• 2026 AAFP Photo Contest Entry Submission by Resident PGY2 Ashley Echeta, MD

    UTMB Health Family Medicine & Community Health Wins 2026 AAFP Photo Contest

    Congratulations to Ashley Echeta, MD for her winning submission to the 2026 AAFP Photo Contest.  The contest was is intended to encourage students and residents to share stories through photographs about how they use the American Family Physician (AFP) journal. Any aspect of the journal could be discussed, including AFP's review articles, covers, and other features such as practice guidelines, photo quizzes, algorithms, figures, etc. Photos could feature individuals or groups, ordinary or extraordinary locations, and have a humorous or serious tone.  The contest began on February 1, 2026, and ended on May 1, 2026, at 5 pm Central Time.

    The photo will be promoted on social media, on their website in July and will run in the July American Family Physician (AFP) journal printed issue.

    Dr. Echeta will be presented an award at FUTURE 2026 on Friday morning, July 31st, at the FMIG breakfast.  The prize includes either registration to FUTURE 2026 or a gift card.

    The photo entitled, "Fashion Week, Evidence-Based Couture"  featured fellow residents after their annual residency retreat and our model was none other than Associate Program Director, Cathy Xie, DO.  Her outfit included a skirt made from pages of the AAFP monthly publication by Dr. Echeta and Dr. Ariana Mahmood. The top was made from the most recent cover of the same publication.  Thank you all who contributed to make this win possible.  Our residents are troopers for making this happen. It was fun to be a part of!

  • Residents to Present at the 11th Annual Quality Improvement & Patient Safety Poster Session

    The 11th Annual UTMB Graduate Medical Education Quality Improvement & Patient Safety Poster Session will take place on Wednesday May 13th, 2026 at the UTMB Jennie Sealy Hospital on the 4th Floor.  

    Ashley Echeta, MD will present a poster entitled Take it Easy: Improving Blood Pressure Control.  The poster was a collaboration with fellow residents Sami Ghozayel, DO, Javier Gomez, MD, Sunil Joseph, DO, Eguono Ejayeriese, MD and Zaharia Muhammad, MD along with their faculty mentors Samuel Mathis, MD, MPH, MBA, CPE, Jonathan Teran, MD, CAQSM, Zuleica Santiago-Delgado, MD, FAAFP, Barbara Thompson, MD, Quratulanne Jan, MD and Charles Wang, MD.

    Matthew P. LeBlanc, MD, MBA will present a poster entitled Investigating Medicare Wellness Completion Rate through Double Booked Appointments. This poster was a collaboration with fellow residents Het Bharucha, MD, Kimia Booth, DO, Rachel Cartmell, MD, MPP, MS, Alyssa Fisher, MD, DrPH, Chance Fisher, DO and Sagufta Garasia, DO along with their faculty mentors Kendall M Campbell, MD, FAAFP, Kaitlin Leckie, PhD, LMFT, Ernst Nicanord, MD, Laura Porterfield, MD, MPH and Namita Bhardwaj, MD, MS, MPH, CAQSM, FAAFP, 

  • Photos of our residents providing valuable healthcare to young athletes at the 2026 annual sports physicals

    Annual Sports Physicals for Young Athletes

    Over the last month our UTMB Health Family Medicine & Community Health residents have been busy providing sports physicals to area young athletes.  Our residents were attended by faculty physicians Namita Bhardwaj, MD, MS, MPH, CAQSM, FAAFP.  Over the course of 5 separate days our residents saw 620 student athletes for their annual sports physicals ahead of the upcoming school year's training season.  This is a valuable service to the community and often the only time any of these students get health care.  Both the trainers and community are grateful for the service we provide.  Our residents on hand were:

    Thursday April 16th:
    Rachel Cartmell
    Christina Crandall
    Isabella Cruz
    Eguono Ejayeriese
    Alyssa Fisher
    Sagufta Garasia
    Revathi Gnanasekaran
    Brandon Gonzalez
    Brendan Holderread
    Matthew LeBlanc
    Ariana Mahmood
    Zaharia Muhmmad
    Tosin Sadiku

