Impact September 2016 by UTMB Health

UTMB Newsletter • SEPTEMBER 2016

Introducing Best Care initiative PA students create Superhero Hideout Spotlight on Carrie King, general counsel

Bringing ideas to life at UTMB’s print shop

The Texas Space Grant Consortium recently awarded scholarships for the upcoming academic year to two UTMB students. Armando Elizondo, a medical student, received a $1,500 STEM Columbia Crew Memorial Scholarship. Brooke Barnette, a biochemistry and molecular biology Elizondo student, received a $5,000 fellowship grant. Part of the consortium’s mission is to promote high-quality, graduate-level space research. Barnette

Suzanne Alton, DNP, an assistant professor in the School of Nursing, is the new chair of UTMB’s Faculty Senate and Dr. George Carayannopoulos, an associate professor in the Division of Cardiology, is the chair-elect. The Senate comprises voting members Alton representing all four schools. It serves as the collective voice of the UTMB faculty and links faculty members and administration on matters that advance the Carayannopoulos academic life and welfare of the university.

Dr. Karen Wagner, professor and chair of UTMB’s Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, was chosen as the 2016-2017 University of Pennsylvania Edward A. Strecker Award recipient. This award is given for outstanding contributions to the field of clinical psychiatry. It was established in honor of Dr. Strecker, a clinician, teacher, Wagner researcher and author, and is sponsored by the Pennsylvania Hospital and the University of Pennsylvania Health System. Wagner will give the Strecker Award Grand Rounds lecture at the University of Pennsylvania in the spring of 2017.

Moran

Obiozer

UTMB School of Medicine students Jacob Moran and Crystal Obiozor have been selected as members of the 2016-2017 class of Albert Schweitzer Fellows from the Houston-Galveston area. The fellowship program offers graduate students the opportunity to design and implement a health-related, 200-hour, year-long community project that provides direct service to an underserved population. Moran will be working with St. Vincent’s House in Galveston to assist underserved and marginalized local populations to promote healthy living through initiatives such as health fairs, exercise groups and community gardens. Obiozor will also be working with St. Vincent’s House with the Food for Thought program that provides crock pot meals and education on nutrition.

UTMB staff at Hospital Galveston (UTMB-TDCJ Hospital) raised $1,300 and donated more than 2,200 school supplies to children at L.A. Morgan Elementary School in Galveston. Hospital Galveston was able to supply 30 children with backpacks and school supplies for the entire year. Ambulatory Nursing/ HG Scheduling staff donated the most money ($950) and 7A/B Medicine/ Telemetry donated more than 375 items. Special thanks goes to Melissa Boutte, Lesa Parker, Elaine Parker and Diana Luna for their involvement with the project.

Four UTMB faculty members were awarded with the top teaching prize in the UT System: the Regents’ Outstanding Teaching Award. Congratulations to the 2016 awardees, including Dr. Jose Barral, associate professor and vice chair for operations in the Department of Neuroscience Barral and Cell Biology, and associate dean for Academic Affairs in the Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences; Mark Hellmich, PhD, professor in the departments of Surgery and Neuroscience and Cell Biology; Alice Hill, PhD, professor and associate dean for Hellmich Graduate Programs in the School of Nursing, and director of the Nursing PhD Program; and Dr. Bernard Karnath, professor of Medicine in the Department of Internal Medicine. Faculty members undergo a series of rigorous evaluations by students, peer faculty and external reviewers. The review panels consider a range of activities and criteria in their evaluations of a candidate’s Hill teaching performance, including classroom expertise, curricula quality, innovative course development and student learning outcomes. The regents’ award is among the nation’s most competitive teaching awards, and each recipient will receive a $25,000 award. Karnath

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From the President Happy New (Fiscal) Year! The past year has been one of tremendous growth, significant research breakthroughs and excellence in educating the future generation of health care professionals.

September 2016

I’m confident that FY17 will be exceptional in its own right as we work together to improve health in Texas, around the nation and across the globe. In fact, the recently announced Best Care initiative is positioning UTMB to achieve a quantum leap in quality to emerge as a Top 20 provider among our academic medical center peers by 2018. Best Care initiative

Best Care means that UTMB always delivers the right care at the right time and in the right way for the right person while achieving the best possible results for every patient, every time. It is a significant initiative that goes well beyond the clinical enterprise. In fact, every UTMB employee— from faculty member to maintenance supervisor to print shop technician—impacts the patient experience at our institution.

