Impact extends photo contest deadline

The deadline for the Valentine’s Day photo contest recently announced in the new Impact has been extended to Friday, Feb. 12. Please join us in honoring cupid and show us what you love about UTMB. See Love is in the air for more details.

Comments requested on mitigation plan

UTMB is developing a Mitigation Plan for submission to the State Mitigation Office and Federal Emergency Management Administration which details actions we will take to protect our buildings and equipment from future damage from flooding or other natural disasters. Our planned protective measures are contained in two consulting engineering reports: “Campus Flood Mitigation Plan” and “UTMB Flood Protection Levels” which are available for public review and comment at http://intranet.utmb.edu/foam. Comments on this report can be addressed to Michael Megna either by mail at 301 University Blvd., Galveston, TX 77555-1116 or by email at mmegna@utmb.edu. 

Flu screening to end on Feb. 14

Due to the decreased incidence of swine flu, the last day of screening for influenza like illness (ILI) at the front entrance of the hospital, in the Emergency Room and at the UHC clinic entrance will be February 14. In addition, when clinics open for business on Monday, February 15, they will no longer need to screen patients for ILI. It is important to note that the screening program could be re-instituted if there is a resurgence of influenza. Should this become necessary, appropriate notification will be made at that time. For additional information, please click here.

In the red

On Friday, Feb 5, in recognition of the American Heart Association’s “Go Red for Women” heart health campaign, a group of employees wearing red were photographed on the steps of Old Red. The purpose of the campaign is to raise awareness of cardiovascular disease in women.   

UTMB celebrates Black History Month

The UTMB community is invited to celebrate Black History Month by attending the presentation, “ Whites in Black History: A Choice of Legacies, the Missing Link,” at noon on Thursday, Feb. 11 in the Levin Hall Dining Room.  Free pizza will be served. This session is sponsored by the Office of Diversity and International Affairs (ODIA) which emphasizes Black History Month’s purpose is to promote awareness, appreciation, and education of black history as American history. For more information, contact the ODIA at ext. 21016.

2010 Lefeber Winter Series on Aging

The third session of the 2010 Lefeber Winter Series on Aging, “Life-Space Mobility and the UAB Study on Aging: Predictors, Trajectories and Outcomes over Eight Years,“ will be presented by Dr. Richard Allman, director of the Birmingham/Atlanta Veterans Administration Geriatric Research, Education and Clinical Center and director of the Center for Aging and the Division of Gerontology, Geriatrics and Palliative Care at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. The lecture will begin at 5:00 p.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 9, in the Levin Hall South Auditorium and is open to the public. A reception will follow the lecture.

Impact is Back

With a new perspective and bold initiatives UTMB is poised for an important year. Go to Impact and learn about the people who are making a difference every day.

Dementia workshop and resource fair

Interested persons are invited to attend the workshop and resource fair - Reconnect: Communicating With Persons With Dementia - at 9:00 a.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 23 at Moody Memorial First United Methodist Church. Reservations are required. Representatives from the UTMB division of geriatrics will be available to provide information and resources on dementia. Click here for more details or contact Brett Nicholson at banichol@utmb.edu for further information.

Call for applications for McLaughlin Fellowships in Infection and Immunity

The James A. McLaughlin Fellowship Fund Committee is requesting new applications for predoctoral and postdoctoral fellowships. Fellowship research must be in the area of infection and immunity. The deadline for submission is 5 p.m., Friday, March, 19, 2010.  Instructions and application forms have been recently updated and are available at The McLaughlin Endowment website. Questions regarding the fellowships and the application process should be directed to McLaughlin.IHII@UTMB.edu.

Keying audit

During the recent Joint Commission site visit, surveyors noted that the keying system for some of UTMB’s health care facilities was not up to date. UTMB has 45 days to correct the issue and FOAM will be conducting a keying audit beginning Monday, Feb. 1. The audit will last about 3-5 minutes and take place during normal working hours. The audit will likely take two weeks. Contact Tim Wilson at 409-771-6940 or Jackie Picard at 409-682-1678 for more information.

