, along with stories about our people. Among them:
A day in the life of a physical therapist
• A day in the life of Nina Hernandez, physical therapist at UTMB’s Sports Medicine and Rehabilitation clinic on the League City Campus
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• A profile of Marcel Blanchard, associate vice president for Utilities Operations • How Correctional Managed Care responded to significant recent flooding in Southeast Texas • An overview of a program aimed at reducing medical errors and improving care through a team approach to diagnostic management • A reminder about the implementation of campus carry at UTMB, which takes effect on Aug. 1 • A closer look at the School of Medicine’s commencement ceremony in early June, where more than 200 graduates heard from Dr. Thomas Geisbert
Spotlight on Marcel Blanchard, Utilities Operations
• Beach safety tips by Dr. Madiha Khan, assistant professor in the Department of Family Medicine
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• Numerous accomplishments and kudos in the Working Wonders column and throughout the newsletter I hope you enjoy reading this latest issue, and please let the Impact team know if you have story suggestions for future editions. Thank you!
CMC employees work wonders during floods
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! ON THE COVER: Nina Hernandez, a physical therapist at UTMB’s Sports Medicine and Rehabilitation clinic on the League City Campus, works with 10 to 15 patients a day to manage pain, restore mobility and improve their overall quality of life.
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
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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 Kristen Hensley KirstiAnn Clifford Stephen Hadley Art Director Mark Navarro
PAT I E NT C A R E
BY KIRSTIANN CLIFFORD
MICHAEL LAPOSATA, MD, PhD, VIVIDLY REMEMBERS an exchange he had with an internal medicine resident back in 1984. “I was a first-year clinical pathology resident at the time and he asked me a simple lab test question; he didn’t know how to further evaluate an abnormally prolonged clotting test for a patient with unexplained bleeding,” said Laposata, professor and chair of UTMB’s Department of Pathology. “It surprised me.” Laposata realized then that he had knowledge about making a diagnosis that the internal medicine resident—and most residents in other specialties—didn’t have. If the two hadn’t talked, the resident said he would have “guessed” which tests to pick and what the results meant. Since that conversation more than 30 years ago, Laposata has made it his mission to eliminate guesswork by creating diagnostic medical teams, or DMTs. The teams are designed to offer health care professionals assistance in selecting appropriate diagnostic tests and interpreting results for individual patients. It’s a collaborative approach, with pathologists, clinical laboratory scientists, expert physicians and others all sitting at the table.
formed a coagulation DMT a year ago, which meets every afternoon to go over complex patient cases. Dr. Jack Alperin, a hematologist and associate director of the UTMB Blood Bank, Dr. Aristides Koutrouvelis, a critical care anesthesiologist, Dr. Chad Botz, director of the Special Coagulation Laboratory, several pathology residents and visiting physicians join Laposata in a conference room in the Clinical Services Wing, where they pull up patient records and provide diagnostic conclusions and information to physicians needing their guidance. With clinical lab testing options continuing to grow and becoming more complex, Koutrouvelis said it’s not always clear what the best test is for a patient. “It’s almost impossible for clinicians to practice the most advanced medicine without a team like this that stays on the cutting edge,” he said. For example, there are at least a dozen tests with the word “vitamin D” in the title presented to physicians who simply want to know if their patient is vitamin D deficient. So which test is the best test? Koutrouvelis said the DMT proves its worth in those instances.
“It allows for a number of people to give their different perspectives so we can optimize patient care and do UTMB’s coagulation DMT includes (L-R): Drs. Jack Alperin, Michael Laposata, so in a collaborative way,” he said. Aristides Koutrouvelis, Camila Simoes, Chad Botz, Aaron Wyble and “The bottom line is that if you or “I’ve seen situations where there Jacob Wooldridge. a loved one is seriously ill with has been a cost savings because an unknown diagnosis, you want “I haven’t lost my enthusiasm. It may take a while to effect major the proper labs were done and the an expert in the field with current change, but I’m going to work on this until I can’t do it anymore.” proper meds were given. There’s a knowledge directing your diagnostic patient safety impact, as well. I’ve evaluation in real-time and explaining it all to you,” said Laposata. “DMTs effec- had several patients with a coagulation abnormality that we were able to give tively bring pathologists and lab scientists to the bedside, helping physicians a life-saving product because we worked together to come up with the best order the correct test for the right patient at the right time, and then using the possible treatment.” test results to select the most appropriate treatment.” Laposata said feedback from physicians has been positive so far. In the future, Before joining UTMB nearly three years ago, Laposata spearheaded DMTs at several institutions, including Vanderbilt University, where DMTs were formed for coagulation disorders, blood cancers, infectious diseases, endocrine-related hypertension, transfusion medicine and more. The teams were a success—with data showing improved patient outcomes, shorter hospital stays and reduced health care costs. Now, Laposata is bringing his passion for diagnostic teamwork to UTMB. He
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he hopes to create a UT System-wide group of experts in all major areas of clinical and anatomic pathology and have DMTs for dozens of clinical areas to bring diagnostic experts electronically to the bedsides of all patients in Texas. It’s a big task, but Laposata said he’s up to it. “With an estimated 64,000 people in the U.S. dying from diagnostic errors every year, something has to be done. I haven’t lost my enthusiasm. It may take a while to effect major change, but I’m going to work on this until I can’t do it anymore.”
