Impact April 2018

UTMB NEWSLETTER • APRIL 2018

UT System Regents’ Outstanding Employee Awards announced Pain reframed: UTMB Opioid Stewardship team focuses on safe prescribing Couple travels their way to a “match”

Urgent Care: No wait, no worries

Congratulations to UTMB’s winners of the Regents’ Outstanding Employee Award Three UTMB employees were chosen as inaugural recipients of the Regents’ Outstanding Employee Award. Chad Connally, nursing program manager, Emergency Services Administration; Mike Mastrangelo, program director, Institutional Preparedness—Facilities Risk Management; and Scott Woodby, nurse clinician V, MICU/CCU, received the prestigious award in recognition of their outstanding performance, innovation, enthusiasm and dedication in their jobs.

The three winners were among 34 UTMB nominees for the award, which was created by The University of Texas System Board of Regents. Nominees had to be full-time, benefits-eligible, non-faculty employees, and selection was based on the impact the employee has made in his or her individual job and how this impact has helped improve the institution.

Each nomination included supporting letters from departmental peers, supervisors and colleagues outside of the nominee’s department.

Described in support letters as a “silent hero,” Connally—who is responsible for managing UTMB’s Biocontainment Unit—has worked for the last four years to develop policies and procedures, provide training and drills, and play an integral role in the planning and design aspect of the clinical unit. His expertise “is essential to our campus as well as a unique resource for the state,” as UTMB has been designated as one of nine Regional Ebola Treatment Centers by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Mastrangelo was recently honored with the Disaster Recovery Institute International’s Program Leader of the Year Award for his leadership role in developing UTMB’s emergency preparedness program, and, in particular, for his efforts during Hurricane Harvey—when he worked around the clock to support UTMB’s Command Center and UTMB’s response. Woodby was described by others as an “exceptional nurse” who is “often sought out for his expertise” in adult intensive care units. As an Evidence Based Practice Champion, Woodby has participated in various EBP projects both directly and as a mentor, and has received numerous awards for his efforts to improve patient care and safety.

“The caliber of our winners and nominees reflected the excellence found throughout our great institution,” said UTMB President David Callender. “We look forward to submitting equally outstanding nominees in future years.”

Thirty awards were given out this year across the 14 UT System institutions and the UT System Administration. The winners will receive a Chancellor’s challenge coin, a certificate, a $10,000 monetary award and an invitation to a luncheon ceremony in Austin. For more information about UTMB’s winners and their achievements, visit www.utmb.edu/eac.

Connally

Mastrangelo

Woodby

UTMB School of Nursing Population Health students partnered with the Galveston Police Department to keep bicyclists safe by developing bicycle lanes near campus. As part of their clinical assignment, the students developed a study for the need of bicycle lanes and conducted numerous surveys that showed most respondents did not feel safe riding their bikes to campus without lanes and signage. The students created a community health plan and provided several classes regarding bicycle safety, laws and responsibility for people on campus and throughout the community.

Following several meetings with the Galveston City Council and after submitting letters of proposal to the Public Works Department, the bicycle lanes were placed in March. Thanks to the students for helping to keep the community and campus safe!

UTMB recently hosted a successful site visit from the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) Feb. 6-8 as part of the institution-wide re-accreditation process. Following the visit, the SACSCOC issued a comprehensive report based on their findings of UTMB’s compliance with the standards, principles and quality measures defined in the commission’s requirements. Institutions are affirmed every 10 years and must partake in a multi-level process, including extensive reporting, an off-site review, an on-site review and response to the reviewers’ report. As part of the visit, the review committee met with students, faculty, staff and administrators to understand issues related to compliance and UTMB’s Quality Enhancement Plan (QEP), or IPE2Practice. The report highlighted several strengths of the QEP, such as its focus on “interprofessional education as a cornerstone of innovative education and training at UTMB.” The accreditation is necessary for UTMB to confer degrees and receive federal and state funding. Special thanks to UTMB’s QEP Leadership Team: Jennifer Anderson, Dr. Jose Barral, Riddhi Bodani, David Del Pino, Dr. Christopher Edwards, Connie Heard, Dr. Michael Leger, Dr. Arlene MacDonald, Dr. John C. McKee, Madiha Merchant, Julie Molis, Dr. Cara Pennel, Dr. Jose Rojas, Dr. Eddie H. Salazar, Shelley Smith, Dr. Jacqueline Stout-Aguilar, Julie Trumble, Nicholas Viator, Lane Warmbrod, Patience Wieland, and Dr. Majka Woods.

