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Christian Messa Bay Area Houston couple establishes family
resource center, contributes to patient simulation training at UTMB GALVESTON, Texas — A Bay Area Houston couple has established a family resource center at the University of Texas Medical Branch Children’s Hospital and has contributed to the advancement of patient simulation training for the academic health center’s medical students. Lee and Jim Reinhartsen created the Debbie Reinhartsen Sheffield Family Resource Center and the Kenneth James Reinhartsen Patient Simulation Room in memory of their daughter and son, respectively. The family resource center will serve as a place where the families of young patients can relax to escape the stress related to having loved ones in the hospital. While there, family members can use a health consumer library available in English and Spanish to help them better understand the diseases or injuries related to their relatives’ visit to UTMB. Such knowledge can be extremely helpful in the families’ efforts to make informed decisions regarding health care services. The Reinhartsens’ contribution will also expand the range of toys available to young patients, providing them the diversions they need to have fun and temporarily forget about their health conditions. The second part of the contribution, the Reinhartsen Patient Simulation Room, will enhance the use of patient simulators and standardized patients at UTMB to teach medical students how to provide compassionate care, all within a high-realism, low-risk medical environment. A leader in patient simulation training, the academic health center is home to the Standardized Patient Program, which features specially trained actors portraying patients with various illnesses for students to diagnose. The program — one of the first of its kind in the United States when it was established in 1971 — permits UTMB students to interact with “patients” in their first weeks of training. Since the actors in the Standardized Patient Program cannot duplicate the physical symptoms associated with illnesses they pretend to have, students rely on technologically advanced virtual-patient manikins to exhibit those symptoms. These and other simulated patient encounters provide numerous opportunities for UTMB’s medical students to hone their assessment and clinical decision-making skills earlier in their academic careers. The Reinhartsens said they decided to dedicate the family resource center in the name of their daughter, Debbie, since she had been passionate about helping children. They said they chose to name the patient simulation room after their son, Kenneth, as he was known for helping others improve themselves — the same underlying goal of the room. “Anyone who contributes to UTMB can make a difference in the health and well being of humankind,” Jim Reinhartsen said. “We hope that other people will consider investing in the health of those less fortunate than most.” The Reinhartsens’ contribution supports the university’s Timeless Values, Pioneering Solutions Campaign. This five-year, $250 million fund-raising initiative will enhance areas of excellence in teaching the art and science of health care; infectious diseases, biodefense and vaccine development; health care access and telehealth; and longevity, chronic diseases and neurological recovery. Jim Reinhartsen is vice chair of the Galveston Regional Committee of the campaign. Dr. Lawrence R. Stanberry, chair of UTMB’s Department of Pediatrics, said the Debbie Reinhartsen Sheffield Family Resource Center will be an oasis for anxious families with loved ones who are receiving care at Children’s Hospital. “The Reinhartsens’ generous contribution will positively impact the lives of many young patients, along with their families, for many years to come,” said Stanberry, who also directs the university’s Sealy Center for Vaccine Development and holds the John Sealy Distinguished Chair in Pediatrics. “Furthermore, the center will help family members feel more comfortable taking active roles in their childrens’ health.” Dr. Valerie M. Parisi, dean of the UTMB School of Medicine, thanked the Reinhartsens for supporting the institution’s educational mission. “Lee and Jim Reinhartsen are helping us ensure that we have the infrastructure needed to prepare our students for careers as competent, caring physicians,” said Parisi, who also serves as UTMB’s chief academic officer and vice president for academic program administration and services. “With this patient simulation room, the students can put their classroom knowledge to use in realistic situations and thereby become more comfortable at communicating with and diagnosing their future patients.” Jim Reinhartsen serves as president of the Bay Area Houston Economic Partnership. The civic leader played a major role in the organization’s successes, which included establishing a regional, and later national, coalition to support NASA and the aerospace industry, and starting a successful plan to diversify the economic character of the Clear Lake region. Before joining BAHEP, Reinhartsen was part of the Grumman Aerospace management team and established a manufacturing relationship with energy companies. He serves on the boards of numerous organizations, including Wings Over Houston, the Kenneth James Reinhartsen Memorial Scholarship Fund, the Greater Houston Convention and Visitors Bureau, Space Center Houston and Communities in Schools, a nonprofit organization dedicated to encouraging youth to remain in school. Lee and Jim Reinhartsen are members of the President’s Cabinet, an organization of Houston-Galveston-area community and business leaders, UTMB faculty and staff, and alumni who provide financial resources to help advance the mission of the academic health center. UTMB |
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