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PAT IENT CARE
BY KIRSTIANN CLIFFORD
June 4 marked the start of a busy opening weekend for the Labor, Delivery, Recovery and Postpartum Unit at the new League City Campus Hospital. In three days, five babies were welcomed into the world by the LDRP team. Dr. Brandy Wright, an anesthesiologist, was the first UTMB employee to have a baby at the new facility. Her son, Westbrook, was born on June 6, at 7 pounds, 11 ounces. “I’ve seen the hospital go from empty to ready-to-go,” said Wright, who works at the League City and Galveston campuses. “I worked up until last Friday and even stocked the OR that I had my C-section in (laughs). I was a little nervous because I was due so close to the opening day. But now that I’m here, the nurses have been great, the C-section done by Dr. Perry Fulcher went fine, the pediatricians have been helpful, and I’m so impressed and happy with how everything worked out.” Besides getting to be one of the first patients in brand new accommodations, Wright added that she appreciated the convenience of the new hospital, since she lives nearby in Friendswood. The LCC Hospital opened with 11 birthing suites to serve the growing community and is expected to deliver more than 40 infants a month. Sandra Tadlock, an LDRP nurse, helped deliver the first baby, along with Wright’s C-section. “It’s nice to be taking care of patients again. For a month, we were getting supplies ready and cleaning, so it’s nice to have babies being born!” said Tadlock. “We’ve been waiting a long time for this.” LDRP nurse manager Tandra Medellin credited Tadlock and the rest of her nursing staff with making sure everything went smoothly (L-R) LDRP nurse manager Tandra Medellin with nurses Sandra Tadlock during the opening weekend, even when one of the babies had and Jean Race. respiratory issues. “The hospital was designed to serve ‘low-risk’ mothers, but we still have the level 3 nursery in Galveston at our fingertips if needed,” said Medellin, who added that the LDRP also includes specialty care for moms and their newborns. “We all know that low risk can turn into high risk at any minute. One of the babies needed more respiratory support, and we were completely prepared with necessary equipment, supplies and medications. Unfortunately, there was more to it, so we transferred the baby to Galveston to be with a neonatologist. Even that—a high-risk transport of a sick baby—went completely smoothly.” Tadlock and the unit’s 21 other nurses were hired more than a year ago to work at the LCC. But because of construction delays on the new hospital, they ended up working in Galveston until recently. Medellin said all the extra training they received has been a blessing in disguise.
Dr. Brandy Wright holds her son, Westbrook, who was one of the first babies to be born at the LCC Hospital. As of July 11, the LCC LDRP team had delivered 51 babies.
“Every single one of these nurses floated all over, from the Newborn Nursery, the NICU, the Mother-Baby Unit, to the Labor and Delivery Unit. They were all over the place, but they persevered and we are finally here in League City,” said Medellin. “Because of that experience, they are more than true experts in their field and have made this opening way more smooth than we could have hoped for. The nurses are so committed, and I’m so proud and impressed.” As more babies are born at LCC, Medellin is certain that patient satisfaction scores will be exceptional. The unit provides “couplet care,” by having one nurse take care of both the mom and baby, rather than having a post-partum nurse taking care of the mom and a nursery nurse taking care of the baby. “Since UTMB started the whole mother-baby movement and shifted the way mothers and babies are cared for more than a year ago, we’ve seen satisfaction scores creep up even more,” said Medellin. “I can’t wait to see our patient satisfaction scores. I think they will be through the roof.”
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R ESE A R C H B R I E F S
Compiled from press releases written by Donna Ramirez. Find out more at www.utmb.edu/newsroom.
A new study by UTMB researchers found that pulmonary rehabilitation (PR) therapy among older adults with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease is underutilized, despite its health benefits and cost effectiveness. Shawn Nishi, MD, assistant professor of Internal Medicine, said the study is the first to describe the use of PR among COPD patients in a large, nationally representative sample of U.S. patients. PR offers a comprehensive approach designed to relieve COPD symptoms and flare-ups and teach patients to manage their health beyond the duration of the program. The benefits of PR include reduced shortness of breath, increased exercise ability, improved health-related quality of life and less dependence on health care resources. The majority of the economic burden of caring for COPD stems from hospitalization for sudden COPD flare ups. PR is known to reduce COPD-related emergency room visits, hospitalizations and unscheduled doctor visits. The findings are currently available in the Journal of Cardiopulmonary Rehabilitation and Prevention. Sapna Kaul, PhD, assistant professor of Health Economics, has found that cancer survivors who were diagnosed as adolescents or young adults are more likely to be current cigarette smokers than people who have not had cancer. The researchers identified 1,019 survivors of cancer from the 2012-2014 National Health Interview Surveys who were diagnosed when they were between 15 and 39 years old and were at least five years after diagnosis. A comparison group of people without a history of cancer was matched. The people in the study self-reported their smoking status, whether they were diagnosed with cancer and chronic illnesses such as asthma and diabetes, and their general health status. The study found that 33 percent of survivors were current smokers compared with 22 percent of the people without a history of cancer. The current smokers among survivors were significantly more likely to report chronic illness, such as having asthma, heart diseases, lung diseases, diabetes and poorer general health. Kaul said that in their study close to 40 percent of the currently smoking survivors reported not having any smoking-related discussion with health professionals in the previous year. She stated that addressing smoking during medical visits may be the first step in encouraging survivors to quit smoking. The findings of this study are currently available in the journal Cancer.
