President’s Cabinet Awards 

Philip Keiser, MD
Mike Mastrangelo
Institutional Preparedness

The Galveston region plays a critical role in our national energy and chemical supply. Producing these chemicals is not without risk of industrial or transportation accidents. A lack of sufficient mobile air monitoring capability in Galveston County has been identified as a significant gap to preparedness and response to a dangerous chemical release. Response to chemical incidents is greatly facilitated by having good baseline environmental and health data. This award includes a pilot test to collect baseline and post-incident data. Biological samples and health data will be collected from children, adults and senior adults who reside in Texas City.  Surveys will also be administered to assess knowledge of community preparedness. The final project will result in a chemical incident preparedness and response plan that will serve as a model to other communities in our region and beyond.

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.

Kathleen Karam, MS3
Alex Sosa, MS3
John Sealy School of Medicine

In looking at the veteran health system and the specific burdens this population faces, this extension of the UTMB Veterans' Health Initiative aims to help veterans connect and navigate existing VA and community resources, work with local organizations like St. Vincents and Christus Our Daily Bread to fill gaps, and host or participate in health fairs, traveling clinics and mental health screenings to support the health and well-being of the veteran population. President’s Cabinet funding will provide monthly transportation for off-island appointments, allow for the administration of mind and body health screenings, and furnish necessities to assist unsheltered veterans until a long-term solution is secured. Students come to understand veterans and their needs, and veterans meet students and become more familiar with the healthcare system.

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.

Martha T. Garcia, MS3
Jennifer Odoi, MS3
Staley Rose, MS4
Lucy Villarreal, MD
OB-GYN

Grace Clinic -- a St. Vincent’s satellite clinic located at Central Methodist Church in Galveston -- provides free health care to those with limited access and resources. Historically the clinic has cared for a young population of uninsured individuals and had no tools or resources to provide women’s health exams. Given this patient demographic, President’s Cabinet funding will establish an infrastructure to provide services such as pap smears, pelvic exams and testing and treatment for sexually transmitted infections. The program also aims to improve student awareness and confidence in population health screening, increase access to a variety of contraceptive options and provide supplemental funding for pelvic imaging for patients who express significant financial need.