UTMB Announcements for 6/21/2021

You are invited!

The Wednesday Wellbeing Support Group

Working in health care is a virtuous endeavor, yet it can impose distress, burnout, compassion fatigue and other issues in our lives. This support group is open to all UTMB employees and creates a space where you can talk about these issues in a candid and authentic way which may help to lighten those burdens and build solidarity amongst your colleagues. Join your facilitators, Rebecca Castro, Tammy Cupit and Jeff Farroni Wednesdays at 11am. We hope to see you there!

Wednesday, June 23, 2021

11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.

Microsoft Teams meeting

Join on your computer or mobile app

Click here to join the meeting

Or call in (audio only)

+1 409-240-0721,,603542711#   United States, Galveston

Phone Conference ID: 603 542 711#

 The UTMB School of Health Professions Master of Science in Health Professions (MSHP) online program, allows individuals with a bachelor’s degree in the arts or sciences to expand their field of study into exciting and fulfilling healthcare careers.

• This advanced degree will open opportunities for leadership as healthcare managers or executives within their organizations.
• Increase your opportunities and advance your career as a healthcare leader
• Complete the program at your own pace, 100% online
• Obtain your master's degree in as few as 16 months
• Affordable tuition and fees

The deadline for Fall 2021 applications are July 1, 2021. 

The Institutional Ethics Committee (IEC) is an integral part of the UTMB System Ethics Program to provide comprehensive, integrated ethics support for the institution. The IEC is a multidisciplinary forum for the analysis and discussion of ethical issues and standards affecting patient care, professional education, and community interests in service to the organizational mission of improving health. This mission is fulfilled through the Committee’s advisory, educational, policy management, and service functions.

Anyone may submit a membership application. The Committee is seeking individuals who have an interest and commitment to ethical discourse, diversity of perspective, and respect for divergent opinions.

 All students are encouraged to apply.

The term of commitment for new members is three years (student commitment is for one year). Meetings occur monthly, with the possibility of emergent meetings on an ad hoc basis should the need arise.

 If you are interested in serving on the committee click here to complete an online application.

The application deadline is July 1, 2021

For questions or more information, please see the UTMB Institutional Ethics Committee web page or email Marisela Sifuentes at msifuent@utmb.edu.

UTMB will celebrate Employee Service Day on June 24!

Activities will be held at each of the campus locations and online to recognize 2,561 faculty and staff who have achieved significant service milestones, 460 GEM card recipients and the winner of the 2021 Nicholas and Katherine Leone Award for Administrative Excellence.

For a schedule of activities and a complete list of honorees, visit https://www.utmb.edu/hr/employees/service-day.

Attention LCC Employees,

This summer the current Park & Ride Lot will transition from an open lot to an access-controlled parking lot. One portion of the parking lot will be available for UTMB employees in the future, while the other portion of the parking lot will be for Metro Park & Ride customers only.

If you currently do no have access to the Employee Parking Lots at LCC (Gray 1 and Gray 2), you will need to have your badge programmed in order to be able to park in the future.

The Parking team will be onsite at the LCC badge office the week of June 21 – June 25 (6:30 am – 7:30pm) to program the badges of any LCC employees who currently do not have parking access. Programming of your badge will take approximately 10 minutes.

For further questions please call the Parking Office at 409-266-7275 (M-F, 8a – 5p) or email parking@utmb.edu

UTMB’s Resilience in Stressful Events (RISE) Task Force encourages all faculty, staff and students to focus on at least one brief, healthy practice a day.

Today’s wellness tip is:

Rediscover and enjoy a fun childhood activity today.

For more tips and tools to help you stay emotionally healthy during the COVID-19 pandemic, please visit the Resilience: Mind • Body • Spirit web page.