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Cornelis Elferink, PhD, a professor of Pharmacology and Toxicology, received a new research grant totaling $2,213,845 from the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences to investigate little-known processes involved in the harmful health effects following exposure to various environmental contaminants. The Aryl hydrocarbon receptor, or AhR, is known to be involved in the body’s toxic response to contaminants, but recent studies are highlighting the growing realization that AhR acts in ways beyond what is currently understood. The findings of this project may represent a paradigm shift in the understanding of AhR biology. Nikos Vasilakis, PhD, an associate professor of Pathology, received a new cooperative agreement with the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases totaling $2,388,548 to further understand what allows the dengue virus to jump species and cause disease in humans. Dengue viruses cause an estimated 50 million to 100 million human infections each year. The study will focus on the transmission cycle in Sarawak, Malaysian Borneo, a region that has been separated from mainland Asia for about 12,000 years and contains distinct dengue virus variants that are thought to not be found in either the human cycle or the animal-mosquito cycle of mainland Malaysia. The results of the study may improve predictions of the risk of future emergence of dengue virus and other mosquito-borne viruses, lead to the preparation of guidelines for arbovirus surveillance and control/outbreak management for the entire Southeast Asian region. Ramkumar Menon, PhD, assistant professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology, has furthered our understanding of what triggers the birthing process. Understanding how chemical signals work in normal full-term pregnancies to begin birthing can provide insights into how and why these signals activate too early and trigger the labor and delivery process prematurely. The researcher team isolated chemicals from the discarded placental tissue of women who delivered their babies via cesarean section at full term without going into labor. A portion of the isolated signaling chemicals were exposed to stress using cigarette smoke extract. The study found that the stressor increased levels of a stress-induced protein that triggers uterine contractions. The study’s findings were recently published in the journal Plos One.
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CAMP US CARRY
Campus Carry to take effect Aug. 1 BY STEPHEN HADLEY
Concealed handguns will be permitted on Texas public university campuses beginning Aug. 1 to comply with a new law passed by the Texas Legislature last year. At UTMB, members of a Campus Carry Committee began meeting last fall in anticipation of the law’s implementation this summer. After numerous meetings, discussion and study of the law, the committee made its recommendations, which were forwarded to UTMB President David L. Callender’s office. The UT System Board of Regents approved the recommendations at its meeting on July 13. The committee, which was comprised of faculty, staff, student and community representatives, based its recommendations on input that it received from the university community. The committee’s recommendations included the establishment of exclusion zones across UTMB’s three campuses and its clinics where carrying a concealed weapon will be prohibited. Those locations include areas designated for patient care, research and critical infrastructure. A list of the excluded buildings, along with the Committee’s final report issued on April 16, is available online at www.utmb.edu/campus-carry. In advance of the law taking effect, UTMB crews will place signs at the entrances to buildings where guns are prohibited to ensure that employees, students, patients and visitors are aware of the regulations.
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UTMB CAMPUS CARRY KEY FACTS State license Campus Carry is limited to individuals with a concealed handgun license. Secure Handguns must be concealed and closely controlled in a holster or trigger-locked condition. Open Carry is still prohibited at state universities. Storage Handguns on campus may be stored only in a private vehicle or in campus housing. UTMB will not provide storage. Signage Look for signs at the entrances of buildings where handguns are prohibited. (Installation begins end of July.) Safety Report individuals with handguns or other weapons carried openly or acting in a threatening manner. Questions or concerns? If you have an immediate concern about your personal safety or need to report a threatening situation, CALL 911. If you wish to contact UTMB Police dispatcher for a non-emergency, call 409-772-2691 (extension 22691 from a campus phone). Looking for more details about the UTMB Campus Carry Policy? Want to know which buildings prohibit concealed handguns? Want to read FAQs about Campus Carry? For answers to these questions and more, visit www.utmb.edu/campus-carry.
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BY KIRSTIANN CLIFFORD
Nina Hernandez stands atop a fitness ball on one leg, demonstrating a stability exercise by slowly bending her knee while maintaining her balance. “Let’s try 15 of these in a nice and slow, controlled movement,” she says to a patient, with an encouraging smile.
As a physical therapist at UTMB’s Sports Medicine and Rehabilitation clinic on the League City Campus, Hernandez brings indispensable energy and enthusiasm to her work helping those with injuries or disabilities manage pain, restore mobility and improve their overall quality of life. When I join her at 7:30 a.m. on a Wednesday morning, she’s already working with her first patient of the day, who recently had knee surgery for an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury. I’m immediately struck by the large, open gym area, complete with an indoor turf field and resistive and cardio equipment.
