February 2019

UTMB NEWSLETTER • FEBRUARY 2019

Building the future at UTMB: Principal facilities project manager

Finding new insights into why we crave fatty foods Keeping Best Care alive and well Surgical residency program to expand

UTMB is now the only institution in the Greater Houston Area—and one of only five in Texas—to be fully recognized by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) as a National Diabetes Prevention Program (DPP). More than 84 million U.S. adults have prediabetes, a condition where blood sugar is higher than normal but not high enough yet to be diagnosed as diabetes. People with prediabetes are at high risk for type 2 diabetes (the most common type of diabetes), heart disease and stroke, making this program particularly significant in improving health in our communities. Congratulations to the following UTMB team members for making the CDC full recognition a reality: Dr. Nicola Abate, professor and chief in the UTMB Division of Endocrinology; Dr. Hanaa Sallam, research scientist and coordinator of UTMB’s Diabetes Prevention Program; Michael Washburn, program manager of UTMB’s Angleton Danbury Campus Community Resources, Wellness and Volunteer Services; Dr. Raquel Pena, research scientist in the UTMB Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Science; Dr. Ben Raimer, senior vice president, Office of Health Policy and Legislative Affairs; Dr. Michelle Sierpina, founding director, Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI); Dr. Cynthia Judice, chief medical officer for UTMB’s Primary Care Services and Community-Based Clinics; Dr. Hani Serag, research fellow in the Office of Health Policy and Legislative Affairs; Gene Felter, business manager for UTMB divisions of Cardiology and Endocrinology; Ann Varghese, director of Ambulatory Operations; and Julie Kuper, business coordinator in the Division of Endocrinology.

Department of Surgery residents from UTMB won several awards at the South Texas American College of Surgeons annual meeting held in Austin. Drs. Priscilla Nobecourt and Lauren McTaggart took first place in the surgical skills competition, and Drs. Keyan Mobli and Navyatha Mohan won second place in the surgical Jeopardy competition. The vision of the South Texas chapter of the ACS is to improve quality of care through enhancing surgical education, provide a forum for young surgeons and advocate for optimal surgical practice.

General surgery residents are, front row, from left: Dr. Claire Cummins, Dr. Priscilla Nobecourt, Dr. Navyatha Mohan, Dr. Keyan Mobli, Dr. Kevin Hancock and Dr. Lauren McTaggart. Back row, from left, are Dr. Douglas Tyler, chairman of the Department of Surgery, Dr. Ravi Radhakrishnan, program director, and Dr. Patrick Walker, professor.

Dr. Barbara Bryant, professor and vice chair of Pathology and medical director of UTMB’s Transfusion Medicine program, has been named to the 17-member Blood Products Advisory Committee of the Food and Drug Administration. The advisory committee reviews and evaluates available data concerning the safety, effectiveness and appropriate use of blood, products derived from blood and serum biotechnology which are intended for use in diagnosis, prevention or treatment of human diseases. She will serve on this committee until Sept. 20, 2023.

UTMB’s celebrates full recognition by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention as a National Diabetes Prevention Program. Pictured, from left, are Dr. Raquel Pena, Dr. Hanaa Sallam, Gene Felter, Dr. Nicola Abate and Michael Washburn.

Congratulations to Dr. Ravi Radhakrishnan, associate professor and chief of the Division of Pediatric Surgery, who has been accepted as a member of the UT System Kenneth I. Shine, MD, Academy of Health Education. Members of the academy serve the UT System through support and promotion of excellence in all aspects of health science education, educational scholarship and leadership.

FEBRUARY 2019

impact

From the President Welcome to the latest issue of Impact.

The Jan. 18 Town Hall covered a variety of topics pertinent to UTMB’s current state and our plans for the future. In particular, I provided an update on finances and the You Count employee survey as well as reviewed our priorities for the ongoing 86th Session of the Texas Legislature.

F EBRUA RY 2 019

We also shared news regarding the new UTMB Health Clear Lake Campus, which opens on March 30, announced a plan to expand our outpatient clinic space in Angleton Danbury and highlighted the latest construction news on the Galveston and League City campuses.

