ROEA Winners

We are very pleased and proud to announce that three UTMB employees have been chosen as inaugural recipients of the Regents’ Outstanding Employee Award.

Please join us in congratulating:

Connally, Chad15

Chad Connally, RN, BSN, CEN

Nursing Program Manager, Emergency Services Administration

Chad Connally is responsible for managing UTMB’s Biocontainment Unit, which was established in 2015 as a result of the Ebola outbreak in western Africa. (UTMB has been designated as one of nine Regional Ebola Treatment Centers by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.) Management of the unit includes personnel, training programs, budget compliance and grant funding. In addition, Connally manages the disaster preparedness program for the Emergency Department, including natural disasters and hazardous material incidents. Connally believes prevention is key to maintaining a healthy community; he is focused on providing effective and repeated training for health care providers so they remain safe and can care for their patients during a disaster. Described in support letters as a “silent hero,” Connally recently received UTMB President David Callender’s Way to Go Award for the compassion and caring he showed in providing a homeless Emergency Department patient with three bags of new, clean clothing. Connally is currently finishing his master’s degree in nursing and enjoys giving back to the community in his limited spare time. He has been a committee member for the Brazoria County Livestock show for 10 years, a Girl Scout leader for his daughter’s troop, and a volunteer for the Fort Bend County Museum District. Connally is a U.S. Navy veteran and has served as a firefighter with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

Mike Mastrangelo

Mike Mastrangelo

Program Director, Institutional Preparedness

Mike Mastrangelo is responsible for all aspects of preparedness at UTMB. His role includes developing and managing all institutional emergency plans for risks such as hurricanes, disease outbreaks, mass casualty incidents and cyber-intrusions. With the high concentration of chemical industrial plants in the Galveston area, Mastrangelo works with regional public and private entities to ensure readiness for any incidents and ensure the continuity of health care services. Mastrangelo serves on many regional, state and national emergency preparedness committees and has received numerous awards for his innovative work. Most recently, he was honored with the Disaster Recovery Institute International’s Program Leader of the Year Award for his leadership role in developing UTMB’s emergency preparedness program, and, in particular, for his efforts during Hurricane Harvey—when he worked around the clock to support UTMB’s Command Center and UTMB’s response. Prior to UTMB, Mastrangelo was the business continuity coordinator for The University of Texas System and was involved in UTMB’s response to and recovery from Hurricane Ike, as well as coordinating the UT response to the H1N1 “bird flu” outbreak. He also has served as the bioterrorism coordinator for the Texas Department of Health and co-founded the Texas Health Alert Network, a statewide telecommunications network designed to support the detection and response to bioterrorism or disease outbreaks. Mastrangelo is a former Marine officer and CIA case officer.

ScottWoodby

Scott Woodby, RN

Nurse Clinician V, Medical Intensive Care Unit/Critical Care Unit

Scott Woodby has worked at UTMB for more than 20 years and is described by others as an “exceptional nurse” who is “often sought out for his expertise” in adult intensive care units. Woodby has been part of UTMB’s Rapid Response Team since it began in 2005. Since then, the team has received more than 6,000 calls, bringing critical care expertise to non-intensive care units. As an Evidence Based Practice (EBP) Champion, Woodby has participated in various EBP projects both directly and as a mentor, and has received numerous awards for his efforts to improve patient care and safety. For example, he has been recognized for his work to decrease catheter-associated urinary tract infections, as well as ensure patients and families understand plans of care by implementing bedside shift reports in adult intensive care units. Woodby was recognized as a “Hurricane Hero” by the Texas Nurses Association for his exemplary and courageous dedication to his team and patients during Hurricane Harvey. He covered rapid response and charge nurse roles in the MICU for six days during the storm, providing “much-needed strength to employees working tirelessly to provide the best care to UTMB patients and their families.” For the past eight years, Woodby has been a leader and co-chair of the Adult ICU Nursing Shared Leadership Council.


UT System Regents’ Outstanding Employee Award nominees:

Congratulations to UTMB’s 34 nominees for the inaugural University of Texas System Regents’ Outstanding Employee Awards, which were established to recognize full-time, benefits-eligible, non-faculty employees who have shown outstanding performance, innovation, enthusiasm and dedication in their jobs. The nominations were initially reviewed by UTMB’s Employee Advisory Council and then forwarded to the President and the Executive Vice Presidents for final review and selection. UTMB’s finalists were submitted to UT System for further consideration on Feb. 16. UT System plans to announce the winners of the Regents’ Outstanding Employee Awards in April. The nominees are:

  • Curtis Adkerson
  • Chuck Anderson
  • Ashlyn Baker
  • Douglas Brining
  • Marsha Brookover
  • Lucia Cardenas-Gonzales
  • Chad Connally
  • Cathy Copeland
  • Michelle Fahringer-Baer
  • Robert Fox
  • Janie Garcia
  • Maria Garcia
  • Denis Gooding
  • Jeri Hartnett
  • Jerry Jackson
  • Kenia Latin
  • Kelly Ledford
  • John Leger
  • Rena Lidstone
  • Peggy Mann
  • Helen Martinez
  • Mike Mastrangelo
  • Tandra Medellin
  • Michelle Moreno
  • Russell Rodecap
  • Tracey Santiago
  • Jacob Scharton
  • Sonja Stutz
  • Tiffany Swain
  • Eric Tucker
  • Leah Vaughn
  • Scott Woodby
  • Trisha Wooten
  • Olinka Zamora