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You can learn more about how you influence Best Care in this latest issue of Impact, along with stories about our people. Among them: A day in the life of a print shop manager

• A day in the life of Otis Johnson, manager of UTMB’s print shop where he oversees operations that provide comprehensive graphic design and custom printing across the institution

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• A profile of Carrie King, senior vice president and general counsel • What school nurses need to know about the rise in the digital forms of dating violence • A closer look at the UT System Learning Zone, a new professional development tool that offers unlimited access to books, training courses and videos to UTMB employees • A School of Health Professions graduate who has overcome hardships to pursue a career in health care

Spotlight on Carrie King, general counsel

• Tips for staying comfortable at work by Lela Lockett-Ware, certified ergonomics assessment specialist and institutional Americans with Disabilities Act officer

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• Numerous accomplishments and kudos in the Working Wonders column and throughout the newsletter Please take some time to enjoy this issue. If you have story suggestions for future editions, please let the Impact team know. Thank you!

PA students create Superhero Hideout

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: Otis Johnson, UTMB’s printing and graphics manager, stands next to a large printing press that arrived at UTMB just before he did—nearly 30 years ago. Johnson oversees a team of eight full-time employees who provide comprehensive graphic design and custom printing for UTMB faculty, staff and students. P rinted b y U T MB graphic design & P rinting S ervices

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Vice President Marketing & Communications Steve Campbell

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 Art Director Mark Navarro

Best care

All UTMB employees are needed to achieve goal B y K irsti A nn C lifford

Every employee at UTMB contributes to patient care. Whether you work directly with patients on a daily basis or not—each person who wears a UTMB badge impacts the overall patient experience on some level. “The impression patients and their families have of their care experience is created by more than just the interactions they have with physicians and nurses,” said Donna Sollenberger, executive vice president and chief executive officer for the UTMB Health System. “When I hear rave reviews from patients, they often describe their encounters with everyone they met along the way. They remember the person who greeted them or the person who thanked them for choosing UTMB, the person who spoke to them on the phone, the person who gave them directions, and the person who transported them to their destination.” Sollenberger said patients often describe a technician who calmed their fears or someone who stayed to hold their hand during a procedure. They mention the person who delivered their meal, who cleaned their room or the person who helped them find the resources they needed.

The top 20 ranking is measured by the Vizient Quality and Accountability Study, which has been conducted annually since 2005 and helps academic medical centers identify structures and processes associated with high performance in quality and safety across a broad spectrum of patient-care activities. Sollenberger helped develop the survey “Everyone is the face while serving on a committee that included leadof UTMB. Although ers from major academic medical centers around you may not touch a the country.

patient, we all impact the patient’s care, their experience, their overall impression of UTMB, and in some cases, even their safety.”

“Their experience is also impacted by those they don’t see, such as the teams who maintain the clinical equipment and facility infrastructure,” she added. With that in mind, a new UTMB initiative called “Best Care” is the No. 1 priority goal for UTMB over the next 14 months.

The Best Care push comes on the heels of University of Texas System Chancellor William McRaven’s outline of several bold initiatives—or “quantum leaps”—in System’s plan to provide Texas the very best in higher education, research and health care. As part of his global vision, UTMB is aiming to achieve a top 20 ranking among academic medical centers by fiscal year 2018.

While UTMB is emerging as a leading academic center in many ways and already ranks high for patient satisfaction, Sollenberger said there is still a lot of work to do.

“Right now, we rank solidly in the middle of the pack for academic health centers—so my question is, ‘Is it all right to deliver ‘OK’ care?’” said Sollenberger. “Best Care requires more than patient satisfaction, and it’s more than being patient-centered. It means patients heal well and stay well; it means they do not acquire a preventable infection or injury; it means that their care is safe, timely and effective. Best Care means we consistently deliver care that meets these criteria, every single time, and for every single patient.”

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Best care

UTMB’s main areas of focus to achieve Best Care are: • Efficiency: Decrease length of stay, reduce variation in practice and direct cost as compared to our peers • Mortality: Eliminate all preventable deaths (e.g., early sepsis detection, process improvement) • Effectiveness: Accelerate reduction in 30-day readmissions and improve patient flow in the Emergency Department • Safety: Eliminate all preventable patient safety events (e.g., postoperative sepsis, perioperative hemorrhage/hematoma, pressure ulcers, central line-associated blood stream infections) • Improve clinical documentation and coding • Maintain performance in patient-centeredness and equity