    Saturday April 18th:
    Kimia Booth
    Ashley Echeta
    Chance Fisher
    Sagufta Garasia
    Brendan Holderread
    Sara Konopnicki
    Matthew LeBlanc
    Zahria Muhmmad
    Grace Rustom
    Tosin Sadiku

    Saturday May 2nd:
    Kerrie Brown
    Rachel Cartmel
    Ty Fields
    Brian Gale
    Christopher Le
    Matthew LeBlanc
    Stephanie Mohmed
    Eldin Nikocevic

    Thursday May 7th:
    King Ampofo
    Het Bharucha
    Kimia Booth
    Rachel Cartmel
    Christina Crandall
    Cynthia Duarte
    Eguono Ejayeriese
    Ty Fields
    Alyssa Fisher
    Chance Fisher
    Sunil Joseph
    Matthew LeBlanc
    Fed Ly
    Stephanie Mohmed
    Eldin Nikocevic
    Tianna Stith
    Josephine Tran

    Saturday May 9th:
    King Ampofo
    Het Bharucha
    Kerrie Brown
    Cynthia Duarte
    Eguono Ejayeriese
    Chance Fisher
    Brandon Gonzalez
    Matthew LeBlanc
    Julio Ruiz

    We would also like to thank our Residency Director, Ernst Nicanord, MD for his support as well as our residency staff, Alec Hughes and Kimberly Denton.

     

  • Medical Student Dallin Swanson Presents his poster at the 2026 UTMB Health Research Summit

    Family Medicine Faculty Mentored Medical Student Who Receives Award

    On May 7-8, 2026 UTMB Health hosted its annual Research Summit.  Dallin Swanson, 4th year medical student presented a poster entitled Cost Effectiveness of Community Health Worker Models for Type 2 Diabetes Management.  Collaborators on this project were Elizabeth Vaughan, DO, MPH; H. Shelton Brown, PhD; family medicine resident Revathi Gnanasekaran, MD; Patricia Rodriguez Espinosa, PhD, MPH; Xiaoying Yu, PhD; and family medicine faculty member Laura Porterfield, MD, MPH.

    The poster received an award for being one of the Top-8 abstracts presented during this two day symposium. Congratulations to Dallin and it is an amazing example of collaboration among peers.  Each of the winners of the summit (in the photo below) will receive a $200 scholarship to support their presentation in an external conference or poster session within the next year. 

    About the UTMB Research Summit
    For nearly a decade, Research Day has brought together the UTMB research community to showcase the best and the brightest and celebrate our successes. This year, the event was expanded to a day-and-a-half series of presentations and posters. This years theme was Advancing Discovery Across the Lifespan.

    This event was, hosted by Chief Research Officer Dr. Antonio Bianco and the Council of Vice Chairs of Research, aims to feature outstanding lifespan research conducted by faculty and students at UTMB.

    The Top-8 Winners of the UTMB Health 2026 Research Summit
  • Dr. Kendall M Campbell show his award he received in recognition of his service as co-founder and faculty leader of the Leadership Through Scholarship Fellowship Program from STFM

    Kendall M. Campbell, MD, FAAFP Receives STFM Award

    On May 4, 2026 Dr. Kendall M. Campbell was honored with the presentation of an award by the Society of Teachers in Family Medicine (STFM) in recognition of his strategic vision and mentorship in founding and leading STFM's Leadership Through Scholarship Fellowship at the 2026 STFM Annual Spring Meeting.  

    Dr. Campbell was a co-founder and faculty leader of this fellowship for 7 years, from 2019-2026.  This will serve as his last year as a faculty member.

    Photo of Dr. Jose Rodriguez, Dr. Kendall M. Campbell and Dr. Judy Washington as they present Dr. Campbell an award at the 2026 STFM Annual Spring Meeting
    l to r: Dr. Jose Rodriguez, Dr. Kendall M. Campbell and Dr. Judy Washington
    Dr. Kendall M Campbell show his award he received in recognition of his service as co-founder and faculty leader of the Leadership Through Scholarship Fellowship Program from STFM
    Dr. Kendall M. Campbell

     

  • Dr. Laura Porterfield gives standing room only lecture on using AI in Family Medicine Clinic at the 2026 STFM Annual Spring Conference

    Family Medicine & Community Health Well Represented at STFM

    Several of the UTMB Health Family Medicine & Community Health faculty held presentations and discussions during the Annual STFM Spring Conference, May 2-6, 2026.  

