UTMB NEWSLETTER • MAY 2018
X-ray vision: UTMB’s Imaging Stewardship team focuses on patient safety, addressing overutilization Nursing graduation is a family affair Spotlight on Dr. Stephanie Zepeda, associate vice president, Pharmacy Services
Making sustainability a lifestyle
UTMB scores another A for safety and quality UTMB has received an “A” grade for the second consecutive reporting period from the Leapfrog Group for its accomplishments in reducing errors, infections and accidents that can harm patients. Leapfrog, a nonprofit organization, presents hospital grades in the spring and fall of each year with the goal of providing information that helps the public make better decisions about their health care. The Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade utilizes 30 national performance measures, which are divided into two domains: process/structural measures and outcome measures. The process/structural measures include computerized physician
Dr. Joseph Penn, director of Mental Health Services with UTMB Correctional Managed Care, was inducted as president of the Texas Society of Psychiatric Physicians (TSPP), at the 2018 TSPP spring meeting in Austin. The TSPP is the district branch of the American Psychiatric Association and is dedicated to developing the highest quality of comprehensive psychiatric care for patients, families and communities.
Dr. Celeste C. Finnerty, associate professor in the Department of Surgery, has been accepted into the highly competitive Executive Leadership in Academic Medicine (ELAM) Program for Women. ELAM is aimed at growing the national pool of qualified women candidates for leadership roles in medicine. Finnerty, who also is associate director of research at Shriners Hospitals for Children–Galveston, will benefit from an intensive leadership-training curriculum that includes extensive coaching, networking and mentoring opportunities.
Fry
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order entry, staffing, culture of safety measurement, medication reconciliation and hand hygiene. The outcome measures include central line-associated bloodstream infections (CLABSIs), catheter-associated urinary tract infections (CAUTIs), methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) infections, hospital-acquired C. difficile, and select patient safety indicators (PSIs). Each domain represents 50 percent of the Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade. According to Dr. Gulshan Sharma, UTMB’s vice president, chief medical and clinical innovation officer, “Receiving another A score from the Leapfrog Group once again reinforces UTMB’s commitment to patient care excellence. Our ongoing efforts to consistently provide high-quality patient care throughout our health care system is paying off for our patients.” UTMB’s accomplishments and recognition as a provider of top quality care has been made possible by the institution-wide initiative, Best Care, developed and implemented in 2016 to deliver quality patient care at every level.
how flaviviruses replicate and to use this information for developing antiviral therapies and vaccines. Flaviviruses such as dengue, West Nile and Zika pose serious threats as emerging diseases and potential bioterror agents.
Ten UTMB medical students recently competed in their first national simulation competition at the American Medical Student Association’s Simulation Challenge in Washington, D.C. The students included Andrew Crutchfield, Megan White, Spencer Bevers, Wendy DiGiacinto, Carissa Ford, Victor Gonzalez, Michael Poliner, Alexander Pop, Eric Samuelson and JW Slauson. The national competition included 16 teams that were judged by a panel of physicians specializing in internal medicine, neurosurgery, cardiothoracic surgery and trauma surgery. Scores were based on code scenarios, critical actions, electrocardiogram and radiology interpretation, and empathy, among other components. Under the guidance of Dr. Stephen Kim, assistant professor of emergency medicine, the UTMB students performed exceptionally well in this year’s competition with one of their teams finishing second overall. Kim is extremely proud of how his students performed and for their dedication and time preparing for the competition, as well as their initiative to put themselves on the national stage.