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(Hernandez and her colleagues moved from a smaller Brittany Bay location to LCC in June). Hernandez shifts her patient to a stationary bike, where she guides him through various movements as she tries to pinpoint the cause of his kneecap pain. “Most patients I see have problems with their knees, back or shoulders,” says Hernandez, who is an orthopedic certified specialist and also works with sports injuries. “I’ll see between 10 and 15 patients a day, so it’s really busy. Here at our clinic, we get more moderate- to high-functioning individuals, so a lot of ‘weekend warriors,’ athletes, teenagers and active adults
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and seniors. We want to get them back to their sport or job quickly, but safely.” Hernandez knows from personal experience how important physical therapy is to get back on your feet (literally) following an injury. Growing up, she Hernandez increases the incline on a treadmill for a patient who is undergoing rehab for a condition saw her mother that causes lower back and leg pain. go through several hip surgeries and got a glimpse into the role of rehab and recovery. Then, as a high school student and competitive swimmer, Hernandez developed a huge tear in her rotator cuff. “They wanted to do surgery and I said no, so I went through an intense six months of rehab,” she says. “That’s when it really intrigued me, and I knew I wanted to have a career in physical therapy. I’m really interested in what goes wrong when the body is injured—what do you do?” Hernandez puts her problem-solving skills to the test with each patient, carrying a laptop around the gym to document the exercises they complete, pain levels and treatment goals. She spends about 45 minutes for initial evaluations with new patients, looking at their medical history and providing objective testing and mobility measurements to help form a treatment plan. She says goodbye to her first patient, who she says has come a long way for being four months post-op. She hopes to give him the all-clear to head back to his physically demanding job soon, once he can perform all exercises with no pain. “He is progressing nicely, but it took time to get there,” says Hernandez. “I respect the healing of tissue and stay within the ranges that the patient and their doctor is comfortable with. As the pain subsides, we do more complex exercises. After ACL surgery, it usually takes six to nine months to return to sports and four to six months to return to work, and I’ll see patients one or two times a week during that time.” Frequently, she sends patients home with exercises to do on their own, as well. As she preps for her next appointment, she says how important it is for patients to be committed to putting in the hard work necessary to recover.
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“Some of the most basic things we teach them can make the biggest differences in their lives,” said Hernandez. “But I can’t go home with them and tell them what to do—they have to be willing to put in the time and dedication to get better. I try to educate them as best as I can on why they are having pain and what they can do on their own to get back to feeling as normal as possible. In our clinic, evidence-based practice is very important and helps us provide high-quality patient care with quicker results. I include the patient every step of the way and make sure they understand why the treatment plan is so important—they have to be a ready and willing participant or it just won’t work.” By 10 a.m. I’m ready and willing to rest on a stool and watch as Hernandez works up a sweat showing her third patient how to do squats without putting pressure on their lower back. She’s constantly on her feet, crouching, bending, repositioning patients’ limbs and laughing when one stability pose reminds her of “The Karate Kid.” It’s hard not to have a good time with Hernandez. “There’s two rules in PT: no falling and no passing out,” laughs Hernandez, who stays active in her spare time and tries to set a good example for patients. “We don’t want to overdo it, but we also want to make sure patients stay challenged and keep progressing.” One of her patients tells me Hernandez is the perfect mix of fun and down-to-business. “I like to joke with her and give her a hard time, but I need someone to give it to me straight. She’s honest with me, which I like, and she doesn’t let me cheat.” Before heading back to Galveston, I see Hernandez work with a patient with degenerative arthritis. In the afternoon, her schedule is full of teenagers undergoing post-op rehab for sports injuries. She tries to get students through the most intensive part of rehab during the summer months, so they won’t miss much class once school starts back up.
“There’s two rules in PT: no falling and no passing out. We don’t want to overdo it, but we also want to make sure patients stay challenged and keep progressing.”
Hernandez reflects on her own experience as a high school student with a sports injury, smiles, and gets ready to bring mobility, strength and hope to another thankful patient.
Hernandez laughs with a patient as he gets started on an exercise bike.
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E D UC AT I O N
BY KIRSTIANN CLIFFORD
When the 2016 School of Medicine graduates received their degrees at the Moody Gardens Convention Center in Galveston on June 4, they also received some advice from a very well-known name in the field of infectious diseases—Thomas Geisbert, PhD. A professor of Microbiology and Immunology at UTMB, Geisbert works in the university’s Galveston National Laboratory developing and testing potential vaccines for Ebola and other emerging health threats. As this year’s commencement speaker, he told the more than 200 graduates about lessons he has learned from his career, such as to not be afraid to step out of the mainstream and learn to accept failure along with success. “My failures in the 1990s led to many successes in the 2000s. With some close colleagues, we were able to develop both a preventive vaccine and a post-exposure treatment that completely protected monkeys against Ebola,” said Geisbert. “There will be failures and setbacks, but most things in life that are worth having don’t come without some risk. Step up to the plate when the times are tough, lift up those less fortunate than you, and never, ever give up. What you have started here will indeed make the world a better place.”
During this year’s commencement speech, Thomas Geisbert, PhD, tells SOM graduates about lessons he’s learned.