    • Dr. Laura Porterfield gave a standing room only lecture on Practical AI Tools for Family Medicine Faculty: Time-Saving Strategies in Work and Life
    • Dr. Porterfield and Dr. Cathy Xie held a seminar on Menopause Matters: Equipping Family Medicine Residents for Evidence Based Care
    • Dr. Porterfield and resident Dr. Alyssa Fisher gave a lecture on Gendered Challenges of Parenthood in Medical Training: Patterns and Strategies for Change.  Dr. Josin Kalathil was also an author on this lecture.
    • Dr. Porterfield was part of a workshop on Her Network, Her Power: Sponsorship for Women in Academic Family Medicine
    • Dr. Porterfield was also part of a lecture on Teaching In-Basket Boundaries: One Way to Combat Gender Discrepancies in Asynchronous Work.
    • Dr. Kendall M. Campbell held a seminar on When Mentorship Goes Bad: How to Repair and Rebuild Stronger
    • Dr. Kaitlin Leckie held a roundtable discussion on Top 10 Visual Media Resources for Teaching Behavioral Science and Wellness.  

    Congratulations to all of faculty for their work and contributions at the STFM Annual Spring Conference.

    Drs. Chance Fisher, Alyssa Fisher, Kendall M Campbell, Laura Porterfield and Cathy Xie attending the STFM Annual Spring Conference

    l to r: Chance Fisher, DO; Alyssa Fisher, DO, DrPH; Kendall M Campbell, MD, FAAFP; Laura Porterfield, MD, MPH; Cathy Xie, DO

    Photo of Dr. Kendall Campbell and Kaitlin Leckie at the STFM Annual Spring Conference

    l to r: Kendall M Campbell, MD, FAAFP and Kaitlin Leckie, PhD, LMFT


  • Photo from the American College of Culinary Medicine illustrating the importance of whole natural ingredients

    Dr. Ernst Nicanord Receives Scholarship to Attend the American College of Culinary Medicine Conference

    We are pleased to announce that Dr. Nicanord received support from UTMB Health's John Sealy School of Medicine (JSSOM) to attend the American College of Culinary Medicine Conference, taking place June 11–14, 2026 in New Orleans, LA. This is an exciting opportunity to participate in UTMB's growing Nutrition Medicine initiative. Participating will certainly help the Department of Family Medicine & Community Health with integration in the institutional Blue Zone Project.

    "Your participation will meaningfully contribute to strengthening nutrition medicine curricula at JSSOM, and we are truly grateful for your willingness to be involved."

    ~Norma A Pérez, MD, DrPH, CPC
    Assistant Dean, Educational Affairs, John Sealy School of Medicine
    PI, UTMB Center of Excellence for Professional Advancement and Research
    Associate Professor of Research, Department of Internal Medicine – Geriatrics
    Associate Professor of Research, Department of Population Health and Health Disparities, School of Public and Population Health
    The University of Texas Medical Branch

  • Family Medicine & Community Health to Welcome Student Mentees

    The Department of Family Medicine & Community Health (FMCH) will welcome two MS2 students this year as part of the Summer Research Program (SRP) 2026.  Students were matched based on their ranked research interests and mentor availability.  

    We will welcome Monica Hernandez as part of the 4-Week Session A from July 13 to August 7, 2026
    and Giovanny Reyes as part of the 4-Week Session B from August 10 to September 4, 2026. 

    Their SRP will culminate in a Poster Presentation as a result of their research on September 11, 2026

    As a department, we are very excited to take part in supporting medical student research.

  • Photo of Dr. Courtney Ortz Research Scientist at UTMB Health Family Medicine & Community Health

    Dr. Ortz Selected to Submit American Diabetes Association Grant Proposal

    UTMB Health's Family Medicine & Community Health is proud to announce that Courtney Ortz, PhD, MSW was 1 of 2 nominees selected by UTMB for submitting a grant proposal to the American Diabetes Association. 