Among recently awarded research grants: Dr. Christopher Fry, assistant professor in the Department of Nutrition and Metabolism, has received a $2.1 million grant from the National Institutes of Health to study the role of myostatin in the regulation of muscle size, composition and function following an injury to the ACL, one of the major ligaments in the knee. Dr. Benjamin Gelman, professor in the Department of Pathology, as well as the Department of Neuroscience and Cell Biology, was awarded $6.1M from the Gelman National Institute of Mental Health to continue the Texas NeuroAIDS Research Center for an additional 5 years. The program looks at how aging affects HIV-associated neurological disorders, including dementia. Dr. Kyung Choi, associate professor in the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, was awarded $1.9 million from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases to obtain detailed structural and biochemical information about
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From the President We recently shared the exciting news that UTMB earned an “A” grade for the second consecutive reporting period from the Leapfrog Group for our accomplishments in reducing errors, infections and accidents that can harm patients.
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Your hard work and dedication to providing Best Care is paying off for our patients. Receiving an “A” grade—not once but twice—shows that we are consistently providing high-quality care and are committed to being a leader in this new era of health care. You can read more about this outstanding achievement in the Working Wonders section of this issue. Imaging Stewardship
With the 2018 hurricane season almost upon us, Dr. Gulshan Sharma, our institutional emergency preparedness officer, and I sent out a global email to share general information on how UTMB prepares for and communicates during emergencies, as well as a list of actions you can take now to be ready at work and at home. Please take a moment to review the message, and remember to complete the required 2018 Emergency Classification and Acknowledgement Form. You can also go to www.utmb. edu/emergency_plan to view materials from the recent UTMB Emergency Preparedness Meeting.
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As part of your preparation efforts, please see the article on our UTMB Alerts mass notification system on page 5. All faculty, staff and students are automatically enrolled in the system with their university phone and email. But we’re working to get more people to include their mobile number in their profile. The article discusses how you can update your profile to ensure you receive UTMB Alerts texts or mobile calls for the most rapid notification of an emergency.
Day in the Life of a sustainability coordinator Page 6
Among the other stories included in this issue of Impact: • A day in the life of Angela McDowell, UTMB’s sustainability coordinator • A profile of Dr. Stephanie Zepeda, associate vice president for Pharmacy Services • A Best Care in Action segment highlighting UTMB’s Imaging Stewardship team and their focus on patient safety and addressing overutilization • An article showing how UTMB’s Administrative Information Systems team collaborated with other departments to perform software upgrades in-house to save $1 million • Coverage of the 2018 School of Nursing commencement, including how several graduates are “keeping it in the family” • A new segment highlighting “hidden talents” among our employees • Tips for recognizing and responding to the signs of stroke, by Brenda Yanez, stroke coordinator • A “UTMB Trivia” history 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 If you have ideas for future issues of the newsletter, let the Impact team know. Thank you!
Spotlight on Dr. Stephanie Zepeda, Pharmacy Page 10
Employee Hidden Talent 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!
Vice President Marketing & Communications Steve Campbell
ON THE COVER:
Editors KirstiAnn Clifford Stephen Hadley Shannon Porter
Angela McDowell, sustainability coordinator, stands next to a pile of blue recycling bags in UTMB’s Recycling Center on the Galveston Campus.
Associate Vice President Marketing & Communications Mary Havard
Art Director Mark Navarro
P R I N T E D B Y U T MB G RAPHIC D ESIG N & PRIN TIN G SERVICES
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
Dr. John Heymann interprets an image of a patient’s head and neck.
BY KIRSTIANN CLIFFORD
ALTHOUGH MEDICAL IMAGING TECHNOLOGY IS CRUCIAL to the timely diagnosis and management of many conditions, UTMB radiologist Dr. John Heymann admits: The volume of imaging tests has gotten out of hand.
more conservative measures such as six weeks of PT. But, if the patient demands an MRI, many doctors will yield to patients’ wishes. So education for physicians and patients will be a big part of this.”
“I don’t think anyone is denying that this is a problem nationwide,” he said. “The number of CTs, MRIs and other imaging studies has sky-rocketed over the last few decades—and that’s not necessarily a good thing.”
In addition to back pain, the team will focus on the appropriate use of imaging for different types of abdominal pain, as well as ways to reduce the use of chest CT studies for patients with a low probability of pulmonary embolism (blood clot in the lungs).