Dr. Slobodan Paessler, associate professor in the Department of Pathology, was awarded $2.9 million from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases to learn more about how Lassa fever induces hearing damage. Approximately 30 percent of Lassa fever survivors develop sudden hearing loss weeks or months after leaving the hospital.

The researchers have developed the first rodent model that consistently reproduces the Lassa fever-induced hearing loss so that they can learn how and why this happens. They will also investigate the hearing loss seen in documented Lassa fever survivors in Nigeria by using noninvasive hearing tests used for hearing screening in children in the U.S.

The Jennie Sealy Surgical Intensive Care (SICU) team completed the entire 2017 calendar year free of central line-associated blood stream infections (CLABSI). Some initiatives that contributed to the reduction of CLABSIs include: Implementing daily baths using chlorhexidine gluconate to decrease the bacterial burden on the skin; distributing automated Purell hand sanitizer dispensers throughout the units and patient rooms, as well as improving compliance with hand hygiene; decreasing blood culture contamination by use of blood culture collection packs and skin decontamination; and conducting root cause analysis studies to identify the causes of CLABSIs and prevent future occurrences.

Congrats to the SICU, and thank you for your ongoing commitment to Best Care and patient safety.

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t e? s a t or xtra pac t M b e /im an we du W sue b.e is m ril .ut Ap w w w

From the President On April 6, I had the pleasure of announcing the three UTMB employees who were chosen as inaugural recipients of the Regents’ Outstanding Employee Award. Hearty congratulations to Chad Connally, Mike Mastrangelo and Scott Woodby—you have done UTMB proud! We received so many great nominations for this award that truly reflected the far-reaching influence such outstanding employees can have on UTMB and our mission. I’m proud of all of our 34 nominees. It’s truly an honor to work among such talented, dedicated individuals. You can read more about the award in the Working Wonders section of this issue.

A PRI L 2 0 1 8

Also this month, I announced the restructuring of our executive reporting structure and roles to improve communications, streamline operations, leverage our resources and strengthen accountability within our organization. As we all know, the operating environment for academic health science centers is changing rapidly. This restructuring is essential to helping us plan and implement the necessary organizational responses that will ensure our success in this climate of constant and rapid change.

You can see my original announcement at www.utmb.edu/president/communications/messages, as well as a revised organizational chart at https://utmb.us/2o6. Thank you for your support as we make this transition, and please feel free to contact me with any questions or comments you have about these changes.

Opioid Stewardship Page 4

Lastly, I’d like to thank everyone who attended the Mondays in March sessions or viewed them remotely. This year’s series concluded on March 26 with a leadership panel discussion, where we spent the majority of the time taking questions from employees. We addressed a variety of topics including employee compensation, telemedicine initiatives, quality rankings, strategies for strengthening our basic and translational research, and much more. If you weren’t able to attend, each session is now posted at www.utmb.edu/mondays-in-march.

Fixing a Broken Heart

Among the stories included in this issue of Impact:

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• A day in the life of patient service specialist Tasheda Johnson, who works at UTMB’s Angleton Urgent Care Clinic • A Best Care in Action segment highlighting UTMB’s Opioid Stewardship team and their efforts to promote safe prescribing • A patient feature showing how adult congenital heart surgery at UTMB is giving patients a second chance at life • Coverage of Match Day 2018, including how one UTMB couple traveled their way to a “match” • Insights into employee burnout, from the first Provost’s Lecture Series event of 2018 • An introduction to our newest employee-led group, the UTMB Women’s Leadership Network • 10 ways to practice green living at home and in the workplace by Angela McDowell, UTMB’s sustainability coordinator • A fun “UTMB Trivia” question to test your knowledge and enter your name for a chance to win a UTMB swag bag • Numerous accomplishments and kudos in the Working Wonders column and throughout the newsletter As always, I hope you enjoy reading this issue. If you have any story suggestions for future editions, please let the Impact team know.