    To accelerate the research needed to stop diabetes, the American Diabetes Association’s bold transformational initiative, Pathway to Stop Diabetes, is inspiring a new generation of diabetes researchers. Pathway provides crucial support to individuals focusing on innovative ideas and transformational approaches that will lead to groundbreaking discoveries in diabetes prevention, management, and cures. They are building a human pathway to tackle the toughest questions in diabetes by driving research innovations through 1:1 mentorship and the creation of a brain trust in diabetes.


    The call for nominations prioritizes translational applications that move knowledge and discovery gained from basic research to its eventual translation into patient and population benefit. The ideal applicant will propose innovative research that will be an important step towards the eventual goal of improving the lives of people at risk of diabetes or living with the disease. Their vision is to create a pathway to launch the next generation of trailblazers in diabetes research.

     
  • Photo of Laura Porterfield, MD, MPH faculty physician with UTMB Health's Department of Family Medicine & Community Health

    Porterfield Awarded Grant Funds for Vaccine Study

    Dr. Laura Porterfield was recently awarded a SIVS $20,000 small grant by the Sealy Institute for Vaccine Sciences and funded by the John Sealy Memorial Endowment. The study is titled “Real-World Outcomes Following Adult Vaccination During Hospitalization: A Multi-Institutional Epic Cosmos Study”.  The study will last for 4 months once it has been officially funded.  
  • Congratulations to Our Intern Research Winners

    animated gif announcing the winners of the 2026 Resident Intern Case Report Presentations

    A few words from Dr. Smalls. 

    "There was stiff competition, but ultimately, Ariana and Christina earned the most points from the judges.

     I also want to give a special shout-out to Dr. Janicki, who served as Ariana and Christina's faculty mentor.

     Last but certainly not least, I wanted to send a big THANK YOU to our judges (Drs. De Matas, Villasante-Tezanos, and Patel as well as our very own social worker, Marissa Meader) as well as all the folks behind the scenes who assisted with organizing and keeping things on track (Kim, Alec, and Kylie)."

  • Jennifer Raley Takes on Integral Role at Commencement

    Jennifer Raley, MD, Clinical Professor, Director, Medical Student Education Program and Faculty Director of the award winning Family Medicine Interest Group has been chosen by the UTMB Health John Sealy School of Medicine (JSSOM) Medical School Class of 2026 to be the Oath Administrator.  She will recite A Physician's Oath (Adopted from the Original Hippocratic Oath) during the JSSOM Commencement Ceremony on May 30, 2026. 
  • Photo of Dr. Kaitlin Leckie presenting at the Texas Association for Marriage and Family Therapy Annual Conference.

    Leckie Presents at Texas Association for Marriage and Family Therapy Annual Conference

    On Thursday April 9, 2026 Kaitlin Leckie, PhD, LMFT, Director of UTMB Health's Family Medicine & Community Health Behavioral Medicine and Clinical Assistant Professor presented an oral presentation at the Texas Association for Marriage and Family Therapy Annual Conference.  The conference was held in Galveston Texas this year.  Her presentation was titled Integrated Care: Skills, Opportunities, Enhanced Care.
  • Family Medicine & Community Health Leadership Discusses Primary Care Center for Galveston Island Whole Health with the Galveston Community

    Family Medicine & Community Health Participate in Local SCI Cafe

    UTMB Health Family Medicine & Community Health department Chair, Kendall M. Campbell, MD, FAAFP and Business Manager, Carmela Dailey-Vargas were invited to be panelists in Galveston's SCI Cafe at MOD Coffee House on April 9th where they discussed the department's vision and our work for the Primary Care Center for Galveston Island Whole Health to the Galveston Community.
  • Wei-Chen Lee, Norman Farr, Hasan Yasin and Kendall M. Campbell Cut Ribbon at Grand Opening of the Acupuncture Clinic at St. Vincent's Hope House Clinics