In fact, an estimated 20 percent to 50 percent of imaging is considered unneces- To help physicians decide whether or not a certain test is appropriate, “ACR Select” sary—a costly problem which puts patient safety at risk. Heymann, who is leading will soon be implemented into UTMB’s Epic electronic medical record. The platform UTMB’s Imaging Stewardship team along with his colleague, Dr. Gary Horn, is on a provides evidence-based decision support for the appropriate utilization of all medical mission to ensure imaging is used as an evidence-based tool to help with diagno- imaging procedures. sis—not just as a “shotgun approach.” “It will require clinicians to note what the patient’s problem is and then it will give you “We need to make sure we are doing the correct study at the correct time for the correct a list of imaging procedures and how appropriate or inappropriate they are,” said person,” said Horn. “Ordering imaging tests has become so easy to do, but some of Horn. “A green light will pop up for something that is appropriate, a yellow light for these studies do have risks. There’s radiation involved and it may detect ‘abnormal’ what may be appropriate and a red light for stuff you shouldn’t do. It also provides guidance as to what should be done for certain conditions.” findings, which could lead to unnecessary procedures or workups.” One of the first areas the stewardship team is focusing on is imaging for lower back Heymann and Horn agree that it will be a culture change, but it’s the right thing to do. pain. It’s one of the most common reasons people seek emergency care; however, “I get it—adding an additional step may be a hassle for providers, but the reality is, unless the patient has any red flags such as fever, weight loss or neurological deficits, maybe we should go through a little bit of a hassle to do what is appropriate for our imaging for lower back pain is usually unnecessary. Oftentimes, lower back pain patients,” said Heymann. “This will improve the overall care of the patient and the may resolve itself or can be treated with over-the-counter medications and through value the patient and payer receive for the health care dollars spent.” physical therapy, massage or other forms of care. Horn said whenever there are big changes, it will take time to adapt, but he’s encour“In fact, if a patient undergoes an imaging test unnecessarily and reads a report that aged to see people already getting behind the initiative and being responsive to describes some pathology which may not even be responsible for their symptoms, suggestions. we may have ‘created’ a chronic low back pain patient by virtue of putting it in their “Nobody wants to do the wrong thing; they want to do the right thing—they just might head that something is wrong with them,” said Heymann. need some education and direction,” said Horn. “We are hopeful with some of the new The team will be tracking when and how imaging is used for back pain and provide tools we now have that we will make some real headway with this over the next year.” targeted education to clinicians on imaging guidelines established by the American Other members of the Imaging Stewardship team include Dr. Alok Dabi, Dr. John College of Radiology. The education is important for physicians to pass on to patients Hagedorn, Dr. Robert Kaale, Dr. Leah Low, Dr. Rex McCallum, Dr. Angelica Robinson, as well, because some patients insist on having certain types of imaging tests. Dr. Stephen Williams, Winston Chan, Morgan McClure and Mary Feldhusen. For more “Especially with low back pain, patients may come in and say they want an MRI,” said information about UTMB’s efforts to become a high-value practicing organization, visit Heymann. “The physician may know this is not appropriate and that they should try intranet.utmb.edu/best-care. n
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UTM B NEW S
From outsourced to in-house
A collaborative effort to perform software upgrade in-house saves UTMB $1 million BY KIRSTIANN CLIFFORD