Day in the life of a patient service specialist Page 6

School of Medicine Match Day 2018 Page 10

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: Tasheda Johnson, a patient service specialist at UTMB’s Urgent Care clinic in Angleton, is the first friendly face patients see when they need after-hours or weekend care. She manages a busy front desk, greeting patients, updating their contact and insurance information, taking co-pays, printing patient labels, answering phones—and providing a sense of relief for those in need of immediate treatment. (Photo by Mark Kinonen) 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

Vice President Marketing & Communications Steve Campbell Associate Vice President Marketing & Communications Mary Havard Editors KirstiAnn Clifford Stephen Hadley Shannon Porter Art Director Mark Navarro

CONTACT US Email: impact.newsletter@utmb.edu Phone: (409) 772-2618 Campus mail route: 0144 U.S. Postal address: UTMB Marketing & Communications

301 University Boulevard

Galveston, TX 77555-0144

B EST CA R E I N AC T I O N

UTMB’s Opioid Stewardship team focuses on safe prescribing, alternative treatments for pain

BY KIRSTIANN CLIFFORD

When it comes to opioid addiction, many people don’t see it coming. It can happen to anyone, anywhere—and quickly spiral out of control.

“I’ve had patients who had a surgical procedure and three weeks later were addicted to heroin,” said Dr. Edythe Harvey, an addiction psychiatrist at UTMB. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more than 2 million Americans are dependent on or abuse prescription opioids.

It’s a nationwide trend that continues to grow.

Opioids—including prescription opioids, heroin and fentanyl—killed more than 42,000 people in 2016, more than any other year on record.

talks to departments around the institution, including orthopedics, anesthesiology, geriatrics and others.”

Hommel says the education piece also needs to include information on alternative methods for pain management, such as acupuncture, physical therapy or injection options such as steroids. She points to research showing that while prescriptions for opioids have quadrupled since 1999, there hasn’t been a corresponding drop in reported pain.

“A lot of data shows that using opiates for chronic pain over a long period of time doesn’t help patients manage their pain Dr. Erin Hommel goes over a pain contract with all patients who are better—they actually become tolerant to In response to the widespread and growing taking or are considering taking opioids for chronic pain. the medications and their awareness of problem, hospitals and health systems across the country, including UTMB, have begun implementing physician-led opioid stew- pain is heightened,” said Hommel. “So it’s not always best to start with opioids ardship programs with a simple mission: to help save lives. While there are many as the first line of defense.” different factors contributing to addiction and abuse, these programs specifically For those who need opioids for chronic pain, the stewardship program is exploring look to lower rates of overprescribing among health care providers and curb patient ways to help physicians and patients proceed in a safe, responsible manner. That addiction risks. may include implementing standard “pain contracts,” in which the patient and

“We have always known opioids to be dangerous—that’s not new news,” said Dr. Erin Hommel, a clinical geriatrician and assistant professor in the Department of Internal Medicine, who serves on the opioid stewardship team along with Harvey and others. “But the degree at which the opioid epidemic has grown in our country is a relatively new problem over the last decade—it’s really ramped up. Health care providers are saying, ‘We have to do things differently.’”

provider agree to various conditions under which opioids will be prescribed or discontinued, as well as regular urine drug screening tests.

Technology will also play a role in opioid stewardship. Based on recent recommendations, UTMB’s Epic electronic medical record now includes a direct link to Texas’ Prescription Monitoring Program (PMP), allowing physicians easy access to the state’s electronic database that tracks controlled substance prescriptions.

Hommel, who has spent the last two years tracking prescription opioid use in the Clinical guidelines encourage physicians to use the PMP prior to prescribing geriatric patient population at UTMB, says that doesn’t mean physicians should in order to identify patients who may be misusing prescription opioids or who may be at risk for overdose. In addition, information about naloxone, an opioid stop prescribing opioids altogether. antidote used to reverse overdoses, may soon be included on patient handouts “We know there are people who need these medications, but we have the responsi- when an opioid is prescribed. bility to prescribe appropriately and safely, and to educate patients about the risks.