    Sealy Institute for Vaccine Sciences Clinical Trials Program – Bay Colony

2785 Gulf Freeway South, Suite 165, League City

We’re looking for Adults aged 18 years and older:

• who have been vaccinated with Pfizer, Moderna, or Janssen

COVID-19 vaccines within the last 12-20 weeks

or

• who have not received a COVID-19 vaccine and want to be vaccinated

and

• are available for approximately 7 visits over a period of 2 years

Compensation for time/travel is available.

You CANNOT get infected with SARS-CoV-2 or get COVID-19 illness from the study vaccine.

For more information:

Call (832) 340-2313 or email sivsctp@utmb.edu

Giving Thanks for Summer
Father, Creator of all, thank you for summer!
Thank you for the warmth of the sun and the increased daylight. 
Thank you for the beauty I see all around me and for the opportunity to be outside and enjoy your creation. 
Thank you for the increased time I have to be with my friends and family, and for the more casual pace of the summer season. 
Draw me closer to you this summer. Teach me how I can pray no matter where I am or what I am doing. 
Warm my soul with the awareness of your presence and light my path with your Word and Counsel. 
As I enjoy your creation, create in me a pure heart and a hunger and a thirst for you. 
 --Author Unknown

The prayer line is open. Call 409-772-3915 to leave a prayer request, and our chaplains will pray for you. 

May God bless you as you care for others and yourself this week. 

UTMB Pride Month Events

Happy Pride Month!  The following events have been scheduled as an opportunity for UTMB to recognize and celebrate the impact LGBT+ people have within our academic and health systems as well as the greater community. 

June 28^th- Pride Celebration

11a-1p at the Moody Medical Library, Galveston Campus

Fun, food, and friends!  Be sure to wear your Pride gear.

June 29^th- Improving Communication with Transgender & Nonbinary Patients Webinar

Having trust in a provider is crucial to the physical, sexual, and mental health of trans individuals. This session provides the fundamental communication practices needed to develop this rapport in healthcare settings.

Presented by: Lyndon Cudlitz, Principal Trainer and Consultant, Lyndon Cudlitz: Consulting, Education, & Training (https://lyndoncudlitz.com/)

When: 12p-1p

Co-Sponsored by: John P. McGovern Academy of Oslerian Medicine, Allies in Health, and Institute for Bioethics and Health Humanities

Free CNE provided- contact Colleen James.  Free Social Work CEU provided- contact Savannah Parks.

Register in advance for the June 29 event:
https://zoom.us/meeting/register/tJUtcemgrzMrG9y6njel51X7YjjuuCeK5Kbd

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar.

June 30^th- Social Determinants of Health for LGBTQ Communities Webinar

Crucial to providing affirming care for LGBTQ+ communities is understanding the experiences where patients live, work, pray, and play. This session is designed to expand comprehension of how navigating these spaces can impact the health of LGBTQ+ individuals, as well as their ability to have open conversations with providers.

Presented by: Lyndon Cudlitz, Principal Trainer and Consultant, Lyndon Cudlitz: Consulting, Education, & Training (https://lyndoncudlitz.com/)

When: 12p-1p

Co-Sponsored by: John P. McGovern Academy of Oslerian Medicine, Allies in Health, and Institute for Bioethics and Health Humanities

Free CNE provided- contact Colleen James.  Free Social Work CEU provided- contact Savannah Parks

Register in advance for the June 29 event:
https://zoom.us/meeting/register/tJIpd--orT8jHdOU3Sp3Fq7ZLZLN4qe-yGFO

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar.

June 30^th- Pride Professionals Meet Up

Where: Sound Bar, 2411 Mechanic Street, Galveston, TX 77550

When: 5:30p-7:30p

Join us as we celebrate Pride month as a community with snacks, happy hour, and karaoke!  Be sure to wear your Pride gear and spread the word about this event!