    Acupuncture Clinic Opens at St. Vincent's Hope House Clinics

    On March 24th, 2026 The UTMB Health Department of Family Medicine & Community Health (FMCH) along with St. Vincent's Hope House Clinics (SVHHC) held a grand opening and ribbon cutting ceremony introducing the new Acupuncture Clinic at St. Vincent's. This clinic will provide much needed alternative treatment services for pain and chronic conditions to the Galveston community. They have created a space where traditional healing and modern health practices come together to support whole-person wellness. This clinic was made possible in part by a #TAFP Foundation Grant with co-principal investigators, Dr. Hasan Yasin (FMCH Physician) and Dr. Wei-Chen Lee (FMCH Researcher), St. Vincent's Hope House and UTMB Health. A special thanks to Dr. Kendall M. Campbell (FMCH Chair) and Dr. Norman Farr (Internal Medicine and SVHHC Director) for their encouraging opening remarks.
    The clinic will be open every Tuesday from 1-5pm. Call 409-765-2242 to schedule an appointment.
    #UTMB #utmbfamily #utmbfamilydoc #utmbfamilymedicine #utmbacupuncture.
  • Photo of the hands for several people coming together for pivotal cause

    Primary Care Center for Galveston Island Whole Health

    We are please to announce that the Primary Care Center for Galveston Island Whole Health has been approved and is in the process of creation.  It will partner with the Dean of the UTMB Health John Sealy School of Medicine and the Department of Family Medicine & Community Health. The work of the center will span education, community, scholarship and innovation and is part of furthering the department's commitment to the local community.

    The Vision
    To align the value of primary care on Galveston Island in support of the whole health of the Galveston community.

    It's Objectives
    The Primary Care Center for Galveston Island Whole Health will enhance value in the primary care of the residents of Galveston Island. The work of the center will focus around two objectives.

    Engage the local and UTMB community on the importance and value of primary care and whole person health for the residents of Galveston Island

    Disseminate scholarly products that highlight primary care, whole person health and Galveston Island

     

  • The Road to Residency Specialty Fair

    On March 23rd at the UTMB Health, Health Education Center, The UTMB Health Family Medicine & Community Health Medical Student Education & Residency Programs teamed up for the Road to Residency Specialty Fair hosted by the John Sealy School of Medicine. It was an impactful evening of mentorship and connection.

    The event brought together students across all class years to explore specialties, gain insight into the residency process, and connect with mentors and representatives from across the UTMB academic community on their journey to residency.

    Their participation in this event played a critical role in shaping students’ understanding of career pathways and residency preparation. The Department of Family Medicine & Community Health continues to be committed to mentorship and professional development. 

    We would like to thank Ernst Nicanord, MD - Residency Program Director, Kimberly Denton - Residency Program Manager, Jennifer Raley, MD - Medical Student Education Director and Christopher Pleasant - Medical Student Education Program Manager for representing our department and making the specialty of family medicine visible to medical students at UTMB Health.

  • Photo collage of all of the interns who matched into the UTMB Health Family Medicine & Community Health Residency Program - the Class of 2029

    Welcome our Residency Class of 2029

    Photo collage of all of the interns who matched into the UTMB Health Family Medicine & Community Health Residency Program - the Class of 2029
    Aamerah Haque - UT San Antonio
    Scott Heston - Texas A&M
    Eliyah Malik - Florida State
    Navid Moaziniya - UT San Antonio
    Annie Nguyen - UT Houston
    Ivy Nguyen - Touro College New York
    Yonalda Da Rosa Rodrigues - Universidad Adventista Argentina
    Johnathan Schultz - UT Houston
    Eric Shafer - Incarnate Word San Antonio
    Kiyanna Thomas - Howard University Washington DC
    Thomas Wasden - Noorda College Provo Utah
    Jeff Yi - Alabama College Dothan Alabama
  • Photo of Hasan Yasin, MD and Wei-Chen Lee, PhD promoting the opening of the St. Vincent's Hope House Acupuncture Clinic in partnership with UTMB Health's Department of Family Medicine & Community Health & TAFP

    Acupuncture Clinic to Open at St. Vincent's Hope House

    The Grand Opening of the Acupuncture Clinic at St. Vincent's Hope House is March 24, 2026.  This is a project jump started in part by a Texas Academy of Family Physician's (TAFP) Foundation Grant received by Family Medicine & Community Health Physician Hasan Yasin, MD and Researcher Wei-Chen Lee, PhD.  This partnership with St. Vincent's Hope House was is opening with a vision to create a space where traditional healing and modern health practices come together to support a mission of whole-person wellness.  
  • Kelly Ryan-Cruz Moves to the PCS

