Impact August 2015

UTMB Newsletter • AUGUST 2015

Waist Management

The Mother of Invention

Sharing is Caring

Spotlight on our GNL Director

UTMB behind the lens

The Academy of Master Clinicians recently inducted its inaugural members. Congratulations to Masood Ahmad, M.D., J. Sean Funston, M.D., Gloria Brandburg, Ph.D., Luis Pacheco, M.D., Jennifer R. Raley, M.D., Janak A. Patel, M.D., William Mileski, M.D., Carolyn Utsey, Ph.D., Michael M. Stone, M.D., Vinod Panchbhavi, M.D., Sunny Hatch, M.D., and Michelle Mercatante, M.D. Linda Phillips, M.D., has been appointed to serve as director of the AMC for a two-year term. The AMC is a major initiative to celebrate the contributions of our gifted clinicians across the Schools of Medicine, Nursing and Health Professions who epitomize the highest standards of clinical care in terms of skill, expertise, experience, compassion and efficiency. For details, visit the AMC online at www.utmb.edu/amc.

UTMB medical student Tobi Odunsi has been named a member of the 2015-2016 class of Albert Schweitzer Fellows from the Houston/Galveston area. The one-year mentored fellowship program is focused on healthrelated community service and leadership development. Odunsi is working with the YWCA to implement her “mind-enrichment” program focused on engaging youth 14-20 in wellness practices through creative expressions and education to foster healthier lifestyle practices.

UTMB School of Nursing Assistant Professor Bonnie Webster received a Faculty Teaching Award from the School of Medicine’s Department of Pediatrics for her role in teaching clinical skills to medical students when they rotate through Pediatrics.

Dr. Matt Dacso, assistant professor of Internal Medicine and director of UTMB’s Center for Global Health Education, was recently inaugurated as a William Osler Scholar in the John P. McGovern Academy of Oslerian Medicine. The Academy was founded at UTMB in 2001 to recognize physicians who provide highly compassionate care and to encourage the teaching and practice of such care to medical students.

ANGLETON DANBURY CAMPUS Updates Dr. Qiangjun Cai and the staff of UTMB Health Cardiology in Angleton have officially opened their doors. They are located in a beautiful and newly renovated office space in the Professional Office Building. More moves and renovations are in process as we prepare for more new physicians and clinic openings.

Patient Navigation and the Marketing team attended the Brazoria County Hurricane Expo, where more than 1,000 community members were in attendance.

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From the President

AUGUST 2015

August marks the end of another fiscal year for UTMB. While this is always a busy time for everyone at the university, I hope we can all take a moment to reflect on the past year and all of the many accomplishments we’ve made in our efforts to improve health and improve lives.

This issue of Impact features a wide variety of articles on just a few of the people behind UTMB’s good work. This issue is one of many reminders to me that we have a lot to be proud of.

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Among the stories: • A day in the life of Mark Kinonen, UTMB photographer • A profile of Dr. Jim LeDuc, director of the Galveston National Laboratory • Students getting real-world, interprofessional experience in an annual summer Neuro/PT clinic • Multispecialty Center employees talking surgical weight loss success

Behind the Lens

• Back-to-school tips for parents from pediatrician Richard Rupp

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• Our Pedi/PICU staff giving back to their patients’ families with “Sharing is Caring” • UTMB’s new Obstetric-Fetal Pharmacology Research Center, one of only three of its kind in the nation • Numerous accomplishments and kudos in the Working Wonders column and throughout the newsletter I also want to wish everyone at our Angleton Danbury Campus a happy anniversary. They became part of UTMB one year ago this month, helping expand access to needed health care services in the fast-growing Brazoria County area. We are so pleased to have such great partners in the UTMB family.

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Enjoy this issue, let the Impact team know your ideas for future articles, and—most importantly—take some time to celebrate another year of progress for our collective mission.

Thank you.

Dr. David 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: Mark Kinonen, UTMB photographer

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Vice President Marketing & Communications Steve Campbell

Contact us Email: impact.newsletter@utmb.edu Phone: (409) 772-2618

Associate Vice President Marketing & Communications Mary Havard

Campus mail route: 0144 U.S. Postal address: UTMB Marketing & Communications

301 University Boulevard

Galveston, TX 77555-0144

Editors Kristen Hensley KirstiAnn Clifford Art Director Mark Navarro

P r inted by U T MB g r aphic design & P rinting S ervices

PATIENT CARE

Multispecialty Center employees share their surgical weight loss journeys, give hope to patients B y K i r sti A nn C liffo r d

Five years ago, Casey Radicioni reached a crossroads. At 28 years old and 240 pounds, she couldn’t climb a flight of stairs without almost passing out from being out of breath. She couldn’t play outside with her nephew and nieces—she had to sit in a chair and watch. To make matters worse, she found out she wasn’t able to have children because of her weight.

Depressed and tired of struggling with numerous diets and exercise, she made a life-changing decision—and has never looked back.

“My motto became ‘Getting thin in 2010,’ and that’s what I did,” said Radicioni.

me are happier, too, and I get to experience the joy of being a mother.”

She also loves her job.

She became a patient services specialist at COAMS shortly after her surgery. Her dramatic before-andafter photos sit on display for patients to see, and to serve as a reminder of how far she’s come.