So how can you contribute? If you work directly with patients, doing the right thing for the right patient at the right time is your guiding principle. Several projects are already underway to help reach the goals of Best Care. One such project includes Dr. Gulshan Sharma, associate chief medical officer with the Department of Internal Medicine, who is leading a team to review all observed mortalities generated by Epic, identify areas for improvement and implement best practices. If you don’t provide direct patient care, your work still supports UTMB’s mission to improve health. For example, a person working in IT may help ensure clinical documentation is done correctly by training providers on how to use Epic. A central supply tech contributes to patient flow and safety by making sure UTMB hospitals and clinics have the right supplies in the right amounts. A researcher in the Galveston National Laboratory works tirelessly to find new therapies and cures for diseases. All of these roles have a positive influence on patient experience and UTMB’s reputation in the community. “Everyone is the face of UTMB,” said Sollenberger. “Although you may not touch a patient, we all impact the patient’s care, their experience, their overall impression of UTMB, and in some cases, even their safety. Whether we work in Information Services, Business Operations and Facilities, Revenue Cycle, Human Resources, Materials Management, clinical departments—if we come to work every day and do our jobs to the best of our abilities, we can be the best.” Sollenberger acknowledges the aggressive timeline to be a top-performing academic medical center by fiscal year 2018, but says it is doable if we remain focused on making improvements that will stick long-term. UTMB will be able to track its progress monthly until the next study is released in the fall of 2017. “When we start thinking about this not as a competition, but

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rather the right thing to do for our patients, we’ll succeed,” said Sollenberger. “If we are in the top 20, that’s great, but more than that, our patients will benefit. That’s the outcome we really want: fewer complications, higher satisfaction and lower costs. It’s a huge effort that will require everyone, but I know we can do it.”

Best Care is a team effort “Everything we do in the Academic Enterprise is ultimately about the patient—either clinically as regards patient services, indirectly as regards scientific discoveries to improve the human condition or training future providers. In fact, we believe it is an academic duty to improve health care in these ways. For these reasons, Best Care is right for all of our missions. We can Dr. Danny Jacobs all support this effort by practicing Executive Vice President, evidence-based, patient-centered Provost and Dean, care, discovering new ways to School of Medicine improve health, leading our students, providing the vital support services needed to make all of these endeavors successful and offering assistance or a kind word to those in need. We all have an opportunity to change people’s lives for the better, and working together with our Health System and Institutional Support colleagues, we will achieve Best Care for those we serve.”

“At first glance, it may be difficult to see how Business and Finance can impact an initiative like Best Care. The truth is, everything Business and Finance does impacts Best Care. We provide the infrastructure and supporting services essential to patient care, while also supporting the work of many clinicians and researchers who have direct contact with all Cheryl Sadro of the lives touched by UTMB Executive Vice President and each and every day. We enhance Chief Busines and Finance Officer UTMB’s service excellence through focus on our people, our facilities, our technology systems, our financial sustainability and our future growth. As we work toward Best Care, it is our hope that Business and Finance personnel continue providing services in the most efficient, accurate way possible, but also look for other ways to support our colleagues in patient care missions and in all direct interactions with patients and their families.”

RESEARCH

B y D onna R amirez

any teens experience physical or sexual abuse within their romantic relationships, and now dating violence can also be perpetrated digitally by harassing, stalking or controlling a romantic partner via technology and social media.

School nurses are often some of the first to identify such problems and play an active role in preventing them from happening in the first place. They are also in a natural position to act as first responders for victims of an abusive romantic relationship. An overview of recent research and information on how school nurses can help these teens experiencing cyber abuse is described in an article co-authored by UTMB’s Jeff Temple, associate professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology, in NASN School Nurse, the journal of the National Association of School Nurses.

As online and offline forms of dating violence often go together, it is critical that school nurses are able to identify different types of digital dating violence. Digital dating abuse was also found to be associated with online bullying. “School nurses can prepare for this task by being aware and making others aware that online and offline behaviors are becoming increasingly blurred in teens’ lives and that digital dating abuse may be a warning sign of traditional abuse,” said Temple. “Most importantly, school nurses can engage in conversations with students about digital dating abuse, safe Internet use and healthy relationships, letting students know that they can come to them if they encounter online or offline dating violence.” In order to provide credible advice to teens, Temple says that it’s important that school nurses are able to speak adolescents’

RESEAR C H B R I E F S Compiled from press releases written by Donna Ramirez, Christopher Smith Gonzalez and Kurt Koopmann. Find out more at www.utmb.edu/newsroom.

Thomas Geisbert, PhD, in collaboration with Arbutus Biopharma Corporation, has protected nonhuman primates against Ebola Sudan four days after exposure to the virus. The study results, which were recently published in Nature Microbiology, demonstrated that the treatment was effective at a point when animals had detectable levels of the virus in their system and were at an advanced stage of disease. “This is a key step in our efforts to protect people from this terrible, lethal disease,” Geisbert said. “The Ebola virus has five different types and will continue to impact people throughout the African continent, unfortunately with a high mortality rate.” Geisbert noted that significant progress has been made in developing therapeutics against Ebola Zaire, the type responsible for the 2014-2015 outbreak in West Africa. However, those drugs may not be effective against Ebola Sudan. Since 2010, Ebola Sudan has been responsible for three outbreaks, and until 2014, had caused the largest outbreak of Ebola hemorrhagic fever on record, with 425 confirmed cases in Uganda in 2000. The treatment uses a specific short strand of RNA, known as siRNA, designed to target and interfere with the Ebola Sudan virus, rendering it harmless. This clinically validated technology has been used successfully to protect non-human primates against Ebola Zaire and Marburg virus infection.