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Dr. Danny Jacobs, executive vice president, provost and dean of the School of Medicine, told graduates that it was fitting for Geisbert to be the keynote speaker, as he is an example of what medicine so desperately needs at the moment: innovators. “In today’s increasingly complicated and ever-changing health care environment, it will be the innovators who lead the way,” said Jacobs. “And you have the opportunity to use the training you have received and will receive to change how medicine is provided and practiced. . . . No matter what path you take, I encourage you to rise to meet today’s challenges with the spirit of innovation.” More than half of the SOM graduates will be staying in Texas to continue their training. Since 1891, UTMB has conferred more than 14,500 medical degrees and trained more physicians than any other Texas medical school. Dr. Ben Raimer, senior vice president of Health Policy and Legislative Affairs, carried the ceremonial mace during the commencement ceremonies. The mace-bearing tradition dates back to medieval times, when a mace-bearer would walk ahead to ensure safe passage of the leader of a cathedral, kingdom or university. The ceremony also included the announcement of several awards, including the introduction of this year’s Ashbel Smith Distinguished Alumni Award winners, Drs. Gerald A. Beathard, Paul Brindley, Delbert Lee Chumley and Albert E. Sanders. The ASDA Award is the highest honor bestowed by the alumni of the SOM Alumni Association. Of the more than 9,000 SOM alumni, only 199 have been honored with this prestigious award since its inception in 1965. The award honors the memory of Dr. Ashbel Smith, a prominent figure in Texas medicine, politics and education who was instrumental in establishing the University of Texas at Austin in 1881 and the medical department in Galveston that would become UTMB.
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EDU CATI ON
Shepard takes home Gold-Headed Cane Award BY KIRSTIANN CLIFFORD
School of Medicine graduate Victoria Ann Shepard received this year’s prestigious Gold-Headed Cane Award—the highest honor bestowed upon a graduating medical student. The nominees are selected by their peers in the graduating class, and the award recognizes extraordinary dedication to the health and welfare of patients. Being nominated for this award is an honor in itself, and honorable mention is given to the finalists. The Gold-Headed Cane Award has a long tradition at UTMB. Dr. Charles T. Stone Sr., professor emeritus of Internal Medicine, established the award in 1960. A gold ring engraved with the newest recipient’s name is added to the staff of the cane to commemorate the occasion. The cane is on permanent display in the Moody Medical Library; recipients receive a replica. The UTMB tradition honors the 18th century practice of presenting a gold-headed cane to the pre-eminent physician in English society. One such cane was continuously carried from 1689 to 1825 by five distinguished British physicians and now resides in the Royal College of Physicians in London.
Gold-Headed Cane finalists (L-R) Nicholas Wilhelm, Abigail Watts, Jessica Tedford, Victoria Shepard (awardee) and Tracy Cable.
2016 Gold-Headed Cane Award Winner Victoria Ann Shepard “While working in the Big Bend area as a Family Medicine student, I felt like I was part of the working heart of the community. I stay connected to this feeling through my work at the C.D. Doyle Clinic in downtown Austin, through which I have developed long-term patient-caregiver relationships with people who are currently homeless. In the future, I envision working with a community in need while continuing to become a better informed, more capable and compassionate primary caregiver. I look forward to fulfilling these aspirations through a career in Family Medicine.”
2016 Gold-Headed Cane Award Finalists Tracy Lynn Cable
Abigail Charlotte Watts
“My UTMB education has taught me a lot about how to be a doctor and how to provide high-quality health care to patients. I learned dedication to the health and welfare of patients. I learned about taking a history, performing a physical exam, formulating a diagnosis, then forming a management and a treatment plan. Great! There are, of course, other services beyond that that patients need, too. I learned about providing emotional support, counseling, lifestyle coaching, motivational interviewing and breaking bad news. All good tools to keep in mind for delivering good patient care. But I learned there are still other things patients need on top of that to heal and get better.”
“I aspire to pursue Internal Medicine because I am searching for an outlet for my humane instincts, my passion for interacting with others, a natural affinity for teaching and my desire to be stimulated and challenged every day in my chosen career. I long for a career that demonstrates the harmonic convergence of my greatest interests: education, service of others, research and cultural diversity.”
Jessica Lauren Tedford “The opportunity for continuity of care and the ability to impact a patient’s life by creating long-term relationships is what I enjoyed the most about my rotation in Family Medicine. Additionally, it is something I hope to pursue as a flight surgeon in the Navy. Motivated by the patient diversity I experienced during my clerkship in Family Medicine and the unique medical problems encountered in aviation and space medicine, my curiosity and sense of wonder grows daily. I want to continue to learn more about every discipline of medicine as I feel a strong desire to learn as much as I can to promote health of mind, body and spirit in my patients.” impact
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Nicholas Ernest Wilhelm “Throughout my medical education I made the conscious decision to always be empathetic toward my patients and peers. Although I am continually fascinated by the science of medicine, my passion is in using that knowledge to help people make informed decisions within the context of their own life. In my opinion, a healer is someone who not only helps cure a person’s physical ailments but is also able to provide comfort and guidance. Family Medicine, because of its emphasis on the holistic aspects of medical care, is best suited to this concept. It offers intergenerational, family-centered care and has a strong emphasis on preventive health care.”