On April 26, 2010, Radicioni had a gastric bypass at UTMB’s Center for Obesity and Metabolic Surgery (COAMS) after months of preparation and clinical appointments.

“At first, people look As she started shedding at me and say I don’t the pounds, her confidence understand their grew and her overall health Casey Radicioni sits next to her before-and-after photos that are on display at COAMS situation because I’m improved. Today, she is 101 not overweight,” said pounds lighter and has two happy and healthy kids.

Radicioni. “But when I tell them I was actually once 240 pounds, “It was the best choice for me,” said Radicioni. “I no longer they look shocked at first and then start asking a lot of questions struggle with sleep apnea or hypertension. The confidence I and have a more positive outlook. I get to be a cheerleader for my now have is unbelievable. And since I am happy, people around patients and can provide insight that others can’t.”

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COAMS recently moved from the UTMB Specialty Care Center at Victory Lakes to the UTMB Multispecialty Center and Stark Diabetes Clinic in League City. Radicioni isn’t the only employee working in the Multispecialty Center who has had weight loss surgery at UTMB. Kelli Gondesen, a nurse at COAMS, was the center’s 29th bariatric surgery patient. Donna Papa, a patient services specialist with the Transplant Clinic, celebrates her fiveyear post-op anniversary this month. And Peggy Castanie, a program manager at the Multispecialty Center, had her surgery just over a year ago as an effective therapy to control her diabetes. She went from needing insulin as one of several diabetes medications to taking none at all.

Each of them has reached a normal weight and no longer suffers health-related issues. But the women agree that surgery is only the first step to achieving an overall change. They all have made diet and exercise lifestyle changes in order to stay on track, and they often share their stories with patients.

Since opening in 2004, more than 1,000 patients have undergone bariatric surgery at COAMS (formerly called the UTMB Center for Weight Management). The center holds a Level 1A “Center of Excellence” designation by the American College of Surgeon’s Bariatric Surgery Center Network Accreditation Program, which means the center can handle the most challenging and complex cases. The designation also means the center is a Medicare-approved facility.

Dr. Russell LaForte, who practices internal medicine at COAMS, said the center has evolved over the years.

“I was here when we started, almost 11 years ago,” said LaForte. “We now have a much more scientific approach and have come to understand which patients will respond to which treatment options.”

He added that it’s an exciting time in terms of new procedures. The COAMS team is performing endoscopic revisions of the gastric pouch (using the “Overstitch” device) for patients who have already had a gastric bypass, but their post-operative pouch, or remaining functional stomach, has enlarged and they have regained weight. The procedure is minimally invasive and restores the stomach opening to a smaller size.

COAMS is also one of only a few places in the Houston area that is able to perform vBloc therapy, which was approved by the Food and Drug Administration earlier this year. During a minimally invasive procedure, a device much like a pacemaker is implanted under the skin. The device is programmed to alter the hunger and fullness messages between the brain and stomach by

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intermittently blocking signals from the vagus nerve, which is a key regulator of the digestive system. In theory, this leads to reduced appetite and weight loss.

The device can easily be removed if desired.

Whether it’s diet and exercise or a surgical treatment, Radicioni said she’s happy to talk to anyone about her experience and the options available at COAMS. She helps facilitate a bimonthly bariatric seminar for patients undergoing diet and lifestyle changes to improve surgery outcomes and long-term weight-loss success. Radicioni attended the meetings herself, as a patient five years ago.

“In these meetings, I always say, ‘I don’t just talk the talk, I’ve walked the walk. I’ve sat where you now sit.’ It makes them feel better to know there’s someone who can truly understand what they’re going through—because results don’t happen overnight. We take it one pound at a time.”

The UTMB Multispecialty Center and Stark Diabetes Clinic opened in 2011 and demonstrates UTMB’s efforts to create a healing environment. It offers a wide range of services, including primary care, medical specialties, diabetes and disease management, all under one roof: •• Center for Obesity and Metabolic Surgery •• Stark Diabetes Clinic •• Geriatrics •• Rheumatology •• Eye Clinic •• Family Medicine •• Internal Medicine– Primary Care •• Cardiology

•• Pulmonary •• Asthma/Allergy/ Immunology •• Nephrology •• Neurology •• Pain Management •• Transplant Clinic •• Blood Donor Center •• Center for Sleep Disorders

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B y K i r st i A n n C l i ff o r d

Coffee, lots and lots of coffee. That’s pretty much the only constant in Mark Kinonen’s work day as a photographer at UTMB. So it only makes sense that I find him—surprise!—drinking industrial-strength coffee in his office on a Friday morning, charging camera batteries for a shoot later that day and jamming out to an eclectic mix of music (think Miles Davis/The Black Keys/Bryan Adams) as he answers emails and gets his creative juices flowing.

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At first, he was shocked that I would want to follow him around for a day. He’s a self-proclaimed “introvert” and isn’t used to being the center of attention. But I insist, and he gives in, warning me that his job is not glamorous.

“This is really weird for me, because the whole point of my job is to not be seen—I like being a fly on the wall,” said Kinonen. “My goal is to be a transparent medium for whatever message needs to be communicated. However, that doesn’t stop me from climbing up a ladder and yelling directions at 250 physicians in order to shoot a group photo (laughs).”