Dr. Robert Tesh and Saravanan Thangamani, PhD, have shown that female Aedes aegypti mosquitoes can pass the Zika virus to their eggs and offspring. The recent Zika virus outbreak in Florida has dramatically increased efforts to remove A. aegypti mosquitoes. The new findings highlight the importance of including larvicide in the efforts to curb the spread of the Zika virus. The findings can be found in the American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene. “The implications for viral control are clear,” said Tesh. “It makes control harder. Spraying affects adults, but it does not usually kill the immature forms—the eggs and larvae. Spraying will reduce transmission, but it may not eliminate the virus.” To determine whether female mosquitoes that carry Zika virus pass it on to their offspring, researchers injected laboratory-reared A. aegypti with the virus. The mosquitoes were fed, and within the next week they were laying eggs. The researchers collected and incubated the eggs and reared the hatched larvae until adult mosquitoes emerged. Culture of these adults found Zika virus in one of every 290 mosquitoes tested. “The ratio may sound low,” Thangamani said, “But when you consider the number of A. aegypti in a tropical urban community, it is likely high enough to allow some virus to persist, even when infected adult mosquitoes are killed.” The researchers urge more insect studies while at the same time expanding methods to reduce the number of Aedes mosquitoes in and around homes to protect people from Zika virus infection.

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language. They should become familiar and stay connected with advances in technology and popular social media apps. Cyber dating abuse conversations could focus on what constitutes healthy communication within a romantic relationship and what signals could lead to abuse. “Potential red flags can be identified, such as sharing PIN codes and passwords to phones and apps, excessive contacting or demanding a partner send a picture of where they are or whom they are with to ‘prove’ that they are telling the truth,” Temple said. “Because of their inexperience with romantic relationships, teens might not know how

to appropriately cope with feelings of uncertainty about their relationship and may resort to monitoring as a coping mechanism.” Also, some teens do not always identify abusive behaviors as such, instead considering them to be simply annoying. Previous investigations have found that 26 percent of surveyed high school students reported being a victim of cyber dating abuse and 12 percent reported having perpetrated cyber dating abuse. Of these students, 9 percent of the teens reported that they were both victim and perpetrator of cyber dating abuse. In previous studies, Temple also has found that victims of cyber dating abuse are more likely to binge drink, be sexually active and participate in risky behavior. Other authors include Joris Van Ouytsel, Michel Walrave and Koen Ponnet from the University of Antwerp, Belgium.

UTMB receives $8.2 million from CPRIT for cancer research and prevention UTMB faculty have received three grants totaling more than $8.2 million in funding from the Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas. The grants support prevention services for some of the most vulnerable populations in Texas. • A $6 million grant will allow researchers to study cancer treatments and their outcomes for patients. The study seeks to identify which tests and treatments work best for patients. Knowledge gained from the study will help doctors to better present treatment options to patients. Dr. James Goodwin, UTMB’s George and Cynthia Mitchell Distinguished Chair in Geriatric Medicine, is the principal investigator. • A $1.4 million grant will focus on increasing the number of women who receive a full series of the human papillomavirus vaccine. Led by Dr. Abbey Berenson, director of the Center for Interdisciplinary

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Research in Women’s Health, the project will focus on reaching low-income women in Southeast Texas. • Another cancer prevention project received more than $747,000 for a school-based HPV vaccination program in the lower Rio Grande Valley. The project is led by Dr. Ana Rodriquez, assistant professor in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at UTMB. To date, CPRIT has awarded 1,059 grants totaling more than $1.64 billion to Texas researchers. The agency was launched in 2009 after Texas voters approved a 2007 constitutional amendment committing $3 billion to the fight against cancer.

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t i s J o h n s o n stands next to a large printing press that arrived at UTMB just before he did—nearly 30 years ago. It’s a daily reminder of how far printing and graphic design has come since he started his career as a press operator. “This is the Heidelberg offset printing press,” says Johnson, pointing to the massive machine that can only print two colors at a time. “I was in charge of running this back in the 1980s. We still use it occasionally, but the evolution of printing has been phenomenal. I’ve seen printing go from a lot of hands-on, manual work to mostly digital. People don’t want black and white copies anymore—they want colorful, glossy pieces of art.”