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LEA D E R S POT L I GH T
Spotlight on Marcel Blanchard, associate vice president for Utilities Operations Marcel Blanchard is UTMB’s associate vice president for Utilities Operations within Business Operations and Facilities. His responsibilities include supervising a team of support engineers for capital programs and maintenance support, district energy operations, the campus sustainability program, as well as the business management of two service centers. Blanchard began his career in engineering as a nuclear power plant operator in the U.S. Navy. After his discharge, he returned to Texas and began a career as an electrician, working his way from journeyman to field superintendent. In the early 1980s, he enrolled in the electrical engineering technology program at the University of Houston and accepted a position with its Office of Facilities Planning and What does the Road Ahead look like for you? My Road Ahead includes completing all of our recovery and mitigation projects, focusing on process improvement, and identifying and removing defects in our work flow to create a more cost-effective infrastructure for health care delivery. I recently completed my MBA in management and strategy and have a ton of new concepts I’d like to explore. Since Hurricane Ike, we have been building a completely new infrastructure to make sure UTMB will be protected in case another storm comes our way. This includes a new east plant and a “hardening” of our west plant—these are the big production facilities where we make all the heating and air conditioning requirements for UTMB. One is brand new and elevated; the other will have a flood wall around it. We also will be leveraging the new technology that comes with the new infrastructure. For example, we will be doing “combined cycle operations,” which means we will be generating electricity using waste heat to make hot water for all buildings on the Galveston Campus. We expect to be 50 percent more efficient than the way we were doing it before Ike. As an engineer, I’m really excited about this opportunity to both protect the institution and achieve operational efficiency. What are the biggest challenges for Utility Operations as UTMB continues to grow? The management of a multi-campus operation will be our biggest challenge. When we think about supporting the Angleton Danbury Campus, the League City Campus and our clinical enterprise, we want to leverage our size and effectiveness
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Marcel Blanchard and his wife, Debbie, ride a motorcycle across the Hoover Dam.
Construction as an electrical inspector. Since graduation, he has served UH and UTMB in many positions. Blanchard recently earned a Master of Business Administration from Western Governors University and holds certifications from the Association of Energy Engineers as a certified energy manager and energy procurement professional.
here in Galveston and simply duplicate what we do. Making sure we communicate between geographically separated locations will be something we’ll have to work on and get better at as we continue to grow. What was your first job? Right after I turned 18, I joined the U.S. Navy as a nuclear power plant operator on the USS Patrick Henry (SSBN-599). That work built the foundation for everything I have been able to accomplish. I was a child of the ’70s—it was a rebellious time and I was a pretty rebellious young man. The Navy got me to grow up and have some selfdiscipline—starting with simple stuff like making the bed and putting clothes away. In the nuclear power program, I learned the basics of physics and calculus, which was pretty intense stuff for a guy who didn’t plan on going to college. I also learned how to be a member of a team—when you’re out at sea, you aren’t calling a friend for help! After six years of service, I transitioned back into civilian life and applied not only the technical skills I acquired, but the leadership skills, as well. That’s helped me throughout my career. What do you like to do outside of work? I love spending time with my five grandkids who range in age from 5 to 11. They are all close by, so we get to spend a lot of time together, and I spoil them rotten. I’ll play on the Xbox with them, go to their judo classes and 4-H events, and spend a lot of time outdoors. They get to do things with Paw Paw and Maw Maw that they don’t get to do at home, and then my two grown sons want to know why they didn’t get to do those things.
What is something people would be surprised to know about you? I love riding on my motorcycle. Although I had one when I was stationed in Hawaii as a young man, I got back into it when my sons were grown. My wife, Debbie, and I once flew to Las Vegas and rented a motorcycle to ride over the Hoover Dam and into Arizona. We’ve traveled to both coasts by bike and like to squeeze in trips whenever we can. I also have tattoos on both arms to help me remember how I became the person that I am. One tattoo has dolphins and a replica of the chest insignia that I received when I was qualified on submarines in the Navy. The other shows an eagle carrying a separate insignia I received for fleet ballistic missile boats. What’s something you always wanted to do but have not done yet? I want to play in the World Series of Poker. I love Texas Hold’em. We’ll go once or twice a month to casinos like the Coushatta Casino Resort in Louisiana so I can play in their poker tournaments. If you could travel anywhere in the world, where would you go? We just bought a motorhome and want to tow our motorcycle and travel to every national park in this beautiful country of ours. There is just so much to see from Alaska to the Florida Keys to Niagara Falls and Yosemite—I want to see it all. Our first trip with family this season will be to the Grand Canyon.