Addressing the opioid epidemic head-on and discussing the risks with patients As a health system, we want to provide people with the tools to do the right thing may be uncomfortable, but Harvey and Hommel agree: It’s a critical responsibility and take better care of patients. We’ve seen a lot of motivation to do that, which for all physicians, who took the Hippocratic oath to first “Do no harm.” is good,” Hommel said.

“We need to be really careful and have a discussion with all patients who may be Making improvements will require collaboration. As a first step, UTMB’s opioid prescribed an opioid,” said Harvey. “It only takes a few minutes and it’s the right stewardship program is currently looking into providing continuing education prothing to do.” grams for physicians and others who prescribe or administer opiates.

Other members of UTMB’s Opioid Stewardship team include Dr. Dwight Wolf, “Our hope is to implement some kind of online course as part of annual training,” said Dr. Loretta Grumbles, Dr. Evan Ross, Dr. Khannah Smith, Dr. Kuo Yong-Fang, Morgan Harvey. “People need to know safe prescribing habits, how to identify someone at risk McClure and Mary Feldhusen. For more information about UTMB’s efforts to become for overusing pain meds, what treatment resources are available, and be reminded a high-value practicing organization, visit intranet.utmb.edu/best-care. n of core competencies on a regular basis. I’ve already been on the circuit giving drug

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PAT IENT CARE

Fixing a broken heart

Dr. Patrick Roughneen with patient Ruth Perez.

Adult congenital heart surgery at UTMB gives patient a second chance at life

Ruth Perez remembers the days when she could hardly get out require more operations or follow-ups as adults,” said Roughneen. of bed because of the headaches and shortness of breath. Always “These patients have unique needs, which general cardiologists tired, she could hardly do a thing because her body couldn’t may not be aware of. As more children who are diagnosed with handle the exertion. congenital heart defects live well into adulthood, the need for It didn’t matter if she was sitting or walking, sleeping or awake, doctors and surgeons able to treat them is growing.” her heart beat as if she had just finished running a race, Perez said.

Perez, now 31, was born in Houston but her mother did not have the economic means to have her heart condition treated when she was a baby. It wasn’t until last year that she was finally able to do something about it. Her uncle encouraged her to sign up for health insurance through the Affordable Care Act, she said.

The reason was a congenital condition known as a ventricular septal defect, an abnormality that develops before birth in which a hole is present in the wall separating the two lower chambers of the heart. Oxygen-rich blood gets pumped back into the lungs instead of out to the body, causing the heart to work harder. “’Maybe it’s time for you to take care of your disease’ my uncle Untreated, the defect can lead to potentially deadly compli- told me,” Perez said. cations, including pulmonary hypertension and heart failure. Then, fortunately for Perez, the cardiologist she saw recommended “During all those years I was praying to God and asking him she go to UTMB. Perez was scared about the prospect of surgery for help,” Perez said. “I wanted to live.” but even more scared about what would happen if she decided to forgo treatment. She eventually met with Roughneen, who said “This type of congenital heart defect is typically dealt with not he could do the operation. long after birth,” said Dr. Patrick Roughneen, a professor of Cardiothoracic Surgery and medical director of UTMB’s Adult Congenital Heart Center. “That is the common standard but that did not happen with Ruth.”

Roughneen and the UTMB congenital heart team successfully patched the hole in her heart with a piece of Gore-Tex like material that the heart will eventually incorporate into itself.

UTMB is one of a few accredited centers in the nation rec- Now, after the surgery, Perez says she can feel the difference. ognized by the Adult Congenital Heart Association for the “I sleep well,” Perez said. “I’m gaining weight. I feel great. I feel surgical treatment of adults with congenital heart disease. The happy. I can do a lot of things that I couldn’t before.” adult congenital heart team includes surgeons, cardiologists (both adult and pediatric), interventional cardiologists and Now that she can walk—and even run—she hopes to travel as radiologists who specialize in the complex care of adults with she has always wanted to do, Perez said. congenital heart defects.