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ver the years, the print shop has adapted and Johnson hospital rooms as a guide for housekeeping staff. Now, when they are has advanced, working his way up to printing and graphics man- cleaning a room, they can pull out the photo from their pocket and see ager. He currently oversees a team of eight full-time employees who how everything is supposed to look.” provide comprehensive graphic design and custom printing for UTMB For the most part, Johnson says advances in technology have made it faculty, staff and students. In a typical month, between 300 and 500 possible to do printing on-demand, as opposed to the “old days,” when jobs come through the print shop, varying in size from a small batch of his team would print tons of copies to be stored until needed, or became business cards to a 50,000-page project. His team also works closely outdated and thrown away. Not only is today’s method more efficient, with Marketing and Communications to “protect the brand,” meaning it’s better for the environment. they ensure all printed materials adhere to UTMB branding guidelines, “Now we print exactly what people need,” he says, picking up a clinic with a consistent style and quality. one-pager listing the physicians and location. “We only print about 50 Johnson takes me on a quick tour of the print shop when I meet up with of these at a time for the clinic. That way, if one of their doctors leaves him on a Monday afternoon. Although my department (Marketing and or a new one comes on board, they can just send us a new file and we Communications) sends projects—including this Impact newsletter—to can print updated ones, without producing much waste.” Johnson’s team on a regular basis, it’s my first time to visit the second One machine that runs almost non-stop is known as the “Riso.” Short floor of 1902 Harborside Drive in Galveston. for “risograph,” it’s a highspeed digital ink-jet printing system that prints the patient billing statements for all UTMB hospitals and clinics. “It can print 150 pages a minute—that’s the fastest available on the market,” says Johnson. “This is all self-contained to protect patient confidentiality. The printer automatically downloads statements from Epic and once they are printed, they immediately go to mail services, which is located on this same floor.” Johnson notices my deer-in-theheadlights expression when he mentions unfamiliar print shop vocabulary, so he takes his time explaining terms such as “saddle stitch” and “perfect binding,” and printing processes such as “offset” versus “digital.”

It’s loud and bustling, as various printing, copying, binding and cutting equipment churns out projects. Johnson picks up an array of printed materials to show the unique capabilities his team can provide in-house, with visually appealing designs printed on specialty papers. He hands “Offset printing is a commonly used method where an inked image is me an invitation from the Jennie Sealy Hospital dedication, which is transferred from a plate to a rubber blanket, then to paper,” says Johnson, folded to open like a present and reveals a glossy picture of the new who adds that it is a lithographic process based on the repulsion of hospital. It’s not your average brochure or invitation—it’s a creative oil and water. “We have a digital-offset printer that can image all four idea brought to life. Johnson tries to stay ahead of the curve when it color plates simultaneously on the press. It’s phenomenal compared to comes to advances in printing technologies. the old offset presses, where we would have to manually hang plates with wrenches and tools.” “We are now steering people away from lamination to using polyester, instead,” he says. “The quality of photos printed on polyester is top-notch and it is durable and waterproof. We used polyester for a recent project with Environmental Services, where we printed photos of made-up

While I’m impressed by all the printing presses, one of my favorite pieces of equipment is the “Guillotine.” Appropriately named, this intimidating piece of equipment is a commercial grade trimmer that can cut through

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“What comes out of this shop and what these people do is amazing. We’re a well-kept secret, but those who need us, know us.” Print shop staff (L-R): Bruce Gilmer, Nancy Ponsetti, Michael Sipula, Matthew Garza, Otis Johnson, Mary Beth Enriquez, Lonnie Christiansen (Academic Resources associate director), Holly Rocha, Pete Rocha, Gregory Castro and Betty Ince.

1,000 sheets of paper at one time. Fortunately, the employee operating the machine must keep both hands on separate buttons—far away from the blades—for the machine to work. As I watched the Guillotine in action, Johnson tells me the best part about his job is his hard-working team, who he wants to make sure receives due credit.

cruise ships that came into Galveston last year. We got a call from the President’s Office that they needed signage, posters and pamphlets to direct passengers to a triage area that UTMB set up to test passengers. We were only a phone call away, and we came in on the weekend to get the job done.” Johnson is a team player and is humble in all aspects of his work—aptly calling himself a “gap filler.” Wherever there is a gap or a bottleneck in production, you’ll find him trying to relieve it, whether it’s troubleshooting an equipment malfunction or hand-delivering proofs to customers.