New insights into why we crave fatty foods Page 5

You can view the Town Hall presentation online at https://www.utmb.edu/president/townhall. I’d also like to encourage you to view this year’s Mondays in March panel discussions. You can watch the series at https://www.utmb.edu/mondays-in-march.

This issue of Impact features stories about the people who make UTMB the exceptional organization it is, including:

Day in the Life of a principal facilities project manager

• A Day in the Life of Leonard LaComb, a principal facilities project manager in UTMB Design & Construction who is overseeing the League City Campus building efforts

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• A look at how the Best Care initiative is being revitalized across UTMB • Researchers providing new insights into why we crave fatty foods • Expansion of UTMB’s surgical residency program to enhance educational opportunities • Healthy heart tips from Dr. Rafic Berbarie, associate professor in the Division of Cardiology and Department of Internal Medicine

Hidden Talent: A constructon inspector who shapes surfboards Page 10

• Surfboard shaping as a Hidden Talent • Numerous accomplishments and kudos in the Working Wonders column and throughout the newsletter Please take some time to enjoy this latest issue and read about the tremendous work taking place across our organization. As always, send your story ideas, Hidden Talents and trivia answers to the Impact team. And, thank you for all you do for UTMB and our mission.

Health Tips: How to detect the warning signs of a heart attack

Dr. David L. Callender UTMB President

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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!

Vice President Marketing & Communications Steve Campbell

ON THE COVER:

Editors Stephen Hadley Shannon Porter Jessica Wyble

Leonard LaComb, principal facilities project manager in UTMB Design & Construction, stands atop the League City Campus Hospital South Tower that’s currently under construction.

P R I N T E D B Y U T MB G RAPHIC D ESIG N & PRIN TIN G SERVICES

Associate Vice President Marketing & Communications Mary Havard

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 E S T C A R E I N AC T IO N

Keeping Best Care alive and well at UTMB

BY JESSICA WYBLE

Delivering the right care, at the right time, in the right way, for provided a rough overview of where UTMB stands for each the right person with the best possible results for every patient, domain, citing patient-centeredness as the area with the most every time is UTMB’s definition of Best Care, and it’s a driving opportunity for growth. force for every one across the institution.

Sollenberger made a point to remind everyone that Best Care First introduced in 2016, the Best Care initiative originated as a aligns with UTMB’s vision to be the best in all of our endeavway to help UTMB’s employees understand how they, regardless ors and that it encompasses all interactions one has with the of role, could hone their efforts and help the organization reach UTMB Health System, including those that occur outside of a its goal to become one of the top 20 academic medical centers, as clinical encounter. measured in the annual Vizient Quality and Accountability Study. Lynsay Girts, a Starbucks barista on the Galveston Campus,

Now, two and a half years later, UTMB has met that goal two knows firsthand that even though she’s not providing direct years in a row and is aiming to secure the distinction for a third patient care, her job definitely impacts Best Care. In her role, consecutive year. To help with that effort and reinvigorate the she strives to give her all every day, she said. spirit and excitement around Best Care, UTMB’s Health System “Best Care is all about us at UTMB working together as a team,” relaunched the initiative with a said Girts. “A lot of the people series of informative, collaborative Delivering the right care, at the right time, in who come in here directly impact lunch and learns. Those presenpatients, so if I can help make the right way, for the right person with the best tations are now available online their day a little better than when at http://intranet.utmb.edu/bestthey walked in, they can then pass possible results for every patient, every time is care/best-care-lunch-learns-2019. that on to the people they encoun-

Donna Sollenberger, executive vice president and chief executive officer for the UTMB Health System, kicked off the sessions with a reminder that Best Care is still very much a part of UTMB’s culture, although there are some areas in which there is room for improvement.

UTMB’s definition of Best Care, and it’s a driving

ter throughout their day.”

force for every one across the institution.

Sandra Donald, a patient services specialist with the Women’s Specialty Care team currently in League City, echoed Girts’ sentiment.

“I strive to treat our patients as though they are my family members,” said Donald, who has worked for UTMB for over 20 years. “My No. 1 priority is helping our patients; they come first.”

“Best Care at UTMB is alive and well,” Sollenberger said during the opening session. “And we need people to understand that.”