For Roughneen, this is another example of how evolving surgical “Even if a patient may have had surgery to repair a heart defect techniques and treatment at specialized centers like UTMB are helpas a child, that doesn’t mean they are cured for life—they may ing patients with congenital heart conditions live better, longer lives. n

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A day in the life of a

patient service specialist

BY KIRSTIANN CLIFFORD

Flu? Poison Ivy? Spider bite? Broken bone? Rash?

You name it, Tasheda Johnson has seen it.

“Every day is different—you never know what situation is going to walk through the door when you work in urgent care,” she says.

As a patient service specialist at UTMB’s Urgent Care clinic in Angleton, Johnson is the first friendly face patients see when they need after-hours or weekend care. She manages a busy front desk, greeting patients, updating their contact and insurance information, taking co-pays, printing patient labels, answering phones—and providing a sense of relief for those in need of immediate treatment.

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“The majority of the time, people are so grateful that we are open late on weekdays and all day on the weekends,” says Johnson, who has worked at the urgent care clinic since it began offering services about a year ago. “That’s what’s so great about urgent care—we can help people when their regular doctor’s office is closed. It’s very convenient—people generally don’t wait more than 20 minutes to be seen.”

I meet up with Johnson on a Wednesday at 6 p.m. The clinic— which transforms from an orthopedic clinic by day to an urgent care center by night—is located down the street from UTMB’s Angleton Danbury Campus. As the sun drops below the horizon, Johnson and the urgent care staff welcome their first patients of the evening.

“Welcome to urgent care, how may I help you?” Johnson asks as a group of three people arrive. It’s a family affair—a woman explains that her son is having flu-like symptoms and her mother is experiencing pain in her right arm.

Johnson looks at their ID and insurance cards and notices that they are already in the computer system as established UTMB patients, so the check-in process is quick and easy. She takes their co-pays and kindly tells the family to take a seat in the waiting area. Johnson explains how she writes the patients’

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names, time of arrival and symptoms on blue cards that are used to communicate with the nursing staff.

“We generally have two providers and a nurse and a medical assistant who may see 18 or more patients a night,” says Johnson as she lets a nurse know that the family is ready to be seen. “We all work well as a team. If someone has a question, no one hesitates to go above and beyond to help.”

With this year’s rough flu season, UTMB urgent care clinics have seen a record number of patients. At the Angleton clinic, the number of patients has doubled over the last few months— keeping everyone on their toes.

“This flu season has been crazy—at its peak, we were seeing at least 10 positive flu tests per night,” says Johnson. “Whenever I heard a provider say ‘We have a positive test!’ I would jump up and wipe everything down with disinfecting wipes and put hand sanitizer everywhere for patients and staff. We have had whole households who came to the clinic with the flu—grandma, grandkids and parents—it just went from one person to the next.”

Johnson recognizes one of the next patients, who was at the clinic a few days prior for her son who had the flu. This time, though, the woman is the patient—she points to a painful red spot on her neck that may be a spider bite.

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Johnson listens carefully as the woman explains what happened and then relays the information to the nurse practitioner. Currently in school during the day to become a nurse herself, Johnson takes an additional interest in learning about all aspects of patient care.

“I volunteered at a hospital for National Honor Society when I was in high school and once I saw the care processes and how nurses advocate for their patients, I became really interested in it,” she says. “I love helping people and being busy—I think I want to go into critical care nursing.”

Critical thinking skills used in nursing are also important as a patient service specialist. As soon as a patient walks in the door, Johnson must assess whether the patient needs to be seen right away or even go straight to the emergency room.

“If I have a critical situation where a patient comes in and they are having heart palpitations or having trouble swallowing, I immediately get a nurse to triage them and see if they need to go to the ER or whether they can be treated here,” says Johnson. “A lot of people don’t know the difference between an ER and urgent care, so I oftentimes have to explain that while we are equipped to deal with many health problems, the ER is more appropriate for serious or life-threatening conditions.”

Johnson is quickly alerted to one patient who arrives with his mother and is suffering from acute abdominal pain. She gets

a nurse to triage the patient, who is determined to possibly have appendicitis. In this case, he must go directly to the ER. Luckily, it is just down the street and Johnson makes sure the patient is transferred there safely.

In between patient check-ins, Johnson reviews a spreadsheet that shows which patients have been seen at the urgent care who don’t have a primary care physician. She notes where the patients live and which UTMB providers may be convenient for them to visit.