Kinonen has been at UTMB for 13 years. He started as an audio/ visual technician and did everything from rewiring classroom audio systems, to wearing a lab coat and acting as a researcher in staged photos.

When he’s not behind a big lens, you can find him hunting down photo requests from the archives—he’s organizing and digitizing photos from the last four decades. He also spends hours at a time editing, scheduling photo shoots, troubleshooting problems with equipment and handling billing invoices.

At 5 p.m., he gathers his equipment for an event that starts in an hour— the Department of Physical Therapy’s Professionalism Ceremony, which consists of 53 Doctor of PT students receiving pins and reciting the professional pledge with faculty. He goes down to the Levin Hall main auditorium early to set up lights, mark an “X” in orange tape where students will stand for photos, and move furniture so he will have the best angles.

Over the years, he was able to experiment more with photography, “A great deal of time is spent before and after events making sure and his passion grew. Processing and things are done professionally and the process runs smoothly for developing film in a dark room evolved our clients,” said Kinonen. into digital cameras and Photoshop He jokes that when the night is over, his face editing. He credits great will hurt from smiling. on-the-job mentoring with helping him perfect I’ve shot items as “My face does hurt a lot, in a good way, his skills. diverse as food, from smiling,” said Kinonen. “I get to be present for a lot of happy moments— As we sit and chat, a new hands holding graduations, homecomings, award ceremonies, internal medicine resident brochures and groundbreakings and ribbon-cuttings; a lot of shows up for a portrait medallions, aerial ‘first’ moments—new faculty, staff or student session in the studio next to Kinonen’s office on the portraits, induction ceremonies; and a lot fourth floor of Levin Hall on the Galveston Campus. campus photos, of happy ‘last’ moments, such as retirement petri dishes, rat “My 11 o’clock appointment is right on time,” said receptions and 30-year portraits.” eyeballs, bones Kinonen as he morphs into photographer mode, As families, students and faculty start lining in, setting up lights and getting his equipment ready. (human and Kinonen is there to answer questions on how At the same time, he holds a conversation with the otherwise), and the event will flow and where people will need resident, making her feel comfortable and pointing to stand before and after getting pinned. He even a slice of out a mirror for any last-minute adjustments. moves seamlessly around the auditorium with Sir William Osler’s Although he says he’s an introvert, it’s evident that his camera, using his skillful eye to catch every brain. he really is a people person. He knows how to moment and create artistic compositions. engage shy clients and help them forget the camera The ceremony ends with a photo of all the PT is there, all the while directing them into flattering students together.

He admits that big group photos can be a little angles for their body and face shapes. Ten minutes later, Kinonen is back at his computer editing and cropping her photo to be used on like herding cats, but he manages to work his magic and get the UTMB website and department poster, as well as her ID badge. everyone lined up and smiling at the same time.

Kinonen has taken some of UTMB’s most iconic photos. In addition to shooting hundreds of portraits and special events each year, he also takes on other projects, amassing 6 terabytes of digital photos that he has to backup routinely.

His night ends at 7:30 p.m. on a Friday. By now, the caffeine has worn off and Kinonen acknowledges the irregular hours, but says it comes with the territory. He just hopes to make it home in time to tuck his four kids into bed.

“I’ve shot items as diverse as food, hands holding brochures and medallions, aerial campus photos, petri dishes, rat eyeballs, bones (human and otherwise), and even a slice of Sir William Osler’s brain,” said Kinonen.

“I love my job. I’m literally capturing UTMB’s history and get to be a part of the institution’s greatest moments, but going home to family is the best feeling in the world.”

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ResearcH

New center paves way for safe and effective medications during pregnancy B y K r i ste n H e n s l e y

“The safety and effectiveness of this drug has not been established in pregnancy.”

If up to UTMB researchers, those cautionary words on medication labels may soon be a thing of the past.

The study of drugs given to pregnant women is one of the most neglected areas in the field of clinical pharmacology and drug research. As such, only a handful of medications have been approved by the Food and Drug Administration for use in pregnancy.

“Pregnancy poses a unique situation,” said Dr. Gary Hankins, chairman of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, explaining the dearth of research. “Pharmaceutical companies, because of fears of fetal harm and financial loss resulting from liability claims, have been reluctant to study drugs in pregnancy. It’s a challenge.”

Fetal Pharmacology Research Center, of which there are only three in the nation.

While remarkable progress has been made in research over the past few years, significant knowledge gaps remain.

Using a multidisciplinary approach, UTMB’s research center—called the Center for Development of Medications and Biologics for Treatment of the Pregnant Patient and Fetus—will help with the translation of knowledge from the basic sciences into the development of new treatments, and findings from clinical trials into practice, with the ultimate goal of improving the safety and effectiveness of medications for pregnant women.

But a challenge that UTMB is uniquely qualified to handle.

A 2011 study reported that most women (90 percent) take at least one medication during pregnancy. Consider that the size of the kidneys, plasma volume and cardiac output all increase by 50 percent during pregnancy, and common sense tells you that the dosage for pregnant women would not be the same as for nonpregnant women.