A constantly evolving and improving study, Vizient measures the following areas when considering an institution’s commitment to quality and providing best care: efficiency, mortality, effectiveness, safety, patient-centeredness and equity.

However, Best Care at UTMB has evolved since 2016 to improve not only the standard Vizient measures, but also other critical elements of health care including value and population health issues that drive decisions, impact access and ensure equity.

During her talk, Sollenberger

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Lynsay Girts, left, a Starbucks barista on the Galveston Campus, knows the importance of Best Care in her role at UTMB.

With thousands of employees in a multitude of roles, everyone’s contributions to Best Care will vary a bit, but employees like Girts and Donald exemplify the Best Care mentality that Sollenberger and her team are hoping to inspire and cultivate with the recent campaign relaunch.

“Everything we do connects to Best Care,” said Sollenberger. “I love hearing from employees about how they’re making Best Care happen in their roles.”

Sandra Donald, left, a patient services specialist with the Women’s Specialty Care Team currently located in League City, treats patients as though they are members of her own family.

To learn more about Best Care and how UTMB is performing, visit http://intranet.utmb.edu/ best-care/home. n FEBRUARY 2019

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RESEARCH

BY DONNA RAMIREZ

HAVE YOU EVER WONDERED WHY WE CRAVE THE VERY FOODS THAT WE TRY TO AVOID WHEN DIETING? Or wish there was a way to turn off the craving?

UTMB researchers have identified new brain circuits that may act as a brake on binge eating and junk food craving. In rats that had spent a month eating a low-fat diet, researchers successfully inhibited the fatty food-seeking behaviors.

“Craving for foods high in fat—this includes many junk foods—is an important part of obesity and binge eating,” said Jonathan Hommel, assistant professor in the Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology.

“When trying to lose weight people often strive to avoid fatty foods, which ironically increases motivation and craving for these foods and can lead to overeating. Even worse, the longer someone abstains from fatty foods, the greater the cravings.”

Several behavioral studies have demonstrated that denying certain foods—as is often done when dieting— causes increased craving and motivation for that food. However, the brain mechanisms that lead to this type of overeating are unknown.

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So, UTMB researchers sought to learn how the brain drives this potentially harmful behavior.

Using rats that had been placed on a 30-day low-fat diet, the UTMB team trained them to work for fatty treats by pressing a lever. To measure craving and motivation, the researchers kept increasing how many times the rats needed to press the lever to receive the treat until the rat gave up trying.

Next, half of the rats underwent a surgical procedure that blocked the effects of a brain chemical, called neuromedin U receptor 2, within a region of the brain that regulates food intake. The other half of the rats did not undergo this treatment.

After surgical recovery, the rats that had been treated did not work nearly as hard for fatty treats as their unaltered counterparts did.

“While our findings are only the first step in a long process from the scientific lab to the doctor’s office, we are planning to develop new drugs to help curb those cravings,” said Hommel.

“Although it may be years before a drug is ready, our research highlights some important features of food craving that may help you set realistic New Year’s resolutions.” n

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Impact • February 2019 FEBRUARY 2019

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A day in the life of a

BY STEPHEN HADLEY

LEONARD LACOMB IS A MORNING PERSON. That’s why it’s no surprise to find him in his League City Campus office at 6 a.m. on this Tuesday, answering emails, working through the project management software he’s often immersed in and preparing for the day ahead.

LaComb, a principal facilities project manager for UTMB Design and Construction, oversees the exterior construction of the new South Tower that will add five stories and boost the patient bed count to nearly 100 as the campus rapidly expands to meet growing patient demand.

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“MY PART OF THE PUZZLE IS BEHIND THE SCENES,” LaComb is no stranger to organizations in the midst of growth. says LaComb as he leads a group tour of the bustling construction site, passing hard-at-work crews, loads of heavy equipment and a massive rooftop crane. “I’m the paperwork guy who makes sure we’re sticking to the budget and staying on schedule to get this project completed on time.”

Most of his recent career experiences have been with institutions that were rapidly expanding.

ing garage, Medical Plaza One attached to the garage and the elevated pedestrian skybridge that links those facilities to the campus hospital. LaComb adds that the glue that holds the three in check is Michelle Mancil, project coordinator and organizer of all the budgets.