“Before the clinic opens during my next shift, I’ll call the patients who aren’t established patients and see if I can connect them with a primary care provider,” she says. “I have a list of UTMB providers who are accepting patients and I can even set up appointments for them. PCP’s can offer preventive services and help manage chronic conditions so people only go to urgent cares and EDs when absolutely necessary.”

I part ways with Johnson as a rush of people arrive at 9:30 p.m.

She will stay long after the clinic’s 10 p.m. closing time, until each and every patient is seen by a provider and is satisfied with their experience. Johnson’s supervisor, Jesse Dodd, says this is just one example of her genuine care for patients and “top notch” work ethic, which has made her a pillar in the Angleton Urgent Care clinic. For Johnson, it’s just another exciting night—and she’s grateful to be part of a team who can help whoever might walk through the door. n

“The role of the patient service specialist is one of the hardest and most important staff roles across all our clinics. These employees must be able to think on their feet, quickly know when to escalate issues, employ positive customer service skills at all times, and calm concerned patients and family members. Our PSS staff are some of the best in the nation. We are fortunate to have so many hardworking and devoted PSS staff! I applaud them all for their competence and dedication to our patients.”

- Ann O’Connell, vice president for Ambulatory Operations

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E D UC AT I O N

Couple travels their way to a “match”

BY KURT KOOPMANN AND SHANNON PORTER

When medical students Adam and Christine Kley sat in UTMB’s Levin Hall Auditorium in Galveston on March 16 to find out where they would be continuing their training, it was the culmination of a long and winding road that included marriage and a life-changing experience in South America.

The Kleys were among 200-plus students at UTMB participating in Match Day. The annual event informs medical school students across the country where they will complete their residency training for their chosen specialties. Each student is called one at a time to receive a sealed envelope containing their residency assignment.

The young couple met during their medical school orientation and soon became inseparable. Realizing they wanted to share a life together, they married during their third year.

Both students were participating in the School of Medicine’s Global Health Track and sought to fulfill their desire for an experience abroad.

Knowing they wanted to start a family in the future, they took the advice of various faculty members and took a year off to participate in a work study program in Peru, Chile and Argentina.

Looking back on the experience Adam said, “It definitely expanded our world view and you might say expanded our age beyond our years.”

Adam stressed that seeing what others have in different countries can make you appreciate even more what we have at home. He also noted that while it was a rewarding experience, it came with its share of challenges and was very stressful at times.

Christine came from a family of missionaries and had a pretty good idea of what such an experience would entail. She also shares Adam’s sentiment and said the experience was more than valuable.

“I was impacted by the gratitude of the people I met in Peru. Some of the people were well off while others were not, but they found happiness in their families

Adam and Christine Kley hike Montaña de Colores, or Rainbow Mountain, in Peru. and work,” said Christine. “I feel sometimes in the West we focus more on the material, with having things—in Peru I did not see that.”

The Kleys were hoping to match at schools in Houston and when they both opened their envelopes on Match Day, they were elated to see that hope become a reality.

Adam matched with Baylor College of Medicine’s Internal Medicine program in Houston and Christine matched with Memorial Hermann’s Family Medicine program in Houston.

The couple could not stop smiling once they found out the news.

“We’re so happy,” Christine said. “It’s amazing.”

The National Resident Matching Program allows any two people in the match to link their rank lists. This process, known as a couple match, has a high success rate for couples participating. n

DID YOU KNOW? More than 200 UTMB students—including 12 couples—participated in this year’s Match Day, an annual event that informs medical school students across the country where they will complete their residency training for their chosen specialties.

2018 Class Highlights: • 215 total match participants • Students from Texas and 18 other states, as well as Lebanon, Nigeria, China, Vietnam and Burundi • 53% matched in Texas • 14% matched at UTMB • 31% matched in UT System • Four students matched into U.S. Army and Air Force residency programs • Students matched into more than 24 different specialties The Kleys hold up their Match Day letters showing where they will complete their residencies.