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CM C
BY KIRSTIANN CLIFFORD
WHEN DR. DAVID CALLENDER ARRIVED AT THE BEAUMONT COMPLEX on June 2 for a CMC Town Hall on the Road meeting, he got a firsthand look at the extraordinary work UTMB CMC employees do on a daily basis—and during disaster situations. About 22 buses carrying 740 offenders from the Stringfellow and Terrell facilities in Brazoria County arrived at the Stiles Unit over Memorial Day weekend. Historic flooding of the Brazos River caused evacuations of several units, with more than 5,000 inmates being transferred to other prisons in East Texas. Callender talked with employees about the new Jennie Sealy Hospital in Galveston and the innovative vaccine research being done at UTMB. He also toured the facility and visited the gyms where additional offenders were housed. Senior Warden Christopher Carter and Assistant Warden Virgil McMullen, with the Texas Department of Criminal Justice, joined the tour with Callender and described the intake process for evacuees. Pinkee Patel, senior practice manager at the Beaumont Complex, said it was great to have Callender visit and see how the unit managed going from 3,000 inmates to more than 3,700. “We worked day and night to successfully intake the evacuated offenders,” said Patel. “The Stiles Unit leadership team efficiently and effectively communicated to ensure medications were on hand and continuity of care was met. Dr. Callender saw how we handled a challenging situation and was really appreciative of our staff.” Callender said he was genuinely impressed with how seamless the effort was. “Accepting an additional 700 high-acuity patient offenders during an emergency is not a simple task.
An aerial view of the flooding at TDCJ prison facilities in Brazoria County. Yet, our employees, in collaboration with their TDCJ colleagues, handled the situation professionally and with care, compassion and grace under pressure,” he said. As water levels started to recede, problems remained. Units that had been flooded were inundated with water moccasins and mud, requiring extensive cleanup. Dr. Owen Murray, UTMB’s vice president of Correctional Managed Care, said CMC was responsible for writing a snake-bite protocol just in case cleanup workers or others were injured.
Murray said he was proud of CMC employees for rising to Dr. David Callender talks to CMC employees at the Stiles Unit in Beaumont. the occasion and highlighted
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two employees who worked incredibly long hours during the floods: Paul Brown, a regional nurse manager, was involved with creating the snakebite protocol, evacuating patients and making sure medications were moved; and Dan Arrowood, CMC’s Patient Evacuation Command Center manager, was responsible for moving all infirmary patients out of facilities and coordinating their transfer. “We also had to relocate nursing staff to take care of patients who were moved, but everyone chipped in and made the best of it,” said Murray. “This is one thing we do incredibly well—we manage a crisis and we work with our partners in TDCJ to ensure that not only are patients taken care of, but staff are taken care of, too. Fortunately, we didn’t have any adverse outcomes.” As of June 20, all offenders had safely returned to their assigned units.
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G LOB A L H E A LT H
BY KIRSTIANN CLIFFORD
T
here’s a photo on Marlene Salas-Provance’s desk that shows her standing next to a tired but grateful-looking father and a smiling young girl. It’s a daily reminder of the important work she does around the world.
what I saw, I worked with the plastic surgeons to select the most optimal type of surgery for each patient.”
In addition, she offered guidance on adapted feeding techniques for babies with cleft lip and palate and assisted the team dentist with building prosthetic devices to improve the speech of adults who were not Salas-Provance gets ready to good candidates for do intakes and assessments surgery. during a recent trip to Peru. For the last 11 years, Salas-Provance has traveled to Peru, China, the Philippines, El Salvador, Salas-Provance has a Venezuela and the Dominican Republic with close connection to two speech pathologists, an Rotaplast International, a nonprofit organizaorthodontist and prosthodontist in Peru, and tion that provides free reconstructive surgery “The father and his young will refer patients to them as necessary to ensure and treatment to those with cleft lip and palate. daughter lived in extreme they receive continuity of care. Speech therapy is an important part of the process, especially Most recently, Salas-Provance returned from poverty high up in the Andes. after surgery. They traveled for three days— Lima following a two-week mission, where walking, hitching rides, by she worked with an interdisciplinary team to “The longer a person has a mechanism that educate, evaluate and perform surgeries on boat—to get to La Oroya, Peru, doesn’t function, the more ingrained the errors children and adults with orofacial clefts. These so his daughter could get cleft for speech become and then the speech patholobirth defects occur when a baby’s lip or mouth palate surgery.” gist has to untangle all of that once the musculado not form properly during pregnancy and can ture is intact,” said Salas-Provance. “I’m bilingual result in problems with feeding and speaking clearly. Peru has a and speak Spanish so I can talk with families about what they high rate of cleft lip and palate, occurring in approximately one need to do for their children in terms of speech development and of every 500 births. connect them with colleagues in Peru for therapy following the “My role was to surgery. During these mission trips, we work 12 hour days, but provide speech I love it. It’s satisfying for me, and families are so appreciative.” “The father and his young daughter lived in extreme poverty high up in the Andes. They traveled for three days—walking, hitching rides, by boat—to get to La Oroya, Peru, so his daughter could get cleft palate surgery,” said Salas-Provance, PhD, a speech pathologist who joined UTMB in May as associate dean for Academic and Student Affairs in the School of Health Professions.
assessments and parent/patient education regarding the development and improvement of speech. On my first day, I screened more than 100 patients,” said Salas-Provance uses an endoscope to examine the throat of a Salas-Provance. “I patient with pervasive hypernasality, which makes it difficult to also performed 30 speak normally. nasal endoscopy exams, where I look at the closure patterns of the muscles in the velopharyngeal area. If the muscles can’t close all the way, a person can’t build up air pressure in the mouth because air escapes out of the nose—that can make speech difficult. Based on 14
Salas-Provance has been back to Peru seven times and has seen many of the same patients, who now have the opportunity to find employment and marry as adults.