UTMB has long been a leader in maternal-fetal medicine and research—10 years as part of a network of sites studying medications in pregnancy. The National Institutes of Health recognized UTMB’s emergence as a national resource and recently awarded it $5.3 million to establish an Obstetric-

Mahmoud S. Ahmed, Ph.D., director of the Maternal-Fetal Pharmacology and Biodevelopment Laboratories, explains, “Pregnancy causes extensive physiological and biochemical changes in the mother that are currently not accounted for in medicine. A number of variables can modify the intensity

RESEARCH BRIEFS Labros Sidossis, Ph.D., has discovered, for the first time in humans, that the widely reviled energy-storing white fat can be turned into an energy-burning brown fat that uses up excess calories.

This study shows that white fat in humans can also turn into a form resembling brown fat. However, the change requires severe and prolonged adrenalinereleasing stress. The findings were published in Cell Metabolism.

Shelby Lies, M.D., and Andrew Zhang, M.D., conducted a study showing that when plastic surgeons listen to music they

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prefer, their surgical technique and efficiency when closing incisions is improved. The findings were published in the Aesthetic Surgery Journal.

Jacques Baillargeon, Ph.D., has found that middle-aged and older men who receive testosterone therapy are not at increased risk of blood clots in veins. These findings may help to inform the benefit-risk assessment for men with testosterone deficiency considering treatment.

The findings were published in the Mayo Clinic Proceedings.

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Research and duration of a drug’s effect, including absorption, excretion, blood flow and interaction with other compounds.”

He said obtaining clinical data is imperative to gaining FDA approval for medications in pregnancy. The center will study a wide range of acute and chronic conditions, as well as pregnancy complications.

The center’s three initial research projects will include a clinical, a translational and a pilot project. The pilot will evaluate nanomedicine tools (matter at the molecular level) for safety and efficacy in treating cancer during pregnancy. The translational and clinical projects will work together to establish optimal dosing of the prescription drug pravastatin to prevent preeclampsia—a condition that affects blood pressure and results in 500,000 infant deaths worldwide each year.

The preliminary results of the pravastatin study are astounding, according to Hankins. “If they hold, this will be the most significant contribution I’ve made in my life,” he said. “We are truly doing things that have never been done before in obstetricfetal medicine. In fact, the medicine we practice today, other places won’t practice for a decade—we are that far ahead. We’re defining the medicine of tomorrow. And that’s the truth.”

“The medicine we practice today, other places won’t practice for a decade— we are that far ahead.”

History The first interdisciplinary team of investigators was achieved by building on the existing collaboration between Hankins, a clinical scientist, and Ahmed, a translational scientist, which started in 2002 and resulted in numerous NIH grants that were competitively renewed. The pair focused on (1) recruiting new faculty members and selecting and training the second generation of clinical and research scientists and (2) providing the environment and resources required for building a multidisciplinary team of investigators capable of launching clinical and translational projects. In 2008, Ahmed submitted a five-year strategic plan for building a new division in the department, out of which the Maternal-Fetal Pharmacology and Biodevelopment Laboratories were formed. The mission: to form multidisciplinary teams of clinical and translational investigators interested in women’s health, with one team focused on maternal-fetal pharmacology.

team The center’s director is Gary Hankins, M.D., and associate director is Mahmoud S. Ahmed, Ph.D.

Left to right (back): Wayne Snodgrass, Maged Costantine, Erik Rytting, Gary D.V. Hankins. Left to right (front): Sherif Z. Abdel-Rahman, Holly West, Mahmoud S. Ahmed, Tatiana N. Nanovskaya. Not pictured: Shannon Clark, Mahbubur Rahman, Xiao-Ming Wang.

Alai Tan, M.D., conducted a review of Texas Medicare claims data from more than 145,000 patients 66 and older suffering from non-specific low back pain and found that about a third of patients get some sort of imaging. Patients with episodes of acute back pain generally get better without specific treatment.

Randomized controlled trials have found no significant benefits from imaging, but there is the potential for harm. The findings were published in the Journal of Internal Medicine.

Jia Zhou, Ph.D., has identified a molecule that binds to cancer cells and triggers cell death. This molecule suppresses growth of lung cancer tissue without toxic side effects. Development of this molecule may be a strategy to improve lung cancer outcomes. Understanding these mechanisms impact

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UTMB clinical and research scientists include Sherif Abdel-Rahman, Ph.D.; Shannon Clark, M.D.; Maged Costantine, M.D.; Tatiana Nanovskaya, Ph.D.; Mahbubur Rahman, MBBS, Ph.D., MPH; Erik Rytting, Ph.D.; Wayne Snodgrass, M.D., Ph.D.; Xiao-Ming Wang, Ph.D.; and Holly West, DHEd. Collaborators include Susan AbdelRahman, Pharm.D., from Children’s Mercy Hospital in Kansas City, Missouri, and Kimberly Dukes, Ph.D., CEO of DM-STAT.

can also illuminate a direction for development of a whole new class of anti-cancer agents. The findings are published in the journal Cancer Cell.