The UTMB Nursing Science and Innovation Department is interested in examining the relationships between personal adversities, resilience, compassion fatigue and compassion satisfaction at UTMB Health. The purpose of this IRB approved study is to examine the relationship between personal adversity, resilience, compassion fatigue, and compassion satisfaction in employees of UTMB Health. It is our hope that these study findings can assist UTMB employees to receive timely assistance, shore up resilience and possibly increase retention, retain compassion satisfaction, and possibly increase patient satisfaction and patient care. This study involves completing three survey instruments and you do have the option to provide your email address (or a generic email address) to receive your results. ALL UTMB employees are invited to participate! Please click the link below if you are interested in participating. Thank you!

https://forms.office.com/Pages/ResponsePage.aspx?id=bSXve9uFJkWnLTGuolRoUkUH1N9oJvlPqsoLz4i4zXBUQjBLRkdZUFJPUk9CWVdZTlpJUkJaS0MzMiQlQCN0PWcu

LGBTQ+ health
Two Seminars
 

Led By
Lyndon Cudlitz

With 20 years of experience in LGBTQ services and education, Lyndon Cudlitz
provides training and technical assistance for healthcare institutions, schools,
nonprofits, businesses, and family members. Lyndon's background includes sexual
health education, hospital-based intimate partner violence services, and 10 years as a
Firefighter/EMT.

Space is limited for each event, please register in advance.

-- June 29 --
12:00-1:00 p.m.
Improving Communication with Transgender & Nonbinary Patients

Having trust in a provider is crucial to the physical, sexual, and mental health of trans
individuals. This session provides the fundamental communication practices needed to
develop this rapport in healthcare settings.

Register in advance for the June 29 event:

https://zoom.us/meeting/register/tJUtcemgrzMrG9y6njel51X7YjjuuCeK5Kbd

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing
information about joining the webinar.

-- June 30 --
12:00-1:00 p.m.
Social Determinants of Health for LGBTQ Communities

Crucial to providing affirming care for LGBTQ+ communities is understanding the
experiences where patients live, work, pray, and play. This session is designed to
expand comprehension of how navigating these spaces can impact the health of
LGBTQ+ individuals, as well as their ability to have open conversations with providers.

Register in advance for the June 30 event:

https://zoom.us/meeting/register/tJIpd--orT8jHdOU3Sp3Fq7ZLZLN4qe-yGFO

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing
information about joining the webinar.

University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston is approved as a provider of nursing continuing
professional development by Louisiana State Nurses Association, an accredited approver by the
American Nurses Credentialing Center’s Commission on Accreditation. LSNA Provider No.
4002176.   This activity will provide 1 contact hour.
Questions regarding the CNE contact Colleen James crjames@utmb.edu

A free Ethics Social Work CEU will be offered for both of these webinars.
Contact Savannah Parks at sjparks@utmb.edu after each session to obtain your CEU.

Co-Sponsored by

John P. McGovern Academy of Oslerian Medicine

Allies in Health

and

Institute for Bioethics and Health Humanities

Purpose: To interview older women to help us make exercise videos that they can use at home.

Eligibility: Women who are age 60 or older, English speaking ability, and internet access.

We are targeting the recruitment of the following underrepresented groups: Asian/Pacific Islander and Hispanic older women. Participants will complete online surveys and be interviewed via Zoom. You will be reimbursed for your time.

Effective Thursday, 6/24/2021 the Badge office hours at the Clear Lake Campus only will be 8:30 - 5:00; closed from 12-1:00pm for lunch. 

Please remember that the Badge office is only open on Thursdays at this location.

Thank you.

♦ Child Psychiatry Access Network (CPAN) ♦

CPAN is a FREE behavioral specialist team consisting of child psychiatrists and mental health professionals who provide child and adolescent behavioral health consultations and educational opportunities to pediatric primary care providers.

WHY CPAN?