Following his morning routine of responding to emails and reviewing project-related documents on his computer, LaComb spends much of the rest of his day meeting with his team and the contractors across the construction zone.

Before joining UTMB two and half years ago, he was a project manager at MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston for 13 years. Prior to that, LaComb worked at American General (now On time is next year. Substantial completion of the South Tower AIG), BMC Software and Anadarko Petroleum, all helping those project is set for February 2020, with first patient treated in the companies expand operations. A Houston native, LaComb earned his bachelor’s degree from Texas A&M University and his masnew facility planned for May 2020. ter’s in business administration from Texas Woman’s University.

Along with the already-opened parking garage and skybridge, this phase of construction on the campus includes more oper- For LaComb, it’s teamwork that makes UTMB a success. He’s ating and endoscopy rooms, a larger Post Care Anesthesia Unit quick to credit on-site construction managers Steve Rock, Brian (PACU), an expanded emergency department and the new Preston, Chelsea Remick and Calvin Scott with holding fast to patient tower, which will have the support structure in place to strict building codes and UT System guidelines, along with fostering a culture of safety in every job. He says Tarek Thomas, grow to 12 stories in the future. program director for capital projects for UTMB Design and “The new tower includes a dining area, an expanded pharmaConstruction and LaComb’s direct supervisor, is an excellent cy and lab, along with staff facilities and more,” LaComb says. mentor who has assembled a team of professionals with com“The final touch is a grand concourse that will begin at the new plementary skills who work well together. skybridge and run more than 300 feet to the new tower and elevator lobby. This concourse has been designed to spotlight the “The team always has the UTMB mission in the forefront of our League City area and surrounding communities and the great decisions and planning,” he says. “We want to guarantee that history of UTMB, highlighting our goals, values and attention our facilities are constructed to meet the needs of the faculty and staff, and provide a beautiful facility for patients and their to caring for our patients.” families where they feel safe and are receiving great care.”

LaComb is one of three project managers in charge of construction on the League City Campus. Donna Rock is the project In addition, LaComb speaks glowingly about Jaclyn Whelan, manager for the interior construction, including expansion of manager of the League City Campus Hospital operations. “Withthe endoscopy and operating room suites and the emergency out Jaclyn, we would be nowhere,” he says. “She’s a real genius department. Chris Escamilla oversees the work on the park- and a giant part of our team’s success.”

The trio’s work is evident across the campus, as it buzzes continuously with heavy equipment and the excited energy that surrounds an expanding location.

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ON THIS DAY, HE BOUNDS THROUGH CAMPUS WITH a smile on his face, glowing with positivity and enthusiasm for the work at hand as he interacts with his colleagues. He says his parents instilled the qualities in him that have made him a successful project manager, most notably a desire to work hard, effectively complete a task and always look for improvements in the process.

“My favorite saying is ‘Be kind and courageous,’” LaComb says.

“Happiness grows on people. It’s really easy to smile and bring some joy to a patient, faculty member and my teammates.”

That attitude is evident as LaComb meets with his teammates and contractors to hear updates on various jobs taking place across the campus.

“I love knowing that what I do makes a difference,” LaComb says. “You won’t see my name anywhere on a project, but I know that every patient who uses the procedure rooms has the best mechanical system and equipment so that our health care professionals can provide a successful outcome to the patient and their loved ones. That’s a rewarding feeling.” n

You won’t see my name anywhere on a project but I know that every patient that uses the procedure rooms has the best mechanical system and equipment so that our health care professionals can provide a successful outcome to the patient and their loved ones.

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UT M B NE WS

Biocontainment care team seeks new recruits

BY STEPHEN HADLEY

UTMB’s biocontainment care team is in the midst of a recruiting push to add health care professionals to its ranks.

Chad Connally, nurse manager in Emergency Services Administration and coordinator of the Biocontainment Critical Care team, said additional members are needed so that UTMB is as prepared as possible in the event that we are called on to care for patients with infectious diseases, such as Ebola. With ongoing threats worldwide, the BCU team maintains a level of readiness second to none.