Phani Veeranki, MBBS, Dr.P.H., recently published a study in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine showing that waterpipe use is linked with susceptibility to cigarette smoking in neversmoking teens. This study analyzed data from more than 30,000 teens from 17 Arab nations. With increasing waterpipe use among youth in Arab nations, the study findings will help public health officials and health care providers to develop interventions to prevent these teens from going on to smoke cigarettes.

Research Briefs were compiled from UTMB Health news releases written by Donna Ramirez and Christopher Smith Gonzalez.

Find out more at www.utmb.edu/newsroom.

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EDUCATION

Interprofessional summer teaching clinics offer free care, make big difference B y K i r sti A nn C liffo r d

UTMB students stepped out of the classroom and into the clinic to get hands-on experience treating patients during two weeks of neurological rehabilitation clinics in June and July.

Hosted by the School of Health Professions, the free summer clinics were provided in a teaching environment, with students providing care under faculty supervision. This year’s clinic had increased interprofessional collaboration, with patients receiving a medical screening history and physical by medical and nurse practitioner students, as well as services from Doctor of Physical Therapy and Master of Occupational Therapy students. The health professions, nursing and medical students had several multidisciplinary meetings throughout the process to agree on treatment plans for each patient.

“The first day he was at our clinic in 2014, six of the students and faculty lifted him out of his family’s Suburban,” said Seale. “He was completely dependent on his family and had very little movement.”

The volunteer patients included UTMB employees and students, as well as people from around Galveston County who had no other access to care.

They sought care for the effects of a stroke, spinal cord injury, Parkinson’s disease, traumatic brain injury or other neurological disorders.

The goal was to plan and initiate individualized treatment programs designed to restore functional movement, relieve pain, and promote healing and recovery.

“The clinics are important for students from a learning standpoint, but they also provide a huge service for patients who either don’t have the resources to pay for therapy or are very chronic and may have trouble getting a referral for further therapy,” said Jill Seale, Ph.D., an assistant professor in the SHP’s Department of Physical Therapy. “But with every clinic we hold, we see patients get better—sometimes in small ways and sometimes in big ways.”

Second-year PT doctoral students Sierra Andreason and Josh Watson teamed up to evaluate and start treatment on a woman who had a stroke. This left her with spasticity, a muscle control disorder that caused the muscles in her arms to be very tight. Both students agreed that the clinic experience was their favorite part of the curriculum so far.

“We’ve done a lot of practicing on each other with pretend scenarios, but it’s a lot better to see a real patient with a real neurological diagnosis who needs therapy services,” said Andreason. “It’s been three days, but I’ve already noticed improvements in the patient I’m working with. I feel really good, like I’m actually doing something right (laughs). It’s exciting.”

Other PT and OT students worked with a man from Dickinson who had attended the clinic last year, as well. After suffering a catastrophic spinal cord injury, he had been discharged from an acute care facility without any instructions or equipment.

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PT student Michael Payne works with a patient during the neuro clinic

“Not only are these clinics providing students with an invaluable learning experience, they are literally improving lives.”

His team of student physical therapists at the clinic did a great job of getting him on his way to better function.

They also provided his family with valuable education and assisted in finding him a pro bono clinic in Houston for further therapy.

Seale was shocked to see him again this year, because he walked in with a walker and didn’t even bring a wheelchair. “So he went from complete wheelchair dependence to walking with little or no supervision,” she said.

For several patients, the student-run clinic is their only rehab or their entry point into other resources.

“Our students are making a huge difference,” said Seale. “Not only are these clinics providing students with an invaluable learning experience, they are literally improving lives.”

In addition to the neuro clinic, the SHP’s Department of Physical Therapy hosted a similar clinic focused on musculoskeletal issues. PT students provided physical therapy sessions for patients who had problems with spine, arm or leg pain, as well as problems of muscle weakness or poor balance.

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EDUCATION

T

he Liaison Committee on Medical Education

(LCME)—the primary accreditation body for the School of Medicine and its educational programs— voted to continue full accreditation of UTMB’s medical education program for the maximum allowable eight-year term.

Dr. Danny O. Jacobs, executive vice president, provost and dean of the School of Medicine, said, “We are very proud to be reaccredited for the longest term allowed.

Everyone worked very hard over many months in preparation for our site visit. Our success is a testament to those efforts and, equally importantly, reflects our dedication to providing outstanding training for our students.”

As part of the accreditation process, a review team conducted a site visit to the school in December 2014, an event preceded by an intense 18-month self-study that involved examination of over 100 LCME standards by more than 110 faculty and staff, and extensive student input.

The LCME singled out our school for strength in the following areas:

1. “The administration has successfully developed, implemented, and communicated a strategic plan and an education fund allocation system that effectively ties institutional goals with faculty participation in medical student education.” The Strategic Management Task Force and Faculty Compensation Committee deserve special recognition for their accomplishments.

2. “The student diversity pipeline programs have proven to be particularly effective in creating a diverse academic environment.” Jeff Rabek, Ph.D., Lisa Cain, Ph.D., and Norma Perez, M.D., Dr.P.H., and their staff in the Office of Student Affairs, deserve special recognition for their work.

The LCME doesn’t award citations of “strength” lightly, noting that it reflects “a truly distinctive activity or characteristic...worthy of emulation.”