• CPAN is FREE! It is a state funded program brought to you by the 86^th Texas Legislature to help address urgent mental health challenges and improve the mental health care system in this state in relation to children and adolescents .
• Children are more likely to see a primary care physician or pediatrician when they are experiencing challenges with their behavior.
• Due to a shortage of child psychiatrists, there is a need to expand access to care with innovative solutions.With CPAN, you get unlimited access to a UTMB child and adolescent psychiatrist for provider consultations to help address mental health concerns.
• CPAN takes a peer learning approach to providing care for children and adolescents with behavioral health needs.

WHAT CAN YOU EXPECT AS A PARTICIPATING PROVIDER?

• For individual primary care providers: Prompt access to a child psychiatrist for phone consultation on medication questions, including follow-ups.
• For practices that have behavioral health clinicians: Expert consultation on difficult cases.
• For pediatric health homes: Help to fully incorporate behavioral services into the practice through access to a child psychiatrist
• For patients needing specialized care: Help to identify resources for evaluation and ongoing care.

HOW TO ENROLL

Call us at 1-888-901-CPAN (2726) 

HOW TO USE

Dial 1-888-901-2726

Select "2" for Southeast region

Select "3" for UTMB

HOURS

Monday through Friday

8:00a.m to 5:00p.m.

Visit us on Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/TexasCPAN

In response to your feedback, Environmental Health & Safety is trialing expanded early morning hours to address N95 fit testing needs for night-shift workers. Beginning the week of 5/31, EHS will offer fit tests starting at 7 AM every Thursday.  Based on demand, we can expand this to additional days of the week.  If you are a night shift worker and need to get a fit test for an N95 respirator, please click this link to submit an updated medical clearance form and then visit our online self-scheduling system and schedule an appointment.

Fit tests are performed by appointment only on the 6th floor of Waverly Smith Pavilion in room 6.102 (off the elevator lobby).  All individuals being fit tested must be clean shaven wherever the N95 seals against the face.

UTMB Mitcheel Center for Neurodegereative Diseases

University of North Dakota

University of Kentucky

University of Florida

Jointly Present

Amanda Worerman, PhD

Assistant Professor, Department of Biology

University of Massachutes, Amherst 

Title: "Using in vitro and in vivo assays to interrogate alpha-synuclein strain biology" 

Tuesday, June 22, 2021

12:00pm CST

Zoom Meeting 

We are recruiting female volunteers to complete a research study on how a fiber supplement changes blood glucose and hormone concentrations, as well as the gut microbiome.  

We are looking for female volunteers who:

• Are between 19 and 45 years old
• Have a medical diagnosis of PCOS OR history of regular menstruation
• Are overweight or greater (body mass index between 25 and 35 kg/m²)
• Have no medical conditions (such as high blood pressure or diabetes)
• Are not pregnant, actively trying to become pregnant, or lactating
• Are not taking medications or supplements that impact body weight or metabolism (e.g., steroids, thyroid medication, supplements with stimulants or caffeine)
• Are not on a special diet or recent body weight changes
• Are not taking antibiotics, probiotics, or prebiotics for at least 1 month

The study will be conducted at TWU- Houston campus.

Volunteers will be receive $100.00 H.E.B. gift card, free blood tests, free diet analysis, and free body composition analysis.  

GC-CPEH Strategic Round of Pilot Projects

Strategic Round of Pilot Projects: Veterans’ Environmental Health

Open to GC-CPEH members, Baylor College of Medicine, UTMB-Galveston, and UTHealth faculty and inter-Center partnerships with members of other NIEHS P30 Environmental Health Sciences Core Centers

Funding Period: September 1, 2021, through August 31, 2022

RFA Announcement: June 14,2021

Electronic Letter of Intent Package Due:5 pm CDT, June 28, 2021

Full Application Invitation: July 8,2021

Full Application Power Point Due: 5pm, CDT, July 21, 2021

IAC Review: July 30, 2021

The GC-CPEH is soliciting applications for a Strategic Round of Pilot Projects in the area of Veterans’ Environmental Health.  This Strategic Round will support 3-5 Pilot Projects designed to promote veterans’ health at the intersection of genetics/epigenetics, environmental exposures, and data science to understand individual and place-based determinants of disease risk and intergenerational health outcomes. 