“DOING MORE WITH LESS” has become a commonly heard phrase, as health care organizations across the country—including UTMB—face financial challenges. Employees throughout the institution are working tirelessly to accomplish our mission more effectively and efficiently—and for a team within Information Services, the hard work is paying off. “Our Administrative Information Systems (AIS) team came together beautifully and collaborated with other departments to help save UTMB more than a million dollars,” said Sarah Smith, associate director of Information Services. Smith is referring to recent major upgrades to PeopleSoft—the software UTMB uses to manage the university’s student, human resources and finance systems. Instead of hiring consultants, which had been done in the past, the team relied on its unique capabilities and expertise to perform upgrades to its Human Capital Management (HCM) and Financial Management Reporting Systems (FMRS) completely in-house. Members of UTMB’s expert AIS team who performed the “It’s a really big project. It’s very disruptive and can be very expensive for organizations,” said Smith, who software upgrades in-house. said upgrades occur about once every five years. “It’s basically like if I were to give you a new house and you had to move all your things in. We get this shell of an application and have to move all of our data and unique configurations in.” It was a technical project involving thousands of hours of planning, communication and coordination across departments. Not only were AIS database administrators and developers involved, but end-users in Finance and Human Resources were relied upon to test the new product. Once it came time to “cutover,” or implement the changes, the AIS team worked around the clock for days at a time. “Our team actually spent the night in the building when we implemented the upgrades,” she said. “It’s a multiple-day process—that’s how big and resource-intensive these upgrades are and you can’t run the processes remotely. There was a lot of nervousness about doing the upgrades in-house because we had never done it before, but everyone was up to the challenge and we were really excited to be able to pull it off.” As a result of their efforts, both HR and Finance upgrades were implemented on-time and without touching $1 million that had been budgeted for the two projects. Are they taking a break now? Not even close. The team is now setting its sights on the next big projects to be tackled—very likely in-house.
Employees from General Accounting, Payroll Services and Asset Management who helped test the software upgrades.
Editor’s note: This article was written prior to Sarah Smith leaving to pursue another opportunity at a different organization. We wish her the best of luck in her new endeavor and thank her for her contributions to UTMB. n
UTMB ALERTS IS OUR INSTITUTION’S METHOD OF COMMUNICATING with faculty, staff and students during severe weather conditions or other emergency events that have the potential to threaten safety or impact business operations. Employees and students are automatically enrolled in the UTMB Alerts notification system, using the basic directory information such as a UTMB email address or phone number. But to receive UTMB Alerts notifications on a mobile device, there’s a few extra steps required. Here’s how: • Point your web browser to the UTMB Directory (https://intranet.utmb.edu/directory/) and search for your own name. • Once you’ve located your contact information in the Directory, click on the middle button in the blue bar titled, “Edit My Alert Info.” • On the next screen, log in with your UTMB username and password. • On the My Profile page, click on “Edit” in the top right-hand corner of the white box. • Add your mobile device number in the “Mobile Phone” and “Text Message” fields. • Click the blue “Save” bar and then exit. UTMB officials strongly recommend entering your mobile contact information to ensure you get emergency messages quickly on a device that is (nearly) always close by.
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A DAY IN THE LIFE OF A
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sustainability coordinator BY KIRSTIANN CLIFFORD
Angela McDowell likes to talk trash… and recycling. As UTMB’s sustainability coordinator, she’s passionate about promoting environmentally conscious attitudes and planet-friendly habits across the institution. It’s an ambitious endeavor, but she’s up to the challenge. “We all carry a carbon footprint,” she says, noting several statistics. “The average American uses about the equivalent of one 100-foot-tall Douglas fir tree in paper and wood products each year. And last year, the average American used 167 disposable water bottles, but only recycled 38. We need to be mindful of that and always ask ourselves, ‘What can we do here at UTMB to be a part of the solution?’”
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It’s only fitting that I meet up with McDowell during UTMB’s 26th annual Earth Day celebration in April, outside the Moody Medical Library on the Galveston Campus. The annual festival was started by Ken Steblein, a UTMB employee who lost his battle with cancer two years ago. For McDowell, the event is more than just a one-day celebration, it is a call to action—to encourage people to live by the “Three R’s” (reduce, reuse and recycle) while honoring the legacy of Steblein.