Dr. Michael Ainsworth, professor in the Department of Internal Medicine and vice dean for Academic Affairs, said, “This is great news and a tribute to what we already know—we have an outstanding group of educators, staff and students in the School of Medicine.

Congratulations to all who contributed to this effort!”

I n n ovatio n Focus Untangling the Web

It Takes Two

It’s a Small World

On Aug. 4, members of the Internet Technology Committee presented an introduction to Sitefinity, UTMB’s new Web content management system (CMS). The session offered an overview and demo of the tool for those involved in website creation or Web management at UTMB. The CMS is part of a larger new Web suite of tools and updates that were introduced this past May. Called the “Web Reboot,” the project also includes mobile site templates, link and spelling validation, a digital image library, new guidelines and page requirements, social media changes, and training and tutorials to support the Web development community and those they serve. Watch the meeting recap at http://blogs.utmb.edu/web.

Over the last year, UTMB’s Office of Information Security has seen a significant increase in the number of phishing campaigns that target our employees with the intent of harvesting usernames and passwords for the purpose of identity theft and other types of fraud.

Beginning Sept. 1, UTMB will require two-factor authentication for remote access to the UTMB network using VPN or Citrix. The process will be simple and straightforward and will reduce the risks associated with phishing activities.

Employees who have logged on via VPN or Citrix within the past 90 days will get more info soon.

Read more at www.utmb.edu/impact.

Working with a vendor that developed maps for the Walt Disney Parks, UTMB recently embarked on an initiative to create new online enhanced digital maps. The tool will cover all three UTMB campuses and include all the university’s clinics and offcampus sites. The maps can be edited and printed, are mobile friendly, will include virtual tours and 3D views, and are built on a foundation that uses the familiar Google Maps. The maps will make their debut this fall.

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LEADER SPOTLIGHT

James LeDuc, Ph.D., is the director of the Galveston National Laboratory, one

of the largest active biocontainment facilities on a U.S. academic campus. LeDuc joined UTMB in late 2006 from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta, where he was the influenza coordinator and director of the Division of Viral and Rickettsial Diseases. With more than four decades of experience working in the fields of biodefense and public health, LeDuc’s work has taken him around the world, from West Africa, where he began his professional career as a field biologist working for the Smithsonian Institution, to Brazil and Panama during a 23-year career as a U.S. Army officer in the medical research and development command.

Between leading the charge in addressing emerging infectious diseases and threats of bioterrorism, and spending time with his seven grandkids, LeDuc doesn’t have much down time. He took a few minutes to talk about his busy life inside and outside of the GNL.

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LeDuc with his wife, Maryellen, and three daughters, Amy, Mara and Courtney, at the 2015 San Luis Salute in Galveston, where he was recognized for his work during the Ebola crisis.

“I have a wonderful family with three grown children and seven grandchildren and a very energetic wife. Life outside of work is as busy as it is in the GNL.”

What does the Road Ahead look like for you?

these institutions have shaped my career and life immensely.

I’m proud of the fact that the GNL is fully operational and that we are making real contributions to important global health challenges. I get great satisfaction in being involved at the intersection of science, global public health and national security, and I hope to continue down that road.

What’s something in your career that you had to deal with that you never anticipated?

How do your past positions with the CDC and the Army help you in your current role?

I understand your college major was zoology. Have you always been interested in animals?

I was incredibly fortunate to enter the Army as an officer and offered the chance to work with some of the greatest scientists I’ve ever known. I was given tremendous opportunities for growth, independence and responsibility, and I benefited greatly from Army support for my graduate education. At CDC, I similarly enjoyed working with a dedicated, outstanding cadre of public health professionals, and together we faced some of the most challenging outbreaks seen, including SARS. At CDC and in the Army, I learned the importance of solid technical skills, the value of teamwork, the global nature of infectious diseases (and just about everything else), and the essence of leadership. The friends and acquaintances I’ve made and the experiences we have shared at

I majored in zoology because I didn’t want to take a course in botany. As it turned out, my focus on zoology led to some great field trips collecting mammals, which later generated a job offer from the Smithsonian Institution to work on the African Mammal Project, which was a project sponsored by the U.S. Army. This opened a path to becoming an Army Officer.

Funny how these things happen.

Budgets, personnel management, communications, career moves and relocations, raising a family in foreign countries and about a thousand other things.

Where’s the “wildest” place your work has ever taken you?

I’ve been fortunate to have experienced many unique adventures throughout my career, starting with living in a tent for two years while working for the Smithsonian Institution in West Africa on the African Mammal Project. During

this time a colleague and I had a Ford pickup truck, three tents, camping and collecting gear and, along with an African cook and another helper, we collected small mammals at sites in Ivory Coast, Ghana, Togo and what was then Dahomey (now Benin), with short forays into Upper Volta (now Burkina Faso) and Nigeria.

This was nearly 50 years ago (1967-69) and the world was a very different place then. It was a wonderful adventure and an educational experience that helped shape my life.

What do you like to do outside of work?

I have a wonderful family with three grown children and seven grandchildren and a very energetic wife. Life outside of work is as busy as it is in the GNL.

What’s something people would be surprised to know about you?

I spent the first half of my junior year at the University of Hawaii, mostly surfing.

What’s something you always wanted to do but have not done yet?

