President’s Cabinet Awards 

Souby George, MSN, RNC-MNN, CKC
Sara Nowakowski, PhD, CBMS
Obstetrics and Gynecology

In an effort to provide mental health treatment for new mothers who may be experiencing perinatal depression, the Mother and Babies Course will launch a new clinical service within UTMB's pediatric clinics.  This course will be facilitated by psychologists, nurses and lactation consultants trained to address issues surrounding motherhood.  President's Cabinet funds will be used to purchase instructor manuals, equipment, supplies and marketing materials.

Rebecca T. Walsdorf
Ted Hanley
Office of Health Policy and Legislative Affairs

While major pharmaceutical retailers have developed low-cost prescription programs for generic and common over-the-counter medications, it is difficult to determine which retailer offers the best price and which drugs are covered under what plan.  To help uninsured and under-insured patients find specific medications at the lowest possible cost, the Jesse Tree organization developed and piloted a database of best-price providers. Using this Best Cost Formulary database, the Jesse Tree was able to fill prescriptions or find less costly alternative medications for more than 100 people in a six-month period.   Due to its huge success, this collaboration with UTMB’s Office of Health Policy and Legislative Affairs will provide for updates to and maintenance of the database; develop training materials and expand access to prescription assistance; and create a prescription assistance fund for patients without financial means.

Rebecca Trout Unbehagen
Ashley Adair
Strategic and Business Planning

This project builds on an existing partnership between UTMB and the Friendswood Independent School District (FISD) and will support the education of high school students enrolled in a new dual-credit Emergency Medical Technician certification program at College of the Mainland. By purchasing an ambulance simulator, FISD health sciences students will be exposed to emergency medical concepts, procedures, and skills while developing their ability to communicate and work as a team in a medical crisis. The simulated ambulance will be equipped with flashing lights, life support and narcotics cabinets, attendant seat, oxygen outlet, IV hanger, disposable sharps container and an overhead camera system and monitor to allow instructor review and feedback.

Dr. J. Michael Leger
Dr. Maureen Biggs
School of Nursing

Transitional Care Management (TCM) programs have proven effective in bridging gaps across health care settings, particularly for patients deemed at high risk for poor medical outcomes. With an estimated 3,000 patients seeking medical treatment at the St. Vincent's House Nurse Manage Clinic annually, more than 17 percent of these patients are considered at-risk and often "fall through the cracks." To help with this problem, this project will provide for the services of a nurse transition care manager to facilitate a TCM program at St. Vincent's. The objective is to build a rapport with patients, provide disease-specific education to facilitate self-management, perform medication reconciliation, confirm follow-up appointments, and provide care management to support treatment.

Dr. Kanika Bowen-Jallow
Surgery

Contributing factors of the growing adolescent obesity epidemic include biological, behavioral, cultural and sociopolitical aspects. While there are currently no pediatric clinics dedicated to the workup, management and implementation of a weight loss program for children (ages 12-17), this project proposes the establishment of a single location multidisciplinary clinic at UTMB where adolescents and their parents can meet with a nutritionist, pediatric gastroenterologist, pediatric surgeon, and a personal fitness instructor. Participants will also receive consultations to psychiatry and pediatric endocrinology when necessary.

Rebecca Castro, LCSW
Savannah Parks, MEd, LBSW
Care Management

Building upon the success of a 2018 President’s Cabinet Award, this project seeks to establish similar Care Closest at UTMB’s Angleton-Danbury, League City and Clear Lake campuses. Patients and families experiencing unexpected and long hospital stays will have access to clean clothing, personal hygiene products and food. Dedicated spaces at each campus have been identified and will be sustained by clothing and food drives and partnerships with community agencies.

Semira K. Solomon, GSBS student (MPH Program)
Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences / Preventive Medicine & Population Health

Sylvia Campbell, RN, BSN
Savannah Parks, MEd, LBSW
Lauren Michelle Thierry, MHA
Patient Navigation and Support

Studies show that low income and elderly patients with complex life-altering health diagnoses often have trouble accessing adequate health care.  Some may lack transportation, are unfamiliar with the hospital system, lack insurance or are unable to afford medication.  Those barriers ultimately may lead to a poor quality of life and unfavorable health outcomes.  In an effort to improve hospital access, the UTMB League City Campus Patient Navigation and Health Resource Center will provide patient education, dedicated navigation team support, community outreach, enhanced communication and increased access to multidisciplinary care.