“Angela has really jumped in with both feet and taken control of our Earth Day event and recycling initiatives across UTMB’s campuses and clinics,” said Neal Cooper, UTMB’s sustainability director. “She’s already taken the lead role in promoting the use of blue bags for recycling, using less paper through double-sided printing and implementing water bottle refill stations. I’m really proud of her and the hard work that she does every day—and I’m excited to see where she takes UTMB’s recycling program.”
“Ken started the event in 1992 with only a couple of tables in the main hallway of the John Sealy Towers—and it just grew from there,” she says. “This year, we have 26 vendors, more than 80 volunteers and 60 kids visiting from local schools—it’s fantastic.”
McDowell, who has a background in environmental compliance, says while her job is challenging, it’s even more rewarding. This year was the first time UTMB finished No. 1 in cardboard recycling and No. 2 in paper recycling in the RecycleMania competition, which pits hundreds of colleges and universities across the country in a head-to-head contest to see who can recycle the most. However, McDowell doesn’t like to take the credit for UTMB’s success, instead pointing to dedicated employees who incorporate sustainability into their everyday work.
McDowell joined UTMB in 2017, and this was her first time in charge of coordinating the popular event, with the help of a steering committee. It’s hard to keep up with her, as she energetically bounces from one vendor booth to the next, checking in with people and ensuring the program runs smoothly. She says “thank you” to several volunteers who are running the “office supply swap shop.” Then, she begins lining up a group of people next to a repurposed carpet “runway” for the “Recycle in Style” fashion show. A large crowd gathers in the plaza to watch. “Each year, UTMB employees showcase their outfits made from recycled and reusable products like duct tape, bottle tabs and compact discs,” explains McDowell. “The fashion show is always a big hit and a great reminder of how we can repurpose everyday materials in creative ways.”
“Our employees have shown they care about recycling and reducing our waste stream not just during the competition, but throughout the year,” said McDowell. “Just within the last five years, we have gone from a recycling rate of 36 percent to nearly 42 percent, which is phenomenal. We have also seen a reduction in our total waste stream, which means people are reducing the amount of waste they produce on the front end—that also sends a very good message!”
After the winner of the fashion show is announced—this year the crowd favorite was the “King and Queen of Hearts,” aka Tami Divine, an acquisition specialist at UTMB, and a colleague’s grandson, who wore elaborate outfits made out of old playing cards—the event starts to wrap up. McDowell says the five months of planning was well worth it, as it’s been a successful event and an opportunity to highlight sustainability initiatives at UTMB and throughout the community.
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When she’s not making presentations to departments about sustainability initiatives or explaining how blue bags work—you can actually put cans, plastics, Styrofoam, toner and cardboard in them, as well—she’s on the lookout for new opportunities to recycle or reduce waste. She recently worked with the Student Government Association to implement more than a dozen water bottle refill stations on the Galveston Campus and is looking into securing grant money to do the same on the League City and Angleton Danbury campuses. McDowell also is currently working with UTMB Correctional Managed Care to determine the feasibility of starting a pill bottle recycling program at its central pharmacy in Huntsville. “It’s a large, busy pharmacy and unregulated pill bottles that need to be discarded are being thrown in the trash,” she says. “So why not take this opportunity to see if we can start recycling now?” No visit with McDowell would be complete without a trip to UTMB’s Recycling Center, where all recyclable items are taken to be processed and sorted. Blue bags fill the warehouse and McDowell explains how the process works as two employees stand next to a conveyor belt. They dump the paper contents of a blue bag on a table, picking out any non-recyclable items.