The RFA for these Strategic Pilot Projects also encourages Inter-Center partnerships to establish collaborations with GC-CPEH membersand/or utilize GC-CPEH Facility Cores (for reference see GC-CPEH Facility Cores resources)to support interdisciplinary research relevant to Veterans’ Environmental Health.

Award Types

The Pilot Projects are for one year with no opportunity for extension (including no-cost extensions) and a budget not to exceed $50,000, with the possibility of support for up to $75,000 for appropriately justified studies involving human subjects. 

GC-CPEH Military Environmental Exposure Research and Veterans’ Health Initiative: Examples of exposures of interest during military service (Deployment, Military Duty Station, Garrison) are shown in the Table below.  Research related to the health effects of these or other service-related exposures, including engagement of the veterans’ community, is of relevance to this RFA.

Who Can Apply?

Investigatorsfrom GC-CPEH supporting institutions (BCM, UTHealth, and UTMB) who are eligible for Principal Investigator status on federal research grants are eligible for this RFA.  GC-CPEH Full Member privileges will be extended to non-Center members who receive Pilot Project funding, including subsidies during the funding period through the GC-CPEH Facility Core Utilization/Subsidy Program. 

Members of other NIEHS P30 Core Centers in the following categories are also eligible:

• Early-stage/established Investigators working in the area of Veterans’ Environmental Health as part of a new or established inter-Center collaboration with GC-CPEH member(s)
• Established Investigators in Veterans’ Health exploring new research directions in a field relevant to Environmental Health Sciences as part of a new or established inter-Center collaboration with GC-CPEH member(s)
• Early-stage/Established Investigators in Environmental Health Sciences exploring new research directions in a field relevant to Veterans’ Health as part of a new or established inter-Center collaboration with GC-CPEH member(s)
• Early-stage/established Investigators at other NIEHS P30 Core Centers working in Veterans’ Environmental Health seeking to use GC-CPEH Facility Cores resources

For BCM, UTHealth, UTMB/GC-CPEH Investigators:

• Early-stage/Established Investigators in Veterans’ Health exploring new research directions in a field relevant to Environmental Health Sciences
• Early-stage/Established Investigators in Environmental Health Sciences exploring new research directions in a field relevant to Veterans’ Health

Application Procedure

• Letter of Intent (LOI) Package should be sent electronically to Tracie Albritton at taalbrit@utmb.edu no later than 5 pm CDT, June 28, 2021. The LOI package must include:
• Cover Letter, including identification of collaborators(if relevant)
• A one-page summary of the research objectives (Title of Project, Background, Significance, and Specific Aims), and
• NIH Biosketch for PI and (inter-Center collaborator(s) if relevant):https://grants.nih.gov/grants/forms/biosketch.htm
• The package will be reviewed by the GC-CPEH Pilot Project Program Committee for relevance to the goals of this RFA , with up to 10 LOIs invited to submit full applications
• Invited applicants should submit the full applications, prepared in PowerPoint electronically to Tracie Albritton at taalbrit@utmb.eduno later than 5 pm CDT, July 21, 2021
• The GC-CEPH/ Collaborating P30 Internal Advisory Committee will evaluate invited Pilot Project applications using an oral review process described below:
• The applicant will be scheduled for a 15-minute oral presentation describing the research proposal, followed by 10 minutes for questions from the review panel.  
• The applicant is expected to describe the significance, innovation, approach (including the specific aims for the pilot project as well as future research objectives), present an itemized budget, and identify anticipated use of GC-CPEH supported Facility Cores if applicable. 
• The presentation will be conducted remotely, and every effort will be made to accommodate the applicant’s schedule in choosing a time for the presentation
• All applicants will receive communications within two weeks following the presentation indicating funding decisions and JIT requests as required.