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UT MB NEW S

Meeting the challenge of burnout

Provost Lecture Series kicks off 2018 with expert insight into health care burnout

BY SHANNON PORTER

“Burnout” is a word that gets thrown around a lot—especially between busy, working “If there is some imbalance in one of professionals. these areas in the job, there will be some sense of burnout,” Maslach said However, research shows that it’s not just a busy schedule that can trigger professional during her talk. burnout. In fact, there are various levels of burnout that can be experienced by all types of professionals from all walks of life. In the world of health care, more than To help offset any imbalance, it is Dr. Christina Maslach talks about half of U.S. physicians report experiencing some form of burnout—and that’s not essential to make sure workload, employee burnout as part of the 2018 including nurses and other medical staff who may also experience the same feelings. control, reward, community, fairness Provost Lecture Series.

“Among other important concerns, patient safety is at risk with burnout,” said and values are in check.

Dr. Danny Jacobs, executive vice president, provost and dean of the School of “All areas don’t have to be in good shape,” Maslach said. “It may be that a person is Medicine at UTMB. not being paid enough, but the values of the organization are carrying them through.”

In February, Dr. Christina Maslach, a professor at the University of California–Berkley, creator of the Maslach Burnout Inventory and author of “The Truth About Burnout,” kicked off the 2018 Provost Lecture Series by addressing the growing trend of burnout, especially in health care.

To help get a workplace more balanced, working to build engagement, conducting regular organizational assessments, and early detection and prevention can be key.

“Efforts to achieve a positive goal may be better than trying to reduce a negative,” Maslach said.

“This should be a catalyst to spark more conversations about the topic of burnout,” And while change is not an easy process, research shows that improvements in said Jacobs. working environments can help prevent burnout and build engagement.

Maslach is widely recognized as a pioneer in job burnout research and has iden- “We are affected by the environment we work in, but we are also the people who tified six “mismatches” that make a person more likely to burnout, including: lack create it,” Maslach said. “We are the ones that have to implement the change.” of control, insufficient reward, breakdown of community, absence of fairness and value conflicts. The more mismatches a person identifies with, the more chances To watch Maslach’s presentation on employee burnout or view other lectures in the series, visit www.utmb.edu/provost/home/provost-lecture-series. n there are for burnout, she said.

Women rising

New employee-led group focuses on supporting the advancement of women who aspire to leadership roles

BY KIRSTIANN CLIFFORD

When Dr. Laura Rudkin was told not to worry who would be the next chair of their “The good news is that at UTMB, we have it a little better—we have a woman department because she would be there to “help him,” she took it as a challenge. who is CEO of the Health System, a woman chief financial officer, we have “It really struck me that I didn’t necessarily want to help, I wanted to take the lead,” deans and chairs that are women and more than a dozen women who are vice presidents,” said Saavedra. “But there is still more that we can do to advance said Rudkin, professor and chair of the Department of Preventive Medicine and women in medicine. Research shows that half of professional women have Community Health, and co-chair of the UTMB Women’s Leadership Network. “I never had a mentor… so this is a critical activity we need to get engaged in.” gave it some thought and went back and said I would like to be considered as an interim chair for that position… That was a turning point for me.”

Rudkin, along with Dr. Rebecca Saavedra, vice president of strategic management and WLN co-chair; Dr. Tamara Watts, associate professor in the Department of Otolaryngology; and Donna Sollenberger, executive vice president and chief executive officer of the Health System, shared the “zigs and zags” of their careers in leadership during the WLN’s inaugural event on Feb. 14 on the Galveston Campus.

The panel discussed the importance of supporting mentoring activities for aspiring women leaders and working together with men to build a collaborative environment.

“My primary mentors throughout my career have all been males,” said Sollenberger, when asked how men can help women develop as leaders.

