Spring 2022 Volume 1 Number 1
The Dispatch An Emergency Services Newsletter from
PARTNER SPOTLIGHT
Bryan Klemme and Brenan Blackwell are paramedics and shift supervisors for Clear Lake Emergency Medical Services. NOTE FROM TIM HARLIN, DSc, MBA, FACHE EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT & CEO, UTMB HEALTH
Partners in caring for our communities
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ur true north at UTMB Health is simply this: Deliver the right care, at the right time in the right way—and have the best possible results for every patient, every time. As emergency services personnel, you play a vital role in keeping our communities healthy and safe. As such, we want you to know the depth of emergency services available at our See Harlin on Back Page
Clear Lake EMS celebrates 50 years of saving lives C
lear Lake Emergency Medical Services (CLEMS), a non-profit organization, started as a volunteer service covering the Clear Lake area almost 50 years ago. “We believe your EMS should always be a partner so much that we changed our motto to ‘CLEMS is your community partner,’” Chief Roy Hunter said. Volunteers in the Seabrook Fire Department founded the organization in 1972. At that time, the organization provided only two 911 response vehicles.
Paramedics Noel Reyes and Tracie Serrano work for Clear Lake Emergency Medical Services.
See Clear Lake EMS on Back Page
INSIDE: Milestones in Neurosurgery, Page 3; UTMB Clear Lake, League City campuses earn trauma certifications, Pages 4-5
Clear Lake Campus Hospital extends hours for pediatric emergencies Pediatric Emergency Medicine now provides coverage 9 a.m. to 1 a.m. seven days a week at the UTMB Health Clear Lake Campus Hospital. “We now have five Pediatric Emergency Medicine physicians in our group, all with extensive experience in emergency medicine and background experience working at children’s hospitals,” said Dr. Jared Caruso, medical director of Pediatric Emergency Medicine at the hospital.
The Clear Lake Campus offers an array of pediatric subspecialties and surgical services, including: SURGERY ORTHOPEDICS ENT UROLOGY CARDIOLOGY ENDOCRINOLOGY HEMATOLOGY NEUROLOGY NEPHROLOGY RADIOLOGY GASTROENTEROLOGY GENETICS & METABOLIC DISEASE
“We all have critical-care skills and are active in Pediatric Advanced Life Support and Advanced Life Support education.” If a child needs admission, the hospital has an inpatient pediatric unit with 15 beds with intermediate care unit capability. Also, the hospital will soon have full neonatal intensive care services.
SCHEDULE A LUNCH & LEARN UTMB conducts Lunch & Learn sessions for area Emergency Medical Services agencies throughout the Bay Area. The events feature our expert panel of physicians and nurse practitioners on a variety of EMS topics. For more information about how to schedule a Lunch & Learn event, please contact Richard Arocho at (281) 939-6822 or via email at riarocho@utmb.edu. 2
Need CE credit? Register for a free ASLS course UTMB Health offers a free Advanced Stroke Life Support (ASLS) course to its EMS partners. This eight-hour stroke continuing education unit is for all paramedics and emergency medical technicians. The hands-on, simulation-based course provides caregivers tools to manage the acute stroke patient. This includes the MEND exam, an easy-to-learn and easy-to-use tool that enhances communication among EMS personnel, nurses and physicians. EMS agencies and hospitals across the United States use the ASLS curriculum, which covers: • Recognizing the five main stroke syndromes • Performing a focused evaluation • Understanding pre-hospital protocol • Communicating t-PA contraindications and know how and when to administer t-PA to acute ischemic stroke patients • Applying the six aspects of acute stroke care to hospitalized patients For information or to register for the free course, contact Michelle Vu, UTMB’s Stroke Program Manager, at mlvu@utmb.edu.
WORD SEARCH Aneurysm Angleton Chest Pain Clear Lake EMT Galveston Hospital League City Neurosurgery Paramedic Partner Pediatric Trauma UTMB Health Solution is on the back page.