Any paper that is deemed recyclable travels up the belt to be shredded, bailed and loaded onto a truck to Houston. Outside the warehouse, bails of cardboard are stacked and ready to be picked up by an 18-wheeler. “This is where a lot of the action happens,” she says, pointing to the operations supervisor and a worker with Republic Services, a partnering environmental services contractor. “These employees help make my job easier.” Of course, McDowell takes her passion for recycling home from work, as well. You won’t see her using a plastic water bottles and she makes sure her family recycles whatever they can’t reduce— she keeps four large bins in her laundry room. “If you can’t tell by now, I’m pretty energetic about ‘green’ living and practicing it every day—at work and at home,” she says. “I’m grateful to work at an institution that has the same values and encourages sustainable practices on a much wider scale.” n
DID YOU KNOW? Blue recycling bags aren’t just for paper. Everything UTMB Sustainability accepts for recycling can be separated and collected in the blue zip-top recycling bags. Aluminum cans, plastic bottles and bags, and Styrofoam must be clean, and it’s recommended to use an additional trashcan liner bag for these items. Please remember not to fill the recycle bags over half full, in order to control the weight of the bag. See photo for a good example of an office recycling station. For more information on recycling and UTMB’s Office of Sustainability, visit www.utmb.edu/bof/Utilities/Sustainability/.
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LE A D E R S POT L IG H T
Dr. Stephanie Zepeda, associate vice president for Pharmacy Services
Dr. Stephanie Zepeda serves in the primary leadership role for UTMB and Correctional Managed Care Pharmacy Services. As associate vice president, she oversees and directs all pharmacy-related services provided by the Health System and is responsible for strategic planning, client services, and overseeing operations and finances. Pharmacy services are provided to the hospitals on UTMB’s three campuses, outpatient clinics and 130 correctional facilities statewide. Zepeda has 20 years of correctional pharmacy experience serving county, state and federal prisons and jails. She began her career as a clinical pharmacist with the University of Houston College of Pharmacy serving the Texas Department of Criminal Justice. In 2000, she joined UTMB CMC. Since then, she has served in the roles of pharmacy clinical practice specialist, assistant director of pharmacy and director. Zepeda earned her Doctor of Pharmacy degree from UH and completed a postgraduate pharmacy practice residency with an emphasis in managed care with the UH College of Pharmacy and TDCJ.
UTMB CMC Pharmacy Services fills more than 19,000 prescriptions per day—that’s much higher than any busy pharmacy such as CVS or Walgreens. How does your staff keep up with the high volume? The work we do every day is possible because staff work together as a team and are talented, dedicated health care professionals. We have a shared vision to provide exceptional pharmacy services—to deliver the right medication, at the right time, to the right patient every time. Best Care has to continue to be our focus and that is only possible if we continue to invest in and support the professional development of the people who make it possible—the great staff of UTMB. What do you find to be the most difficult and rewarding parts of your job? The most difficult part of my work is change, but that is what makes it rewarding, as well. Change challenges you to step outside of your comfort zone, to create new opportunities and try new things, and to continuously improve. For example, the Health System pharmacy is currently partnering with other disciplines to support the university’s Best Care efforts to be a high value practicing organization in the area of antimicrobial stewardship. The goal is to ensure we are following evidence-based guidelines to promote the appropriate use of antimicrobial medications to reduce resistance, minimize adverse effects and to provide the safest patient care. It is exciting to be part of this multi-disciplinary approach and rewarding to see the positive impact we are making on patient care. How did you end up working in prison pharmacy? The clinical practice specialists taught several of the therapeutics courses at the college of pharmacy I attended. They were extremely knowledgeable in their areas of expertise, were passionate about their roles with correctional managed care and were making a real impact on patient care. They encouraged me to consider the residency program. After doing some research, I interviewed and matched with the program. I had only planned to stay for one year to complete the program, but by the end, I knew I wanted to continue to work for CMC. That was 20 years ago.