    Kelly accepted a promotion to the position of Administrative Manager with the Primary Care Services Group.  She will be working for the ASG with Ashlyn focusing on the community based clinics (CBC's).  Her official last day with the department will be March 15th and starting her new role on March 16th.  Congratulations to Kelly, she has done tremendous work in our department and particularly for Dr. Campbell. We wish her continued success.  
  • Photo of the 2026-2027 Chief Residents for the UTMB Health Department of Family Medicine & Community Health Residency Program

    2026-2027 Chief Residents Selected

    Please join us in congratulating our new chief residents Sami Ghozayel, DO and Matthew P. LeBlanc, MD, MBA. 


    Their leadership and commitment to our program are truly commendable.

    As they begin this new journey, I encourage all of us to offer them our full support and collaboration in the year ahead.

    Photo of Sami Ghozayel, DO - Family Medicine Resident     Photo of Matthew P. LeBlanc, MD, MBA - Family Medicine Resident

  • Photo of Ernst J. Nicanord, MD, Director of the UTMB Health Family Medicine & Community Health Residency Program

    Ernst Nicanord Named As Residency Program Director

    On behalf of the Department of Family Medicine & Community Health, I am thrilled to announce that Dr. Ernst Nicanord has been appointed as the permanent Program Director for the UTMB Family Medicine Residency Program, effective immediately.

    Dr. Nicanord has served as our Interim Program Director since June 13, 2025 and has demonstrated exceptional leadership, unwavering dedication to resident well-being, and a clear vision for the educational future of our program. Through his leadership he has:

    • Stabilized Program Leadership & Culture
    • Strengthened Clinical Oversight & Accountability
    • Enhanced CCC Structure & Performance Review Process
    • Improved Communication & Faculty Engagement

    As a dedicated educator and clinician, Dr. Nicanord has proven to be the ideal leader to guide our program forward. We are confident that his permanent appointment will bring ongoing stability and continued excellence to our training environment.

    Please join me in congratulating Dr. Nicanord and supporting him in this permanent role.

    Sincerely,
    Kendall

  • Photo of Jonathan Teran, MD, CAQSM - Associate Program Director of Medical Student Education at UTMB Health Family Medicine & Community Health

    Jonathan Teran Selected as STFM POCUS Champion 2026-2027 Cohort

    Jonathan Teran, MD, CAQSM, Associate Program Director, Medical Student Education with UTMB Health Family Medicine & Community Health was selected by the Society of Teachers in Family Medicine (STFM) Family Medicine POCUS Educator's Certificate Program as a 2026-2027 cohort.  The yearlong STFM FM Point-of-Care Ultrasound (POCUS) Educator's Certificate Program trains family medicine residency faculty to serve as their program's POCUS champion with the skills to train family medicine residents on how to effectively use POCUS.  

    POCUS is sometimes referred to as the 21st century stethoscope. POCUS can help make decisions quickly for patients at the bedside, decrease time to diagnosis, and better triage who needs subspecialty care. Now, the updated ACGME guidelines recommend teaching this in family medicine residency education. Yet, there is a gap in trained faculty and established curriculum for teaching POCUS. The STFM Family Medicine POCUS Educator Certificate Program targets these gaps and focuses on solutions to help grow and support POCUS education in family medicine.

    Congratulations to Dr. Teran for this accomplishment.

  • Photo during the 2026 Women's Health Procedures Workshop for medical students hosted by the UTMB Health Department of Family Medicine & Community Health, the Family Medicine Interest Group and the Obstetrics and Gynecology Student Group

    5th Annual Women's Health Workshop a Huge Success

    On Thursday, February 12th, 2026 the UTMB Health Department of Family Medicine & Community Health (FMCH) hosted the 5th Annual Women's Health Workshop, a collaboration between the Award Winning Family Medicine Interest Group (FMIG) and the Obstetrics Gynecology Student Society (OGSS). Both FMCH faculty and residents and OBGYN faculty and residents were on hand to teach over 28 medical students - 10 different women's health procedures:  Vaginal delivery/ post partum hemorrhage and estimated blood loss; Sonosite use/ Leopold's maneuvers/ doptone use; Pelvic exam with emphasis on speculum use and proper language; Cervical dilation; IUD/Nexplanon insertion; Breast exam/ contraceptive overview.