The Dispatch
Milestones in Neurosurgery
UTMB Health Clear Lake Campus Hospital treats first ruptured aneurysm; one of several recent advancements at the hospital
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72-year-old woman with a severe headache was treated in December at UTMB’s Clear Lake Campus Hospital for a ruptured aneurysm—a first for the south Harris County hospital. A severe headache, like the one the patient experienced, is the most common presentation of a ruptured brain aneurysm, said Dr. Peter Kan, chair of Department of Neurosurgery at UTMB Health. After she arrived at the hospital, doctors repaired her aneurysm with coil embolization, a minimally invasive endovascular treatment. “We brought a catheter into the aneurysm to block it off from the circulation with coils,” Kan said. “She did great and was feeling normal the next morning.” Kan said completion of the procedure represents a major milestone toward gaining comprehensive stroke center status at UTMB’s Clear Lake Campus Hospital. The Dispatch
Coincidentally, the hospital performed its first basilar stenting the same day and also treated and admitted its first ruptured arteriovenous malformations Dr. Peter Kan (AVM) patient. The hospital is certified as a Primary Stroke Center and is working toward Comprehensive Stroke Certification.
sent to the Galveston Campus for treatment.
This milestone follows other recent advancements in neurosurgery at UTMB. In November, the Clear Lake hospital began 24/7 neurosurgery capability coverage. UTMB launched its Department of Neurosurgery in 2020 and named Kan its inaugural chair. Prior to the hospital having 24/7 coverage in neurosurgery, all UTMB patients with ruptured aneurysms had to be
In August 2021, UTMB was awarded with the American Heart Association’s Gold Plus Stroke and Target Stroke Elite Plus Honor Roll. The award recognizes the hospital’s commitment to ensuring stroke patients receive the most appropriate treatment according to nationally recognized, researchbased guidelines based on the latest scientific evidence.
UTMB is now becoming a leader in complex neuroscience care in the region as Kan builds the program. UTMB opened the Clear Lake hospital in March 2019. Besides its neuroscience capabilities, the hospital is a designated Trauma Level 3 facility and also recently achieved Chest Pain Center Accreditation through the American College of Cardiology following an extensive 12-month review by a multidisciplinary team of staff and providers.
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CLEAR LAKE Hospital earns Level 3 Trauma Center designation, Chest Pain Center accreditation
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ast year, the UTMB Clear Lake Campus Hospital’s trauma center earned a Level 3 designation, defined by the American College of Surgeons as having resources for the emergency resuscitation, surgery and intensive care of most trauma patients. Level 3 centers have transfer agreements with Level 1 or 2 trauma centers that provide back-up resources for the care of exceptionally severe injuries. Reaching Level 3 could not have happened without great partnerships between UTMB faculty, community physicians and other important regional partners, said Stephen Jones, CEO of UTMB Health Clear Lake Campus. The hospital launched its trauma program with four new trauma surgeons, expanding its trauma section to eight faculty members between the Level 1 trauma center at Jennie Sealy Hospital, the Level 3 at Clear Lake and Level 3 at the League City Campus Hospital. The UTMB Health Clear Lake Campus Hospital offers patients access to state-of-the-art cardiology treatments, procedures and technology, world-class labor and delivery and obstetrics care, comprehensive neurosurgery and spine services and an emergency room that’s designated as a Level 3 Trauma Center. The hospital is also certified as a Level 2 Primary Stroke Facility, a designation that reinforces UTMB’s position as a leader in complex neurosciences care. “In addition to traditional Emergency Department providers and staff, our Emergency Room is equipped with board-certified pediatricians for 16 hours every day. Not every hospital can say that,” said Ann Varghese, administrator for the Clear Lake Hospital. “When the unexpected happens, we want parents to know they can bring their children here to receive expert, top-notch care when it matters most.”
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TMB’s Clear Lake Campus Hospital recently achieved Chest Pain Center Accreditation through the American College of Cardiology following an extensive 12-month review by a multidisciplinary team of staff and providers. Chest Pain Center Accreditation is a quality improvement program designed for hospital cardiovascular teams that are focused on the efficient and effective care of acute coronary syndrome patients. Ann Varghese, administrator for the Clear Lake Hospital, said that the accreditation helps validate the excellent delivery and quality of cardiac care that heart attack patients experience at UTMB. “The engagement of our staff was phenomenal,” Varghese said. “They supported the goals of the program and helped with data collection, protocol updates and community education. This achievement is a reflection of the team’s focus and dedication to delivering excellent care.” There are three types of accreditation designations awarded by the American College of Cardiology. UTMB’s accreditation includes the Primary PCI designation, which means the Clear Lake hospital has a call team comprised of cardiac catherization lab staff and an interventional cardiologist available 24/7. “Patients should look for a hospital that has protocols in place to quickly provide the most appropriate intervention in a timely manner with great quality outcomes,” Varghese said. “We exceed benchmarks for the care given to our cardiac patients experiencing a heart attack. Our teams are activated and respond in less than 30 minutes to ensure quick intervention to decrease mortality and deliver best outcomes.”