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Dr. Stephanie Zepeda with her husband, Louis, daughter, Georgia, and son, Matthew, at Pedernales Falls State Park near Austin. Did anything surprise you when you first started working in correctional managed care? I was impressed with the dedication and commitment of the individuals that work for CMC. They have a true calling to care for a vulnerable patient population. I was also impressed that each discipline is valued and is an important part of the team and decision-making process. What is your proudest accomplishment? Personally, I am proud to be the mother of a wonderful daughter and son, Georgia, 17, and Matthew, 10. They continue to surprise me and I enjoy watching them grow, learn and succeed. Professionally, I am proud to be part of the pharmacy team and CMC and for the opportunities I’ve been given at UTMB. What’s the best advice anyone’s ever given you? Do the best job you can, learn as much as you can while doing it, have fun and don’t sweat the small stuff. Describe yourself in three words. Dedicated, engaged and stubborn. What do you like to do outside of work? My family particularly enjoys camping and exploring the great state parks we have in Texas. On our last trip in March, we camped in Davis Mountains State Park. It is a beautiful park in the desert mountains in West Texas. We were able to attend a solar viewing at the nearby McDonald Observatory, take a cool dip in the world’s largest spring-fed swimming pool in Balmorhea State Park, and see a variety of wildlife including javelina and yellow warblers. We were also able to explore the historic Fort Davis military frontier post. My daughter is interested in becoming a physician so she enjoyed visiting the post’s hospital and spinning the “Wheel of Misfortune.” It is an interactive exhibit that lists an illness and the corresponding medication used for treatment. Both of my children were surprised at how few medications were available 100 to 150 years ago on the frontier. What’s something people would be surprised to learn about you? I am part of a very large family—I have 40 nieces and nephews and 43 great nieces and nephews. My family has shown me the value of love, patience, commitment, care, appreciation and open communication, and has always been there to share life’s joys and sorrows. n M AY 2 0 1 8
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Nursing graduation is a family affair BY KURT KOOPMANN
You might say that six of the 578 graduates who received their degrees from UTMB’s School of Nursing on April 20 were “keeping it in the family” because they have family members who either work or teach at UTMB.
“It is a little different for me because I did this with him four years ago when he got his baccalaureate degree,” said Watson Campbell. “When he got his degree at that time I was also on stage with him, so I have had practice.” Graduate Allison Strawn’s father, Kenneth Student Trista Arnold was very excited Strawn, is a software systems specialist at to have family present for her graduUTMB’s Moody Medical Library and through ation, and even more excited that her the years, Allison has had a number of other mother was there not only to supfamily members work at UTMB. port her, but to also receive her own Doctor of Nursing Practice degree. When asked how it felt to graduate from an institution where so many family members Arnold’s mother, Tonya Callender, have worked, Strawn said, “I think all of the received her nursing degree 30 years graduates are proud to be graduating from ago and has been a source of support UTMB, but I do feel it is different when you during her time in school. have family members that work at UTMB “I could not have asked for a better Nursing runs in the family for these graduates, including Trista Arnold (far right) and you have grown up hearing about how person to go through nursing school and her mother, Tonya Callender (2nd from right). good of a school it is.” with,” said Arnold. “It was great to There were even more UTMB families that were filled with pride as their family have my mom to understand and be supportive of me and to push me through members graduated. when things got hard.” School of Nursing assistant professor Tina Mathers, a 2011 UTMB graduate, Graduation day at Moody Gardens Convention Center in Galveston also was special watched as her daughter, Rachel, received her Bachelor of Science in Nursing, for Trista’s mother as she received her doctoral hood from her husband, Dr. David and assistant professor Jackie Aoughsten was proud as her daughter, Danielle, L. Callender, UTMB’s president. also received a BSN. “I am very excited, it is not very often you get to watch your daughter graduate Regardless of their immediate connection to UTMB, the nearly 600 graduates and also get your husband, who happens to be the president, to hood you,” said all have become a part of an extended family of more than 12,000 who have Callender. graduated from a nursing school that began in 1890 as the John Sealy Hospital The hooding ceremony is a memorable time when a faculty member places the Training School for Nurses. doctoral hood over the head of the graduate, signifying their success in completing Commencement also was an exciting time for UTMB’s new Senior Vice President the graduate program. and Dean of the School of Nursing, Deborah Jones. School of Nursing assistant professor Rebeka Watson Campbell proudly watched as “I am very proud to celebrate the accomplishments of our students with their family her husband, Stewart Campbell, received his Master of Science in Nursing degree. who also happen to be our UTMB family,” Jones said. “This is truly a family affair!” n
Name: Vince Falco UTMB Talent: Nurse, Jennie Sealy Hospital 10A Internal Medicine Hidden Talent: Unicyclist extraordinaire If you work on the Galveston Campus, you may have witnessed UTMB nurse Vince Falco riding a unicycle to and from Jennie Sealy Hospital. He first picked up unicycling after serving four years in the U.S. Coast Guard, when he was looking to try something less regimented and structured. The hobby quickly became a passion, as he realized his unique talent was a “great conversation starter and puts a smile on everyone’s face.” Some of his “uni” highlights include raising money for an orphanage in Uganda while riding and juggling on an inner city street corner in Houston, attempting a 420-mile ride across Iowa, dressing up as a giraffe and unicycling as part of the Fourth of July Parade in Galveston, and riding his unicycle into his very own wedding reception. His advice to others: “It’s half as easy as riding a bicycle, so get out there and try it!”