Business and Finance survey results in for publication

Results from the customer satisfaction surveys launched within the UTMB Business and Finance enterprise in late 2009 are complete. William Elger, executive vice president and chief business and finance officer, said the survey results will serve as the basis for developing action plans to improve services and overall performance among all business and finance operations. Click here for satisfaction scores.

2009 eW-2 are now available

UTMB employees who registered to receive their W-2 tax statements electronically can now access them online. If you registered to receive your tax statement through the eW-2 service, you will not be mailed a printed copy; instead, you will need to print your own copy to submit with your tax forms. If you need assistance with the forms, contact Finance Payroll Services at X78078. If you did not register for the eW-2 service this year, you will receive a paper copy on or before Feb. 1.

Haiti Relief Opportunities

Members of the UTMB community have been asking what they can do for the victims of last week's catastrophic earthquake. Given the significant damage the Haitian infrastructure sustained and reports of increasing unrest, the very best way to help those in need is to give to reputable relief organizations. For a comprehensive list of those agencies involved in coordinating and providing direct relief, see Haiti earthquake: How to help (msnbc.com). If you're thinking of donating to an agency you're unfamiliar with, remember to do your research first. Our thoughts remain with those directly affected by this heartbreaking disaster, and with their friends, family and colleagues.

Free commuter option extended through August 2010

UTMB employees will be able to continue to ride the Island Connect park and ride bus between Mall of the Mainland and UTMB for FREE through August 2010. This is a great way to sit back, relax and let someone else do the driving while you save money. Remember, the UTMB Parking Office will hold your parking assignment while you try out this commuter option. Contact the Parking Office at ext. 21581 for questions about how to place parking on hold. For a complete schedule of Island Connect arrival and departure times, please click here.  

Follow renovation and construction projects across UTMB campus

The Office of Business Operations and Facilities, in conjunction with the Office of Public Affairs, has launched an interactive map designed to provide up-to-date information on renovation and construction projects under way across campus.  Visitors to the site can select buildings on the map to obtain current information about plans for and progress on individual facilities.

The Road Ahead: UTMB Strategic Vision Now Online

The Office of Strategic Management, in concert with UTMB executive leadership, has been working to identify opportunities to leverage UTMB’s proven strengths that will help ensure a sustainable future for Texas’ first academic health center. As part of the process, university leaders framed the top-tier priorities for the next 18 to 24 months. The three institutional goals they’ve developed represent the shared focus and united efforts to move UTMB as a whole forward, while the mission-area goals provide more detail for each area. Together—and in concert with the effort to rearticulate UTMB’s mission, vision and values statements—they provide a road map for success. Read more about the strategic vision and goals at http://www.utmb.edu/strategic_vision.

Seeking broad input on the university’s mission, vision and values

As UTMB turns its focus to the bright future ahead, the Council of Deans, on behalf of the Executive Committee, is seeking broad input on the university’s mission, vision and values statements. The goal is to make UTMB's mission, vision and values statements more compelling and memorable. If you’d like to be part of this important process, please go to http://blog.utmb.edu/missionreview and enter your comments and suggestions 

Informing patients about UTMB’s policies

The recently released report, Clearing the Fog, has questioned how local health care providers communicate with un- or underinsured patients about free or discounted care. While it’s true that related policies have been available on UTMB’s website for many years and that signs were posted in key patient care areas prior to Ike, the report does point to the need for greater consistency in signage, particularly after the extensive damage caused by the storm, as well as broader education of staff. To that end, signs informing patients about UTMB’s policies will be placed (or replaced) at all entry points to the hospital and throughout the Health System’s network of clinics (www.utmb.edu/pbsonline). UTMB takes great pride in its long history of caring for society’s most vulnerable. Because the report calls that record into question and alleges that the institution is not complying with state laws, UTMB leadership has also asked Audit Services (which reports to President Callender and, ultimately, UT System, and includes several community members) to review the report and determine if opportunities for enhancement exist.

Visit the UTMB Newsroom