The Dispatch
LEAGUE CITY Hospital earns Level 3 Trauma certification, eyes Primary Stroke Center designation
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TMB Health’s League City Campus Hospital recently earned Level 3 Trauma Facility designation, an achievement that furthers the organization’s mission of developing one of the largest, most comprehensive trauma networks in the region. Certification as a Level 3 center followed a site visit by state regulators to evaluate the entire hospital’s ability to appropriate care for injured patients. The verification process itself required more than a year of preparation and a great deal of hard work involving all departments in the hospital with support from administration to ensure that all the pieces were in place to care for these patients, said Dr. Michael Norman, Trauma Medical Director at the League City Campus. “This certification will help the League City Campus provide timely care for the injured patients in our community at all levels; from the Emergency Department to the operating room or intensive care unit,” Norman said. “Trauma certification provides a framework for what can be taken care of at the League City Campus, and it streamlines the process of transferring patients to higher level of care at our other trauma centers in the area.” The League City Hospital Campus is the second UTMB location to earn Level 3 trauma status in as many years. In 2021, the trauma facility at the UTMB Health Clear Lake Campus earned a Level 3 designation, defined by the American College of Surgeons as having resources for the emergency resuscitation, surgery and intensive care of most trauma patients.
The Dispatch
UTMB Health’s League City Campus Hospital is on a journey to become a Primary Stroke Center by the end of 2022. This certification will help the UTMB Stroke Program’s mission of becoming the most comprehensive, highest quality and well-coordinated stroke network in the region, officials said. “I foresee our League City hospital becoming the hub for stroke care serving one of the fastest growing cities in the United States,” said Dr. Hashem Shaltoni, UTMB Health’s Stroke Program Coordinator. The certification from Det Norske Veritas (DNV) would recognize the League City hospital has the necessary staffing, infrastructure and programs to stabilize Dr. Hashem Shaltoni, and treat most emergent stroke patients. In Stroke Program addition to possessing the capabilities of an Medical Director Acute Stroke Ready facility, a Primary Stroke Center can provide treatment to a broader range of stroke conditions and is able to provide some acute therapies, as well as admit patients to a designated stroke unit or to beds, specifically assigned for stroke care. Additional functions of a Primary Stroke Center may be to act as a resource center for other facilities in its region, including being a main transfer site for stabilized patients from an Acute Stroke Ready facility. This can include offering guidance for triage of patients, providing expertise about managing cases, making diagnostic tests or treatments available to patients treated initially at an Acute Stroke Ready facility and being an educational resource for other hospitals and health care professionals in a region.
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Expanding stroke care UTMB Health’s Comprehensive Stroke Program expands reach to Clear Lake, League City
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TMB’s Clear Lake and League City hospitals can provide immediate stroke care with state-of-the-art imaging capabilities and board certified specialists in stroke and vascular neurology.
Dr. Patrick Karas With the addition of Dr. Patrick Karas, a neurosurgeon who joined UTMB in November, the Clear Lake hospital provides 24/7 hemorrhagic stroke care. This means that the Primary Stroke Center at the Clear Lake hospital is now Comprehensive Stroke capable. 6
“UTMB can provide care to all ischemic and hemorrhagic stroke patients,” said Michelle Vu, UTMB Health Stroke Program manager. “We are excited to expand the neuroscience services to this community.” Also, the nearby UTMB Health League City Campus Hospital has neurology services available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. This 24/7 coverage began in October. EMS partners are welcome to check on the status of stroke patients they bring to UTMB. “The stroke team is happy to provide feedback and outcomes of all patients transferred to our facilities,” Vu said.
“UTMB can provide care to all ischemic and hemorrhagic stroke patients. We are excited to expand the neuroscience services to this community.” - Michelle Vu UTMB Health Stroke Program manager
See Stroke Care on Page 7
The Dispatch
Stroke Care
specialize in movement disorders and spinal disorders.
continued from Page 6
When UTMB opened the Clear Lake Campus in 2019 to serve the growing, diverse and vibrant Bay Area community, it brought a top-notch academic medical center to the area, enabling patients dealing with the most complex health problems to get their care close to home. And as the neuroscience program expands, UTMB is adding neurosurgeons who
neuroscience care.