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Stroke: Four tips that can save a life By Brenda Yanez UTMB stroke coordinator When it comes to stroke, every second counts. Recognizing symptoms early and responding quickly is critical to reducing a person’s chance of long-term physical and mental damage—or even death. As the fifth leading cause of death and a leading cause of disability in the U.S., it’s important to know what to do if someone exhibits the signs of stroke. The following tips could save a life, even your own: • Know the signs and symptoms. Don’t ignore these warning signs, even if they go away. —— Sudden numbness or weakness of the face, arm or leg, especially on one side of the body —— Sudden confusion, trouble speaking or understanding —— Slurring of speech —— Problems with vision in one or both eyes —— Dizziness, loss of coordination or trouble with balance and walking —— A sudden, severe headache • Time is brain. If someone shows any of the above symptoms, call 911 immediately. Don’t wait! Stroke is a brain attack, cutting off vital blood flow and oxygen to the brain. About two million brain cells are lost for every minute strokes go untreated, so acting fast to get medical attention is critical.
• Memorize the acronym BE FAST to help you remember the warning signs and symptoms of stroke. —— Balance – Is there a sudden loss of balance or coordination? —— Eyes – Is there a sudden blurred or double vision? —— Face – Ask the person to smile. Is one or both sides of their face drooping? —— Arms – Ask the person to raise both arms. Does one side drift downward? Is there weakness or numbness on one side? —— Speech – Does the person have slurred speech? Can they repeat simple phrases? —— Time – Call 911 immediately if you notice one or more of these signs. • Document details. Note the time when the first symptoms appeared—emergency responders will want to know that in order to determine whether the patient could receive tPA (alteplase), a clotbusting medication that has been proven to improve outcomes for stroke patients if administered early enough. The chances for survival and recovery are much better when the right treatment begins within the first few hours of noticing stroke symptoms. n Editor’s note: In early May, UTMB’s Galveston Campus attained Comprehensive Stroke Center accreditation from Det Norske Veritas (DNV), validating UTMB’s commitment, expertise and readiness to care for victims of complex strokes. Look for more information in the June issue of Impact. w
UTMB TRIVIA Dr. Thomas Jackson graduated in 1893 as a member of the second graduating class of UTMB’s medical school. How many total
students graduated that year?
(Photo to left: UTMB’s university archives at the Moody Medical Library in Galveston include medical saddle bags that belonged to Jackson. He used the saddle bags during the SpanishAmerican War and they still contain some of the equipment and medicine he would have used to treat soldiers.) 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 April trivia question: The annual event with stunning bay views atop the Galveston Causeway is the SHP Causeway FunD Run. Congrats to Ferguille-Joyce Torres, community assistance representative, IS Operations Switchboard, who won the April drawing!