“We have nearly 50 members now and optimally we’d like to have that number closer to 100,” Connally said. “Our aim is to attract more clinicians who want to be trained in biocontainment protocols and can help us treat patients in our Biocontainment Critical Care Unit if and when that need arises.”

From left, Miranda Bacon and Cristina Mooshian, emergency department nurses on the Galveston Campus and members of the biocontainment team, take part in a U.S. Department of Health & Human Services patient movement excercise.

The interdisciplinary team—comprised of nurses, respiratory technicians, laboratory technicians and physicians with specialties in pulmonary critical care, infectious disease, neonatology, anesthesia, and New Mexico. pediatric intensive care and obstetrics and gynecology—meets quar- With that designation comes the requirement that UTMB be able to terly for special biocontainment care training that encompasses a treat these patients effectively. That’s the impetus for the construction variety of protocols, all focused on keeping staff members, patients of a dedicated biocontainment critical care unit, which has just been and the community safe. completed.

UTMB is designated by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services as the regional treatment center for special pathogens for Region 6, which includes Texas, Louisiana, Oklahoma, Arkansas

For more information about the biocontainment care team, contact Chad Connally at chconnal@utmb.edu or Angela Smith at anglsmit@utmb.edu. n

Names: Stephen Pearson UTMB Talent: Construction Inspector, UTMB Design & Construction Hidden Talent: Surfboard shaper who transforms foam blanks into stoke-spreading spears Stephen Pearson’s journey to seasoned surfboard builder started in 2001 when an old friend who visited each year from Oklahoma showed up on the Gulf Coast with a van full of foam blanks, some shaping tools and the patience to teach him the craft.

“He shaped boards in the 1970s and ’80s, so he showed me the basics and when he left to head back home, he told me to shape the remaining blanks into surfboards,” Pearson remembers.

Above, Stephen Pearson shapes a longboard at a shop in Santa Fe; Below, Galveston surfer Jason Fewell rides one of Pearson’s shapes.

Since then, Pearson—who has become a well-regarded surfboard shaper along the upper Texas coast—has built more than 4,000 surfboards, all from hand.

His favorite part of the process: shaping custom, one-off boards. “The whole process of translating someone’s needs and expectations into a surfboard that lets them surf the way they want or even improve their ability is what makes it all worth it.

I have some dedicated friends who travel all over the world that provide me with really good feedback.”

When he’s not working at UTMB or covered in foam in the shaping bay, Pearson loves to surf. His favorite locales are in Costa Rica, Mexico and Southern California. n

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EDUCATI ON

UTMB surgeons and residents perform a surgical procedure during their recent medical mission trip to the Dominican Republic.

New opportunities for future surgeons UTMB to expand surgical residency program in 2020 while offering rural track

BY SHANNON PORTER

SINCE 1954, UTMB HAS PRODUCED ALMOST 200 SURGEONS through its residency program and many of them have gone on to practice all across the state of Texas.

Today, as home to one of the oldest surgical training programs in the state, UTMB is working to broaden the learning experience of future surgeons while also expanding the number of residents it takes on each year.

For the last 15 years, UTMB’s surgical residency program has added five residents to the program each year. Just recently, the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) approved the general surgery residency at UTMB to expand from five to six residents each year. The Department is currently working on funding to allow for this expansion, which will take place in the next year or two.

“The last time we expanded the number of residents was in the early 2000s,” said Dr. Ravi Radhakrishnan, UTMB’s chief of Pediatric Surgery who oversees the institution’s surgical residency program.

Through a non-profit charity organization started by Drs. Dennis Gore and Umbert Hard, who both began their training at UTMB in 1980, surgical residents have an opportunity to practice their skills in a rural setting and give back to communities that might otherwise not receive this kind of medical care.

The organization, Hispaniola Medical Charity, works to provide surgical, medical and dental care to impoverished people of the Dominican Republic.

During the January trip, a group of UTMB surgeons and residents performed 87 surgeries, including 35 tonsillectomies and/or adenoidectomies, 12 sinus surgeries and two others; 19 hernias, 11 cholesystectomies and six others; along with 37 ENT-related- and 28 general surgery-related consultations.