I’m introduced to several employees, including Betty Ince, who greets us at the front desk as she takes orders from the online ordering website (Print Pro); Mary Beth Enriquez, who deals with all customer service coordination; Holly Rocha, the lead graphic designer who ensures all “I think we have pretty good customer relationships—we go over and projects adhere to branding guidelines; Bruce Gilmer, who provides above,” says Johnson. “If we can find a cheaper way to do the job, we’ll customer service and custom pricing quotes; Nancy Ponsetti, who pass the cost savings on to the customer—that’s one thing that most coordinates all production; Michael Sipula, a print/binder technician; commercial shops won’t do. And we can come to your office so you don’t and contractors Greg Castro and Matthew Garza. A trip to the print shop have to worry about losing your parking spot in 98-degree heat (laughs).” wouldn’t be complete without meeting Pete Rocha, a senior print/binder It’s fascinating to see what Johnson and his team do every day to fulfill technician for the past 31 years, who greets me with a warm smile UTMB’s printing and graphics needs. They continue to evolve to ensure as he prints 20,000 UTMB-branded envelopes. It’s clear that the print customers get the best product at the best price—all while bringing new ideas to life. shop staff is the heart of the operation. “It takes everybody—and we are used to having super tight turnarounds,” “What comes out of this shop and what these people do is amazing— says Johnson. “That’s the beauty of having your own print shop on most people don’t understand,” says Johnson. “We’re a well-kept secret, campus. I remember when there was an Ebola scare on one of the but those who need us, know us.”

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leader spotlight

Spotlight on Carrie King, senior vice president and general counsel Carolee “Carrie” King has been at UTMB since 2008 and serves as senior vice president and general counsel for the university. Her expertise includes health care and regulatory law, hospital compliance, fraud and abuse, technology and commercialization, medical liability and legal issues regarding physician practice and clinical research. In her role, she oversees Legal Affairs, Institutional Compliance, Information Security, Internal Investigations and EEOC, Technology Transfer and International Affairs. She also serves on the UTMB Executive Committee. Prior to UTMB, she served as vice president and chief compliance officer for the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, where she was responsible for all aspects of institutional and health care compliance. She has also served as a lawyer for the Office of General Counsel at UT System and the US Department of Health and Human Services, and has worked as in-house counsel for a physician professional liability insurance carrier. Carrie King and her 11-year-old daughter, Anna Xia.

What does the Road Ahead look like for you? I think that UTMB has been “bold” since Ike, just as Dr. Callender encouraged, in not just mapping our direction, but also in our subsequent decisions, as well. That boldness has paid off—UTMB is at an amazing juncture! As far as the Road Ahead for Legal and Regulatory Affairs, it is primarily driven by the needs and strategic goals of the institution, given that we consider the institution as our client. Thus, our direction is anything that supports UTMB in achieving success. What are the biggest challenges you face as the university’s chief legal officer? Probably anticipating and analyzing both apparent and hidden risks, and then staying ahead of the myriad of constantly evolving health care and regulatory statutes, laws and guidance. And of course, there is the never-ending challenge of trying to convince folks that just because attorneys appear on the scene, it isn’t necessarily a bad thing! You’d be stunned at how fast we can clear a floor when we’re seen exiting an elevator. Clearly, we still have work to do on this one! What was your first job? My very first job was working as summer kitchen help in an un-air conditioned kitchen of the West Texas Girl Scout camp, Camp Rio Blanco, scrubbing pots and pans all summer. (Yes, I was a long-time Girl Scout!) I quickly learned that, in addition to removing burned-on grease and grime expeditiously, EZ Off oven cleaner also removes finger nails expeditiously. 12

King received a bachelor’s degree in biology from Winona State University in Minnesota and a law degree from Texas Tech University School of Law.

“I think that UTMB has been ‘bold’ since Ike, just as Dr. Callender encouraged, in not just mapping our direction, but also in our subsequent decisions, as well. That boldness has paid off—UTMB is at an amazing juncture!” What do you like to do outside of work? Spending time with my 11-year-old daughter, Anna Xia, who just started middle school—yikes! I also like to travel and hang out with our rescue golden retrievers, Mattie and Robbie. Do you have any hidden talents? I sing and I had also logged over 200 flight hours toward a private pilot license. “Taildraggers” were a lot of fun to fly! What’s something you always wanted to do but have not done yet? Run a marathon. I used to be an avid runner but hung up my running shoes, so to speak, after several foot surgeries and life interferences. But I still haven’t given up the idea of giving it one more try—especially after visiting my 95-year-old aunt who just did her first “marathon” being pushed in a wheelchair! If you could travel anywhere in the world, where would you go and why? China when my daughter is a little older—to show her the amazing country of her birth. SEPTEMBER 2016

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PROFESSIONALISM

Professional development now just a click away Online training, books and courses available to all UTMB employees in the UT System Learning Zone