I’ve been to many parts of the world, but I still enjoy traveling and would like to see Antarctica, Iceland and the southern parts of Argentina and Chile, among others.

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VALUES

Pediatric/PICU staff provide food, compassion for patient families in need

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B y K i r sti A nn C liffo r d

aking care of UTMB’s youngest patients is always the No. 1 priority for nurses in the Pediatric and Pediatric Intensive Care Units at John Sealy Hospital. But the nursing staff also pays close attention to the needs of patients’ families who spend hours, days and sometimes longer at their loved ones’ bedside.

Until recently, Juanita Norton, Pedi/PICU assistant nurse manager, and her staff observed parents and siblings of patients going without food for long periods of time because they didn’t have access to or the resources to buy a meal.

“Nurses would come to me in tears because families of patients would look at them with so much need and there wasn’t much we could do,” said Norton. “Many times, we would give them money out of our own pockets to buy $5 trays from the cafeteria, but it was heartbreaking to say ‘Sorry, we can feed your child who’s been admitted to the hospital, but we can’t feed you.’”

Norton and the other nurses in her unit brainstormed and came up with the “Sharing is Caring” program just before the holidays last year. Pediatric Health Unit Coordinator Liz Kiamar helped secure an initial large donation of individually sized food items to fill the cabinet shelves of a break room adjacent to the patient rooms.

“Now, when patients and families arrive in our unit, we let them know that food is available in the break

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room if they need it,” said Kiamar. “It really takes the stress off both the staff and the parents of patients. They don’t have to worry about feeding themselves and their other children and can focus on their son or daughter who is in the hospital.”

Norton said families have been very appreciative—and since the food is self-serve, people don’t have to feel embarrassed asking for something to eat.

“There is a mother who comes here every week with her daughter, who has cancer. Sometimes, the mother is able to purchase food for herself, but other times she isn’t able to get anything, so she will go to the cabinet and see what we have available. She is always so thankful to have this as an option.”

The food items are not purchased by UTMB or provided as part of a family’s stay at the hospital; rather, they are donations from staff, friends of the Pediatric Unit, and other patient families who want to help those in need.

Employees try to keep the shelves stocked with individually packaged items that have an expiration date—ramen noodle cups, individual servings of macaroni and cheese, and cracker packs are popular items.

From left to right: Juanita Norton, Mindi Marzouk, Sandra Andrews and Liz Kiamar

“Everybody puts in a little bit here and there—our staff will pick up a few extra items when they are at the grocery store to donate,” said Norton. “Having a child in the hospital is never easy, so we are happy to help in some small way.”

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President’s “Way to Go!” Awards: Dr. David Callender recognized several UTMB employees for their great work during the July 10 Town Hall Meeting. Congratulations to Daniel Bowen, John Siverand and Roger Miller for their heroic acts; Carlos Clark and George Gaddie for their extraordinary Epic Go Live at the Angleton Danbury Campus; Christine Wade and Dr. Scott Lea for their work in getting UTMB designated as a Regional Ebola Treatment Center; Jake Wolf and Jim Victor for leadership in the construction of Jennie Sealy Hospital; Gerald Cleveland and team for spearheading UTMB’s win in

the UT System Physical Challenge; Lauren Sheer for her commitment to CMC during the legislative session; Mike Mastrangelo for keeping everyone at UTMB prepared and safe; and five UTMB nursing faculty members: Thomas Mendez, Ph.D., Yolanda Davila, Ph.D., Maureen Wilder, DNP, Jacquelyn Svoboda and Rebeka Watson Campbell, Ph.D., for receiving awards from the Good Samaritan Foundation.

Watch the complete presentation at www.utmb.edu/townhall.

EAC visits CMC employees at Gatesville prison units Employee Advisory Council members got a close-up view of the challenges faced by dedicated UTMB Correctional Managed Care employees providing health care to offenders in Gatesville-area prison units during a visit July 30-31. CMC Senior Practice Manager Valencia Pollard guided members through the Hughes unit, which houses nearly 3,000 male offenders. They toured a garment factory, minimum security dorms and maximum security cells, as well as the infirmary, where they participated in a Weekly Relay meeting. At the Mountain View unit, which houses about 600 female offenders including those on death row, CMC Nurse Manager Brenda Fread, RN, provided a tour of the minimum security area where offenders are taught to manufacture Braille books for the blind, as well as maximum security areas. EAC members also participated in the clinic staff’s Weekly Relay meeting.

An informal gathering at a Gatesville hotel allowed EAC members to chat with about 40 CMC employees from units throughout the area and express appreciation for their hard work. “We were impressed with these dedicated CMC employees who are so committed to their mission,’’ said EAC Chairman Frank Valiulis. “Despite the grueling heat [outside of the medical clinics] and the unique challenges of their patients, it’s obvious they love what they do.’’

