2011 President’s Cabinet Awards

In 2011, nine UTMB Health faculty and staff and one medical student received President’s Cabinet Awards for innovative programs that helped advance the health and well-being of Galveston-area residents. Their six funded projects were presented during a banquet on September 16, 2011 at the Tremont House Hotel, Davidson Ballroom. The 2011 grant recipients are, seated from left, Jaymee Mayo, administrative director of transplant services; Jocelyn Gilmore, clinical educator II; Dr. Angela Shepherd, associate medical director, Stewart Road Family Clinic; Cheryl Bryant, assistant director nursing services; and Mary Ann Salch, President's Cabinet chair. Standing, from left, Dr. Cary Cooper, President's Cabinet awards committee chairman; Dr. William J. Calhoun, vice chair for research and director, internal medicine; Dr. Gibran Khurshid, assistant professor, ophthalmology; Diana Browning, interim vice president of ambulatory operations; Dr. David L. Callender, UTMB Health president; Dr. Walter J. Meyer, III, professor and director of psychiatry; David Darrow, fourth-year medical student; and Robert Trevino, community health worker. Not pictured: Lorena Serenil and Joshalyn Toliver, community health workers.

Check Healthy Wristband

Robert Trevino

Lorena Serenil
Joshalyn Toliver
Community Health Program

Diabetics confront many challenges in their daily lives, including how and when to test their blood glucose levels. The UTMB Community Health Program will teach economically disadvantaged participants the skills they need to manage testing as an integral part of their daily routine. Additionally, ID bracelets imprinted with basic blood glucose ranges will be distributed. Since testing supplies are a hidden cost of disease management, this program will provide a limited amount of free testing supplies and list resources for obtaining supplies at little or no cost.

A Team Approach to Improving the Health of the Community
Angela Shepherd, MD
Diana Browning
Ambulatory Operations

The Family Medicine Clinic on Stewart Road will provide training for medical assistants in order to provide a higher level of service to patients. Serving as a communication bridge between patients and staff, these "health coaches" will work collaboratively with physicians, nurses and other health care professionals to provide a medical home and care coordination for patients through one-on-one interaction and follow-up support.

Development of a Joint Venture Between UTMB and Galveston College to Train Clinical Research Coordinators
William J. Calhoun, MD
Internal Medicine

A critical shortage of Clinical Research Coordinators hampers clinical and translational research at UTMB. To increase the availability of well-educated and trained CRCs, this joint venture with Galveston College will support the development of a one-year curriculum and class to prepare candidates to take and pass one of two national certification examinations. Scholarship funds for interested students also will be made available through this program.

Wall of Heroes – Organ Donor Memorial/Recognition
Jaymee Mayo
Transplant Services

To celebrate those who have given the gift of life at UTMB, an engravable metal tree sculpture will be installed to recognize organ donors. Donors from the past five years will be recognized by name on individual leaves of the metal sculpture; the names and dates of prior donors will be displayed on a digital frame next to the sculpture. It is hoped this memorial will subtly encourage potential donors and honor those who have given of so unselfishly of themselves.

Community Hands at St. Vincent's Student Clinic
David Darrow, Fourth-Year Medical Student
Walter J. Meyer, III, MD
Psychiatry/Behavioral Science

In an effort to lower the no-show rate and improve the management and coordination of patients at St. Vincent's Clinic, this program will create a Community Health Worker position. The CHW will be trained to effectively coordinate and follow patients and, with the help of medical students, facilitate basic health disease management classes. A member of the community will be chosen for this position in order to minimize social and cultural barriers, which will allow root-cause analysis on lack of follow-up to easily take place.

Sight to the Blind
Gibran Khurshid, MD
Ophthalmology

The most common irreversible cause of blindness, diabetic retinopathy, is a prevalent condition in our community. To optimize ophthalmic care to Galveston County residents, this award will outfit the St. Vincent's Eye Clinic with the tools and medicine necessary to treat the disease or perform surgery at no cost to economically disadvantaged patients.

 

For more information about the President's Cabinet or how to join, contact Marie Marczak at (409) 747-4876