ESPONDING TO EMPLOYEE REQUESTS FOR ADDITIONAL PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT opportunities, UTMB launched an extensive online library of books, training courses, videos and other learning assets in July. The UT System Learning Zone is a no-cost, self-paced environment that covers a wide variety of subjects to meet the diverse training needs of UTMB’s workforce. It is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week from any web-enabled device, including smartphones, tablets and desktop computers. “The UT System Learning Zone is a significant way for UTMB to support the value of lifelong learning within our institution and fosters continued professional development for all of our employees and staff members,” said Jorge De La Garza, a consultant in Human Resources Talent and Organizational Development division. De La Garza said the initiative to launch the UT System Learning Zone was spurred by concerns from the Employee Advisory Council regarding a scarcity of professional development opportunities for employees. In the past, classes—such as those teaching skills for the ubiquitous Microsoft Office applications—would fill up nearly as soon as they were announced and thus were available for a limited number of employees. “This opens up training and professional development opportunities to everyone at UTMB and helps us fill in the gap for training that was identified by the EAC,” De La Garza said. “And the timing is perfect because employees and managers can use the UT System Learning Zone to help them plan out their My Road Ahead goals for this fiscal year.” The online learning environment is powered by Skillsoft®, a global provider of cloud-based learning solutions,

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HOW TO USE THE UT SYSTEM LEARNING ZONE To access the UT System Learning Zone, follow these steps from your desktop computer, smartphone or tablet: • Go to https://utsystem.skillport.com • Select the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston as your home institution • Enter your UTMB user name and password • Click the Login button to explore the e-learning available to you

and includes training for desktop applications, business skills, leadership and management, time management, conflict resolution and a host of other topics including:

De La Garza said the short-term goal for the UT System Learning Zone at UTMB is to show The University of Texas System that the institution is utilizing the training that employees have craved for so long.

• Microsoft Office applications, including Excel and PowerPoint

“This is an excellent opportunity for all employees to access training in a convenient format right from their computers or phones,” he said.

• Information technology and security • Budget and financial management • Acquisition management • Project management skills

“It doesn’t get much easier to continue your professional development and enhance your knowledge and skills.”

• HR development 13

education

UTMB students help create special space for children at the Ronald McDonald House of Galveston B y K irsti A nn C lifford

“There is a superhero inside all of us; we just need the courage to put on the cape.”

Colorfully decorated with images of some of the greatest superheroes—Batman, Captain America, the Hulk, Iron Man, Wonder Woman, Spider-Man and Superman—the television Inside the Ronald McDonald House of Galveston, there’s room in the RMH was transformed into an empowering envinow a special room for children who are facing a life-threat- ronment where “kids can be kids.” ening illness or disability to rest and regain their superhero powers. It’s called the “Superhero Hideout” and it’s thanks to In just three short days, a design team made up of second-year the UTMB Physician Assistant Class of 2017 in the School of PA students Elizabeth Knipp and Spencer Anderson, along Health Professions, in collaboration with the National Com- with several other PA students, worked tirelessly to prep and mission on Certification of Physician Assistants organization. paint the room.

“The children staying at the Ronald McDonald House have demonstrated how strong they are by persevering through their illness. It’s our hope that this room will make them even stronger,” said Wendy Carazo, a second-year physician assistant student at UTMB and community outreach director for Shriners Hospital for Children in Galveston and the Ronald McDonald House. She was awarded a $1,000 grant from the NCCPA to design and execute the community outreach activity.

It was a labor of love for the students, who were excited to see the look on the children’s faces when the project was finished. One RMH employee said the children didn’t even show interest to turn on the TV, they just sat and stared at the superheroes. “We hope the children who stay in the ‘Superhero Hideout’ feel like superheroes and find the strength to overcome their illness,” said Carazo. “The resiliency these children and their families display demonstrates that they are truly superheroes in their own story.”

Wendy Carazo (left) with Elizabeth Knipp.

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education

B y K irsti A nn C lifford

ecoming a health care professional has always been a dream for Robert Guedea.

adversity—are not unusual for students in the SHP.

But when he received a bachelor’s degree in respiratory care at the School of Health Professions graduation ceremony on Aug. 12, it became a reality—one he previously thought was beyond reach.

“Robert exemplifies what a lot of our students do for their education,” said SHP Dean Dr. Elizabeth Protas.“It’s one of the reasons we work so hard to come up with scholarship support for them. They have a serious commitment to their education and are very focused on careers in health care that will really make a difference.”