“The goal is to give our patients and community the best and latest care in neurosurgery,” said Dr. Peter Kan, Neurosurgery Chairman at UTMB Health.
They lead a team of highly experienced and specialized physicians to provide the best care for patients. UTMB’s comprehensive neuroscience care treats seizures, aneurysms, spinal disorders and movement disorders.
Dr. Anish Bhardwaj, the Neurology Chairman, along with Kan and Dr. Hashem Shaltoni, the Stroke Program Medical Director, push for excellence in
For additional information about UTMB Health’s comprehensive stroke care team, visit https://utmb.us/6n5.
Dr. Hashem Shaltoni, Stroke Program Medical Director
Dr. Anand Patel, Stroke Program Associate Medical Director
Dr. Arun Chhabra, Stroke Program Associate Medical Director
Dr. Muhammad Memon, Neurology Faculty Neuroendovascular
Dr. Bashar Zleik, Neurology Chief, League City Campus
Mary French, PA Vascular Neurology
Michelle Vu, BSN, RN, CMSRN, ACM, Stroke Program Manager
Virginia Brown, MSN, RN, CCRN, Stroke Program Coordinator, Galveston
Jill Bricker, BSN, RN, GERO-BC, Stroke Program Coordinator, Clear Lake
Dr. Anish Bhardwaj, Deparment of Neurology, Chairman
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Michelle Nyberg, BSN, RN, CRRN, ACM, Stroke Program Coordinator, League City/Angleton
Brenda Huerta, Stroke Program Abstractor
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Harlin continued from Page 1
campuses. For instance, you can bring a stroke patient to UTMB’s Clear Lake Hospital because we have 24/7 neurosurgery coverage, and just this December we successfully treated a ruptured aneurysm for the first time at that campus. Our neuroscience program is growing and we continue to expand procedures and to hire more specialized experts in this field so that they’re available for you to call on during an emergency. The goal of this newsletter is to let you know what emergency services are available at UTMB Health’s four campuses—Clear Lake, League City, Galveston and Angleton Danbury. But UTMB is not just a collection of separate campuses. We are integrated in numerous and meaningful ways. For example, the Clear Lake hospital is a Level 3
Trauma Center, and UTMB’s League City Campus Hospital recently became a Level 3 center as well. The Angleton Danbury Campus Hospital is a Level 4 center while the Galveston Campus has a Level 1 designation. UTMB has the largest and most coordinated trauma network in the region. Over the last decade, we’ve worked hard to extend our services throughout the growing and vibrant communities in the Bay Area and across Brazoria County. We have a long and storied history of improving the health of the people of Southeast Texas and that continues to be our driving force. As emergency medical professionals, you share our values and complement our services. Thank you for being our strategic partners in delivering high-quality care. You help us create a seamless experience for our patients that allows us to get them the best help at the best place at the right time.
MEET RICHARD AROCHO Richard Arocho joined UTMB Health in December as a liaison who builds and strengthens strategic business partnerships, such as the ones between EMS agencies and UTMB. Arocho works with community partners to share the emergency medical services that are available at UTMB, including cardiovascular, neuroscience and trauma care. In addition, he works with our partners to ensure they are aware of new procedures, specialty experts and integrated care that UTMB offers. His focus is to keep the lines of communication open with UTMB and our partners in the communities we serve. “My goal is to be the UTMB contact person who our community partners can reach out to if they have questions, concerns or feedback,” he said. Contact Arocho with your feedback at riarocho@ utmb.edu or (281) 939-6822.
Clear Lake EMS continued from Page 1
In 2020, Clear Lake EMS shifted to an inter-facility transfer service among local hospitals. It specializes in critical care inter-facility transfers. The organization has 36 staff personnel and five emergency trucks with a sixth truck joining the fleet this spring, Hunter said. “We cover everything from South Houston to Galveston,” Chief Roy Hunter said. The organization also offers EMS training. In 2021, the organization opened its training center and EMS Academy in League City. The organization offers card certification courses including Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR), Pediatric Advanced Life Support (PALS), Advanced Cardiovascular Life Support (ACLS), International Trauma Life Support (ITLS) and more. Scholarships are available to underserved people in the community who are interested in a health care career, Hunter said. Clear Lake EMS also offers First Aid and other basic classes as part of its community outreach. For information, go to www.clemc.us or call (832) 415-7892.
The Dispatch newsletter is produced quarterly by the UTMB Office of Strategy & Communications. Contact Valerie Wells at vwells@utmb.edu to share story suggestions.