In that time, UTMB’s clinical volume and its number of facilities have doubled.

While residents are getting experience at our League City and soon-to-be Clear Over the last four years alone, UTMB’s clinical volume has experienced a 40 Lake campuses, the Galveston Campus continues to be the institution’s flagship, percent to 50 percent increase, from about 7,000 cases a year to 10,000 cases. where many of the more complex cases are handled, he said.

“Now, we have four times the number of hospitals as we did when we last “Each campus contributes to the strength of our program,” Tyler said. expanded the program,” Radhakrishnan said. “We’ve been working with the In addition, Tyler and a group of UTMB surgeons hope to make an annual same number of residents for an institution that is much bigger.” surgical mission trip to the Dominican Republic count as credit toward surgical A sixth resident will allow our trainees to access more educational opportunities hours. According to Dr. Tyler, “There is a bit of a resurrection of the Peace Corps while helping UTMB cover its ever-growing caseload, Radhakrishnan said. mentality from the 1960s and 70s. In addition, social media has allowed people More residents would also help UTMB work toward expanding new clinical to become more connected to places they may never have visited but where opportunities, said Dr. Douglas Tyler, chairman of UTMB’s Department of Surgery. they see a need to help out by providing surgical care.”

According to Tyler, UTMB’s surgical residency program is unique. Not only does it allow residents to experience the breadth and depth of academic practice, but it also enables residents to practice in the Texas Department of Criminal Justice’s Correctional Managed Care system. UTMB’s five-year residency program also allows its residents to see what it is like in private practice, as well as experience a rural health rotation at UTMB’s Angleton Danbury Hospital.

Being able to offer a strong, unique and highly competitive surgical residency program is an integral part of UTMB’s overall mission.

Currently, there’s a significant shortage of general surgeons in Texas, Radhakrishnan said.

But as UTMB is able to add more surgical residents to its program, he believes they will receive the training they need to play a vital role in providing great health care across the state.

“Each campus has its own different flavor,” Tyler said. “Our various campus locations give residents the opportunity to work alongside different surgeons.

They can see varied leadership styles and learn from a variety of professionals.” “We’re training the next generation of surgeons,” Radhakrishnan said. impact

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How to detect the symptoms of a heart attack

By Dr. Rafic F. Berbarie, associate professor, Division of Cardiology and Department of Internal Medicine Understanding the symptoms of a heart attack is important because timely treatment can save lives and reduce the risk of long-term complications. Symptoms of a heart attack can be considered either classic or atypical.

Classic heart attack symptoms begin with some sort of chest discomfort.

The discomfort can start suddenly and be intense or can begin mildly and gradually build up. A few important points to remember about these classic symptoms: • The discomfort may not always feel like pain but rather a feeling of pressure, tightness, heaviness or squeezing.

• Symptoms can come on at rest or with exertion.

• Chest pain or discomfort usually is located in the center of the chest but can also be located over the left side of the chest. The discomfort can then spread into the neck, jaw, back or left arm.

However, as I like to remind my medical students, “patients do not always read the textbook,” meaning that symptoms of a heart attack may not present in this classic manner.

More rare symptoms to consider are: • Different feelings of chest pain such as a burning, ache or sharpness in the chest.

• Sometimes patients will only have left arm discomfort, neck or jaw pain without any chest discomfort.

The sooner treatment for a heart attack starts, the more likely you are to survive.

• Associated symptoms include sweating, nausea and shortness of breath. All of these symptoms usually last more than a few minutes and can come and go by themselves while a heart attack is going on.

• Feelings of breathlessness may also be the only sign that you are having a heart attack.

If any or all of these symptoms are experienced, you or your loved one should seek emergency medical attention. The sooner treatment for a heart attack starts, the more likely you are to survive.

UTMB TRIVIA A painting, presented to UTMB in 1965, is displayed in the Moody Medical Library on the Galveston Campus (at left) and depicts Spanish explorer Cabeza de Vaca performing the first recorded surgical operation on the North American continent in 1535.

Who is the famous Texas illustrator behind this iconic painting?

Answer to the January trivia question: The estimated total square footage of the new Health Education Center currently under construction on UTMB’s Galveston Campus is 160,000 square feet.