“I can tell you what characteristics they had that were helpful to me: They saw my capability, not my gender. They understood that I had something important to say, not that I was expected to sit there and be silent... so encouraging people to Dr. Laura Rudkin speaks about her experiences in The new employee-led group is committed to become better, to grow, is so important, and leadership roles. developing, advancing and supporting women you do that by showing the way and making sure they feel that they can do it.” who hold or aspire to leadership roles in higher education. Before the panel of women leaders launched into a discussion moderated by UTMB President The panel also provided career advice and addressed work-life balance issues, David Callender, Saavedra pointed to statistics showing that while women are among other topics. To watch a video of the full panel discussion and to 44 percent of the overall S&P 500 labor force, they are only 25 percent of exec- learn more about the Women’s Leadership Network, visit www.utmb.edu/ utive- and senior-level officials and managers, and are only 6 percent of CEOs. womensleadershipnetwork. n

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10 ways to live green at home and in the workplace

By Angela McDowell, UTMB sustainability coordinator Conservation is the preservation, protection or restoration of the natural environment, natural ecosystems, vegetation and wildlife.

Sustainability is the ability to meet the needs of the current generation without compromising the well-being of future generations. Conservation and sustainability work hand-in-hand to ensure a great future for ourselves and the planet.

Here are 10 easy ways to conserve natural resources and promote sustainability at home and at work: 1. Ditch the bottled water. Making bottles to meet America’s demand for bottled water uses more than 17 million barrels of oil annually— enough to fuel 1.3 million cars for the year. Use a refillable water bottle!

2. Invest in reusable bags. A plastic shopping bag can take anywhere from 20 to 1,000 years to decompose. In a compressed landfill, without exposure to air to help them break down, paper bags aren’t much better. Given that the U.S. alone uses approximately 100 billion new plastic bags per year—and the average person goes through between 350 and 500—it’s easy to see how a simple change like using canvas shopping bags can make a positive environmental impact.

3. Stop using plastic wrap. As convenient as it may be, plastic wrap is terrible for the environment. Every year, Americans make enough to shrinkwrap the entire state of Texas! Keep your food in glass jars or other reusable containers instead.

4. Grow your own. Keeping an organic fruit and vegetable garden is an excellent way to reduce environmental impact. Even if you don’t have a garden, potted herbs on your kitchen window and a couple of containers on the balcony are great alternatives.

5. Cut food waste. The USDA estimates that over 30 percent of groceries in the U.S. get thrown away every year—that’s a depressing $162 billion

worth of food! By creating and sticking to a weekly meal plan, freezing or reusing leftovers, and composting skins and other food waste, you’ll not only save water and energy used to produce food that is just dumped—you’ll also save more of your own money.

6. Borrow or buy second hand. Second hand doesn’t mean second best! You can get some amazing finds in thrift stores, libraries, used book stores and used car lots. Producing new items leads to a lot of pollution and wastage.

It takes an incredible 5,000 gallons of water to grow enough cotton to produce one shirt, and manufacturing a new mid-sized car emits 30,000 pounds of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere.

7. Start a compost bin. By composting all your food waste, you can save the atmosphere from 440 pounds of damaging carbon dioxide per year! Compost is also ‘garden gold’ for feeding your home-grown produce.

8. Conserve energy at home and at work. Get into the habit of turning off lights when you leave a room and unplug electric devices when not in use.

9. “Opt out” of paper mail. Junk mail isn’t good for anyone and it’s especially bad for the environment. Its carbon footprint is equivalent to the emissions generated by heating nearly 13 million homes for the winter.

Search ways to ‘opt out’ of receiving junk mail. While you’re at it, change your bank statements to electronic versions.

10. Spread the word. Share this article and let others know that small changes can make a big difference. For more information about sustainability efforts at UTMB, visit www.utmb.edu/bof/utilities/sustainability/. n w

UTMB TRIVIA Participants of this UTMB-sponsored event enjoy stunning bay views from atop the Galveston Causeway while raising money for student scholarships. Since pedestrian travel over the causeway is strictly prohibited, it’s a rare opportunity to take Galveston’s only major incline by foot. This year’s event took place on March 3, with nearly 500 participants raising $24,000 to benefit UTMB students.

Can you name this annual event?

Send your answer to impact.newsletter@ utmb.edu and be entered into a drawing to win a UTMB swag bag. Good luck!

Answer to the March trivia question: UTMB faculty used parts from a Singer sewing machine to build the first X-ray machine in Texas.

Spring Action Photo

Congrats to Marisol Gutierrez, a vocational nurse at the Regional Maternal and Child Health Program (RMCHP) clinic in Orange, who won the April drawing!