Members of UTMB’s Support Staff Professionals delivered gift bags to the ACE (Acute Care for Elders) Unit on the 10th floor of John Sealy Hospital on July 28. Each bag contained donated items such as socks, puzzles and toothbrushes for patients and their families. Originally named the UTMB Secretaries’ Club, SSP was formed in 1956 and is a network of support staff professionals renowned for inspiring innovative contributions to UTMB Health. Front Row: Patti Finch, Kat Joel-Reich (SSP treasurer) Back Row: Flo McMillian, Christine Courteau-Butler (SSP president), Jena Cherry (SSP vice president), Susie Schexnaider, Lori Ellis Not pictured: Sheri Leavitt (SSP secretary)

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EAC-elected members who attended included Valiulis, Angel Morales (an LVN who works in Gatesville units), Tilly Clark, Jennifer Anderson, Dawn Meyer and Jacqueline Pope. Past EAC Chairwoman Julie Cantini, EAC advisor Mary Ann Hellinghausen, Mary Havard and Craig Kovacevich (former EAC member) also attended.

To see more photos, visit the EAC website at https://blogs. utmb.edu/eac.

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& Galveston Campus holds first Bike-to-Work Day, plans to make it a monthly event B y K i r sti A nn C liffo r d

Many employees ditched their cars and pushed their pedals to work during UTMB’s first Bike-to-Work Day on July 3.

Sponsored by UTMB’s Health Promotion and Wellness team, all faculty, staff and students were invited to connect with other cyclists and commute to work from meeting locations at 99th, 45th and 25th streets on Galveston Island.

The ride to campus ended at the Alumni Field House, where bike commuters were able to use the showers, pool and other amenities for the day, free of charge. Water and fresh fruit were also available to the sweaty, but smiling riders.

“Biking to work is about so much more than just getting to and from the office,” said UTMB’s Health Promotion and Wellness Director Gerald Cleveland, who also rode his bike into work. “There are so many benefits, from bringing people together and building on our culture of health at UTMB, to preserving the environment and saving money at the gas pump.

We had a small but energetic crowd of riders today. We hope to build on the momentum and get more bicyclists on the road more often.”

The event attracted new riders and seasoned cyclists alike, including Kevin O’Connell, who works in the Clinical Data Management Department, and bikes from 99th and Stewart streets, about eight miles each way, almost every day.

“Today was social and a lot of fun,” said O’Connell. “Usually the morning commute is just me riding along with the cars, taking in the sunrise. I ride for a couple of different reasons —I don’t like driving to work and commuting by bike is an efficient way to maintain or increase my fitness level.”

Annie Linebarger and Damian Antonio

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Cornelis Elferink, a professor in the Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, added that in addition to reducing his carbon footprint and saving money on car maintenance, riding to work from Campeche Cove earns him “beer credits.”

From left to right: Thomas Champagne, Scott Martindale, Trisha Wooten, Kevin O’Connell and Gerald Cleveland

“Biking to work is about so much more than just getting to and from the office.”

First-year family medicine resident Annie Linebarger recently moved to Galveston and bought a bike. July’s event was the first time she put her new mode of transportation to the test.

“I rode from 73rd and Seawall, which is about six miles,” said Linebarger.

“It took about 30 minutes to get here and it was a great ride and a beautiful morning. I hope to make it a more regular occurrence!”

Some riders pedaled longer distances, like Trisha Wooten, a compliance training manager, who biked 17 miles one-way from Jamaica Beach. Others who live in Santa Fe and League City drove across the Causeway and parked their vehicles at the meeting spots, then rode their bikes the rest of the way in.

Cleveland said he hopes to add more locations for meet-ups as more people decide to commute by bike.

UTMB-sponsored Bike-to-Work Days will be held the first Friday of every month on the Galveston Campus, so get pumped to ride on Sept. 4!

There has also been discussion regarding expanding the initiative to other campuses in the future. For more information, email hr.wellnessforlife@ utmb.edu.

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Back-to-school tips for parents

By UTMB’s Dr. Richard Rupp, Professor of Pediatrics 1. Stay upbeat. Point out the positive aspects of starting school, such as seeing old friends and meeting new ones.

2. Get into the school routine. Bathe at night or in the morning, set bed time and wake time appropriate for school. Strive for nine hours of sleep. Turn off all TVs and cell phones in preparation for sleep—lit screens just prior to bedtime disturb sleep cycles.

3. Breakfast of champions. Studies have shown that a healthy breakfast before school is important for brain maturation throughout childhood and adolescence.

4. Don’t forget the shots. Make sure your child’s immunizations are upto-date before school starts. Let your health care provider know if you have any questions or concerns about the vaccines your child is scheduled to receive.

5. Play it smart. If your child plays middle or high school sports, sports physicals should be done at least six weeks prior to beginning practice so that any issues can be addressed prior to playing. For example, a child with a new heart murmur may need an appointment with a cardiologist prior to being cleared to play sports.

6. Medications at school. If your child will need to take medication at school, get a medication authorization note from your child’s provider. Prescription drug instruction forms, asthma action plans and food allergy action plans should be ready to go and provided to your child’s school.

Pa rt i ng s hot

They say a picture is worth a thousand words. Well, only one word is needed here: dedication.

Patti Ibarra, RN, charge nurse, Ellis Unit in Huntsville, was faced with a dilemma last month. Like many others, she experienced the recent floods that have plagued a great portion of Texas. Fortunately, her house was spared, but her road was impassable in both directions. Ibarra took matters into her own hands, got a raft and paddled her way to a vehicle on the other side of the flood. This picture shows her on her way home from work.

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