Reporting

A written summary of the study’s accomplishments is due within four weeks of the end of the project period.  Grantees will also be followed to monitor progress (e.g., grants submitted, awards received, and publications) resulting from the award.  In addition, awardees may be invited to present the outcome of their research at GC-CPEH events, including Annual Retreat and Symposia.

Contact Information

For feedback on potential project ideas or on how to make contact with inter-Center partners:

Cheryl Walker, PhD, Director, GC-CPEH, BCM

E-mail: Cheryl.Walker@bcm.edu

Cornelis (Kees) Elferink, PhD, Co-Director, GC-CPEH, UTMB

E-mail: coelferi@utmb.edu

Elaine Symanski, PhD, Deputy Director, GC-CPEH, BCM

E-mail: Elaine.Symanski@bcm.edu

For assistance in GC-CPEH Facility Core Utilization/Subsidy Program:

Heyreoun An Han, PhD, Lead, Research Operations, GC-CPEH

E-mail: Heyreoun.anhan@bcm.edu

For questions on the application process and submission of proposal:

Tracie Albritton, Pilot Project Program Manager, GC-CPEH

E-mail: taalbrit@utmb.edu

OLLI at UTMB Health hosts the Houston Area Parkinson Society Support Group The fourth Tuesday of every month beginning Tuesday, June 22, 11 AM – Noon at OLLI at UTMB, 1200 Market Street Facilitator: Celeste Harris, LMSW, HAPS Director of Social Services

HAPS monthly professionally facilitated support groups give participants the opportunity to share their thoughts and experiences, solve common problems, and provide encouragement to others living with or caring for someone with Parkinson’s. Those diagnosed and their friends, families and support teams are welcome to attend this monthly meeting. Sessions are free to the public, UTMB patients, and OLLI members and no pre-registration is required. We invite you to attend as often as possible. Free parking is available. Call OLLI for more information: 409.763.5604.

Department of Surgery Grand Rounds

The University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston

Wednesday, June 23, 2021

8:00 -9:00 AM

UTMB Galveston Campus

Research Building 6, 1.206 Auditorium

Microsoft Teams Link:

Please contact Lauren Burkhalter for MS Teams Link.

Email: laburkha@utmb.edu

Ernest Ramsey Camp, MD, MSCR, FACS

Professor with Tenure

Department of Surgery

Baylor College of Medicine

Neoadjuvant Therapy for Pancreatic Cancer

Objectives:  At the conclusion of the session, the participants should be able to:

• Identify and describe the characteristics that make pancreatic cancer a “bad actor”.
• Define the surgeon’s role in the multi-disciplinary management of pancreatic cancer.
• Recognize the importance of traditional and future forms of neoadjuvant therapy for pancreatic cancer.

Target Audience and Needs:  Surgeons including faculty, residents, fellows, medical students, and other healthcare professionals need exposure and regular updates on the latest topics in the fields of Clinical Surgery, Ethics, and career development. This series seeks to provide the latest information in these fields with opportunity for Socratic discussion, critical analysis, and networking, with the desired result of incorporation into daily practice and improved care delivery across all divisions.

Educational Methods:  Educational methods will include lectures and case presentations.

Activity Evaluation:  Participants may be asked to complete a session evaluation.

Accreditation/Credit Designation: Baylor College of Medicine is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) to provide continuing medical education for physicians.

Baylor College of Medicine designates this live activity for a maximum of 1.0 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™.  Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.

We are looking for healthy male and female volunteers to take part in a study examining the effects disuse and rehabilitation on muscle metabolism.

The study involves visits at UTMB’s Clinical Research Center (CRC).

Volunteers must be non-smokers between the ages of 50 and 65 yrs and be of normal height and weight. Female volunteers must be post-menopausal.

Volunteers will be compensated for their time:

For more information contact: 

Sean Kilroe 409-443-8020 spkilroe@utmb.edu

Zach von Ruff (832) 356-9469 zdvonruf@utmb.edu