“There’s a huge psychosocial aspect to appearance,” she said. “If you look nice and talk normal, people tend to be more accepting of you as an individual. You’re more likely to get an education, a job—everything.” Since coming to UTMB from New Mexico State University, Salas-Provance has been looking for a cleft-palate team to join in Galveston. She plans on continuing to help transform lives around the world, and hopes to take SHP students with her in the future. “The difference you make is huge. A child’s life is changed forever” said Salas-Provance. “It’s a very manageable fix with a very significant outcome.” J U LY 2 0 1 6
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GOOD NEW S
Happy Anniversary to Impact! Print edition of UTMB newsletter has been back on newsstands for 1 year Time flies when you’re telling all the great stories of our UTMB family of employees, faculty and students! Last July, the Office of Marketing and Communications (re)introduced the print edition of Impact, which is a monthly publication dedicated to providing useful news and engaging stories about you, your UTMB colleagues and the great work going on at UTMB campuses and locations throughout the state. Impact originally began as a printed publication in 1977. It became online-only in 2009, but focus groups, surveys and interviews revealed a desire among UTMB employees for the print edition to return. We hope you have enjoyed the last 12 print editions and would love to hear your feedback, as well as story suggestions. We continue to refine the newsletter’s format and have been able to include more engaging content by going from 12 pages to 16 pages. Please let us know what you think! For more information or to suggest future topics, email us at impact.newsletter@utmb.edu.
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Beach Safety Tips By Dr. Madiha Khan, assistant professor in the Department of Family Medicine • Good swimming skills make a big difference. Ocean swimming is different from pool swimming—be prepared to deal with strong surf and changing conditions. Be sure that you are able to safely manage the waters, and use the buddy system when swimming. Adequate adult supervision, swimming with a partner, appropriate use of personal flotation devices and swimming lessons can significantly reduce the risk of injury and drowning in children.
• Be aware of rip currents. When in the Gulf or ocean, steer clear of rip currents, which are powerful, channeled currents of water flowing away from shore. If you get caught in a rip current stay calm and don’t tire yourself out by going against the current to head straight for land. Rather, stay calm and swim horizontal to
the shore until you’re out of the current. Then, turn and swim diagonally until you make it to shore. • Protect your skin. Sunburn is a common beach hazard that increases your risk of skin cancer and is painful. You can protect yourself from getting too much sun exposure by wearing protective clothing and hats, and always using sunblock. Sunscreens should be applied 15 to 30 minutes before sun exposure to allow the formation of a protective film on the skin
and reapplied at least every two hours. Because all sunscreens are washed off upon swimming or sweating, reapplication after swimming is needed even for sunscreen products labeled as “water resistant.” Sunburn can be treated with cool compresses and aloe vera gel or calamine lotion. • Prevent heat-related illnesses. Muscle cramps, heat exhaustion and heat stroke can all result from dehydration and extended exposure to high temperatures. Make sure to drink plenty of water and avoid dehydrating beverages such as
• Watch out for glass and other litter, broken shells, crabs and jellyfish on the beach and in the water. A simple way to lower your chances of hurting your feet is to make sure you wear beach shoes. Also, don’t stomp your feet in shallow waters, as this can frighten creatures that live there, such as small sharks and fish. • Stay away from jellyfish, even if you see one washed up on the beach—the tentacles can still sting. Most jellyfish stings are minor and can be treated by removing tentacles from the skin with a credit card, soaking in hot water for 20 minutes and using numbing medications on the skin such as lidocaine. If a jellyfish stings someone and they appear to be having a serious reaction, seek medical attention immediately.
PA RTING SHOT
Ship ahoy!
PH OT O: GRE G B RANA N
• Know the warning signs. Different beaches have different colored flags and assigned meanings, so ask a lifeguard if you are unsure what a flag signifies. Generally, red flags indicate strong surf and currents, yellow flags indicate moderate surf and currents, and green flags indicate the ocean is calm or clear.
coffee or alcohol. If you or someone you’re with experiences symptoms such as weakness, headache, muscle cramps, nausea, dizziness, rapid heartbeat and confusion, get out of the sun to a cool, shaded area and remove excess clothing. Lie down flat, elevate the legs and give fluids that contain sodium such as a sports drink. Cool the skin with wet compresses. If symptoms are severe or do not resolve in 15 minutes, seek medical attention.
A volunteer crew including current and retired UTMB employees sailed Texas’ official tall ship, the Elissa, into the Gulf of Mexico for her 2016 annual sea trials from April 4–16. The ship, built in 1877, is a true survivor and one of the few remaining authentic square-rigged sailing vessels in the world that still sails today. Each year, UTMB volunteers not only help the Galveston Historical Foundation’s Texas Seaport Museum maintain the Elissa, but also test her readiness by sailing her proudly into the Gulf. This year's UTMB Elissa volunteer crew included (L-R): Nicole Mendell, Carrie McAllister, Dylan Lancaster, Lori Richards, Richard Hodge, Luis Felipe Trigo Boix, Adrian Recinos, Kathy Machol, Judy Glaister, Bert Nash, Heidi Spratt and Birte Kalveram (on anchor). Not pictured: Keerthi Gottipati, Velinda Love and Michael Wonio.
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