Jenny Pennycuff, MD
Angela McDowell
Jeff Cigelski, MD
Department of Sustainability

Currently, UTMB pays to dispose of Operating Room (OR) waste by weight. Decreasing the amount of waste through recycling can result in significant savings. This project will outfit 18 ORs at the Galveston campus with signage, stainless steel recycling bins and distinctive blue disposable liners. All plastics that do not have patient identifiers or have not touched a patient will be recycled. A series of educational sessions will be held to train faculty and staff on how to collect recyclable materials in the OR without disrupting work flow. The amount of recyclable waste to be collected through this program is approximately 200 pounds per month.

Barbara M. Doucet, PhD
Occupational Therapy

Stoke continues to be one of the leading causes of serious, long-term disabilities in the United States.  Research shows that six months following the onset of a stroke, patients have typically completed rehabilitative services, are no longer eligible for continuation of services, or are out of the health care system altogether.  Under the direction of the UTMB Department of Occupational Therapy, occupational and physical therapy students will provide free, state-of-the art, evidence-based rehabilitation services to any person who has suffered a stroke.  This six-week program will not only serve as a teaching model for students, but will provide a much needed service to the community and promote the clinical excellence of UTMB.

Brenda Yanez, RN, BSN
Julia Anderson, BSN, RN, CCRN
Jennifer Higgs, MSN, RN, CEN
Georgia Emily Motter, RN, BSN
Briana Sowell, MSN, RN, CEN, TCRN
Hospital Administration

Since 2016, more than 100 nurses and emergency medical services (EMS) staff have attended the Advanced Stroke Life Support class.  UTMB is the first academic center in Texas to serve as a training site for this certification.  The university has noticed an increase in the number of stroke patients who are brought to the emergency department via EMS rather than a personal vehicle.  This might indicate an increased awareness that being transported by ambulance means quicker treatment for stroke patients.  Due to the program's success, President's Cabinet funds will support training for an additional instructor and educational materials to certify an additional 200 per-hospital and hospital providers.

Karen Chapman
Marte Hersey
Center for Audiology and Speech Pathology

Research estimates that nearly 795,000 Americans will suffer from a stroke annually. While stroke is a leading cause of death, it is also the foremost cause of long-term disability. In an effort to provide stroke survivors and their caregivers a support mechanism and the ability to re-establish and promote independence, this project creates the UTMB Stroke Support Group. Participants will network at bi-monthly meetings and learn about stroke and stroke prevention, food and nutrition, hurricane preparedness, depression and much more. Free transportation will be provided for economically disadvantaged individuals.

Kanika Bowen-Jallow, MD, MMS
Surgery

Childhood obesity has become a nationwide health crisis and clinicians have found that minority children are particularly susceptible to the epidemic. To combat this issue, an after school program with a parental involvement component will be established to target children (ages 2 – 11) with a body mass index greater than the 95th percentile. The Tough and Tiny Program will be held after school twice per month for qualifying children and their parents. During each one-hour session, parents will meet with physicians and UTMB students, eat a healthy dinner and learn about nutrition, diet and exercise while their children participate in fitness activities and group play facilitated by a certified instructor. Participants demonstrating weight loss will be rewarded with gift cards to a local sports store.

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.

Dr. Karen Szauter
UTMB Professionalism Committee
Educational Affairs

Difficult conversations are always challenging and most people hesitate even if it is likely to help the person involved. While education can provide the foundational knowledge to conduct such conversations, there is a great need to anticipate and rehearse for these onerous situations. Through a series of simulations, based on real situations, UTMB faculty and staff will learn to master the skills needed to engage in difficult conversations with their peers, executive management and students while being coached and receiving feedback in a confidential setting.

Rebecca L. Trout
Nancy Schultz
Health Policy and Legislative Affairs

This partnership with the newly created Galveston Children’s Museum will establish a “clinic” space at the museum that will include a special character mirror/body mirror interactive device and other teaching aids to demonstrate an internal view of the human body. The mirror will display visually striking interactive effects as children wave their arms or move their legs, learning in a fun-filled atmosphere.