“Growing up was far from easy—I never had a stable home,” said 26-year-old Guedea. “I didn’t live with family; I lived with friends. School was the only place I wanted to be. It got my mind off of everything else.” One of nine children, Guedea wanted to set an example for his siblings. With school being the only constant in his life, he worked hard, attending summer school and eventually going to community college. Being accepted into UTMB’s respiratory care program was the beginning of a challenging, but amazing experience. “It’s a rigorous program, but the professors helped me adjust to the change from community college,” said Guedea. “When I first started, the program director was tough, but I realized he was pushing me because he saw my potential and wanted me to succeed. And the interprofessional collaboration has been great—I now have friends in clinical science, nursing and medical school. It’s been an ambitious two years, but it’s doable and I’m a better person for it.” José Rojas, PhD, associate professor and chair of SHP’s Department of Respiratory Care, said UTMB is proud to call Guedea an alumnus. “He has the drive, demeanor and empathy to make him a successful respiratory therapist.” And when Guedea walked across the stage at Moody Gardens with 342 fellow graduates, he became the first of his siblings to earn a college degree.

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She points to the fact that 2015 graduates from three of SHP’s programs had 100 percent pass rates for their certification exams, which is above the national average.

I want my four younger siblings to know that no matter the hardships a person goes through, it will not define the rest of their lives.

“My younger sister told me that I inspired her,” said Guedea. “And I said, ‘Why?’ She said, ‘I know where we come from. For you to actually go to college— it wasn’t just talk.’ It was an amazing moment. I want my four younger siblings to know that no matter the hardships a person goes through, it will not define the rest of their lives.” Stories like Guedea’s—overcoming hardships and succeeding in the face of

“It’s just enormous,” said Protas. “It’s a real tribute to our faculty and students. If students weren’t dedicated to their learning and faculty members weren’t committed to teaching, that kind of result would never happen. It’s a true partnership and it’s fabulous.” With a degree in hand and a thirst for knowledge, Guedea now has his sights set on another dream: to become a surgeon. And this time, he knows it’s within his reach. He plans on applying for medical school at UTMB and hopes to start classes in 2018. About SHP: As the first school of its kind in the Southwestern states when it opened its doors in 1968, SHP has granted degrees and certificates to more than 11,000 graduates in vital areas such as health information administration, clinical laboratory sciences, health care administration, occupational and physical therapy, respiratory care, nutrition and metabolism, and physician assistant studies. The school also offers innovative online programs for health care professionals looking to further their education and advance their careers. For more information, visit https://shp.utmb.edu/.

Top tips for staying comfortable at work By Lela Lockett-Ware, certified ergonomics assessment specialist and institutional ADA officer Whether you sit or stand, have a desk job or provide patient care, a comfortable workspace can help you feel your best. Following some of these ergonomic tips, will help to decrease fatigue, discomfort and physical stress while increasing comfort and productivity.

your risk for long-term back, shoulder and neck problems. Sit back in your chair and avoid leaning forward to prevent back strain or discomfort. Move your chair as close to your work as possible to avoid leaning and reaching and make sure to scoot your chair in every time you sit down.

• Stretch at least three times a day. In the morning before you begin working, in the afternoon and at the end of your workday. Stretching helps reduce muscle tension caused when a person stays in one position for too long. Hold each stretch position for about 20 seconds.

—— Don’t go too dim or too bright. You want to find a happy medium to reduce the glare and strain on the eyes.

• Take a break. Stand up and walk around every 45 minutes to 1 hour if you work in a seated position. Grab a cup of coffee or take a leisurely walk around the building—this allows you to rest and exercise different muscles and you’ll feel less tired. When in doubt, listen to your body—if you experience pain or discomfort, take a break. • Don’t cross or sit on your legs. It restricts

• Lighting. When considering office lighting and how it may or may not impact your ergonomic set-up:

—— If possible, go for soft yellow or soft white LED lighting, as it is more soothing and calming.

blood flow and can cause numbness and tingling. Keeping legs crossed for extended periods can decrease circulation, which can lead to nerve or tissue damage. Keep both feet flat on the floor and use a foot rest to elevate your feet if needed. • Don’t be a slouch. Good posture reduces

—— Note the placement of lighting/ fixtures to avoid glare. Don’t position monitors near windows, as this will increase glare. • Get an ergonomics consultation. You don’t have to be injured or returning from surgery to receive an ergonomics evaluation. UTMB offers free ergonomic assessments to determine what, if any, ergonomic adjustments might be appropriate. Simply fill out an evaluation request at https://hr.utmb.edu/ada/.

Parting Shot

Reshaping health care with 3D printing Andrew Maxwell-Parish, MakerHealth Space manager, shows incoming UTMB students how a 3D printer can be used to create medical devices and organ models. The printer was set up in the Moody Medical Library to highlight what the UTMB community has been making in the MakerHealth Space. Located in John Sealy Annex Room 5.212, the MakerHealth Space is a place for all staff and students to design, build and prototype using 3D printing, laser cutting, textiles, electronics, general hand and power tools, and much more. Stop by for an orientation every Wednesday from 2 to 4 p.m. and follow @UTMBMaker on Twitter for updates on events.

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