    Many thanks to Athena Berrels- Luna, MS2 who stepped up to coordinate the workshop when the original coordinator experienced a health concern and to Kathryn Neal MS2 the OGSS coordinator. This year the workshop was enhanced with the addition of Leopold's Maneuvers teaching and ultrasound of Dr. Rokhlin's baby!  Many thanks to the following teachers from FMCH and OB/GYN:

    Dr. Thompson and Dr.  Bharucha
    Dr. Brown and Dr. Moran
    Dr. Ruiz and Dr. Fletcher
    Dr. Garasia and Jenny Mosely, MS4
    Dr. Fields, Dr. Fuentes, Dr. Stepanek
    Dr. Crandle, Dr. Mahmood, Dr. Rokhlin, Dr. Wilken and Elysse ReyesMS4

    Lastly we would like to thank Family Medicine & Community Health Medical Student Education (FMCH/MSEP) Program Director, Jennifer Raley, Program Manager, Christopher Pleasant and Program Coordinator, Jessica Prescott for helping to make this evening a success.  

    ALL PHOTOS AVAILABLE FOR UTMB ONLY DOWNLOAD HERE. 
    (You must be logged into the utmb network to access) 

  • Image of the The UTMB Health Department of Family Medicine Expands Name and is now Family Medicine & Community Health

    Department of Family Medicine Changes Name

    New Name Reflects Department's Evolving, Community-Focused Mission

    As the Department of Family Medicine continues to evolve with a greater focus on community engagement, population health, and improving health outcomes that matter to communities across Texas, it recently adopted a new name: the Department of Family Medicine and Community Health.

    Department Chair Kendall M. Campbell, MD, FAAFP, says this change reflects the department’s commitment to advancing health beyond the clinic walls.

    “We wanted our department’s name to better communicate to our learners and our patients that our goal is health, and our focus is the community,” he says.

    Dr. Campbell felt timing for the transition in late 2025 was appropriate, given the launch of UTMB’s new logo and tagline.

    The decision was informed by a review of similar departments nationwide, many of which combine family medicine with community health initiatives.

    “Community health stood out as a critical component of our mission,” he says. “This isn’t just a name change; it’s a reflection of the work we’re doing and the direction we’re headed.”

    The department is actively engaging with the Galveston community to address pressing health challenges. Current projects include mapping food insecurity on Galveston Island in partnership with UTHealth Houston School of Public Health and pursuing grant-funded initiatives to improve local health outcomes.

    “Our goal is to target areas where Galveston falls behind the state average and make a measurable impact,” he says.

    While the name change formalizes ongoing efforts, it also signals future growth. The department currently includes 24 faculty members – a mix of physicians, behavioral health specialists, and researchers – and plans to expand its clinical and research capacity.

    This transition underscores UTMB’s commitment to community health and partnerships.

    “We envision a larger community presence,” Dr. Campbell says. “The community has to be part of this journey. We’re listening, learning, and working together to improve health for everyone. It’s where purpose meets passion.”

  • Photo of Laura Porterfield, MD, MPH faculty physician with UTMB Health's Department of Family Medicine & Community Health

    Two Family Medicine Employees Receive Honor of Receiving an "Oscar of the Gulf Coast"

    After weeks of nominations and another year of record votes, Galveston.com is thrilled to present the Winners of the 2025 BEST OF THE ISLAND AWARDS, “the Oscars of the Gulf Coast” according to The Houston Chronicle.

    During the months of September and October, 2025, thousands of Galveston.com visitors took part in nominating a host of Island businesses, organizations, and people for the annual Best of the Island Awards. From those nominees, the Top Five vote-receivers in each category then continued to the Voting Phase, which continued during the months of November and December. Once the number of votes was counted? The top vote-receiver in each category was crowned the Best of the Island in January of 2026

    Dr. Laura Porterfield, faculty physician at the Family Medicine & Community Health Clinic Island East received the honor of Best Physician 2025 and Lanita Burton Edwards, Nurse Clinician at the the same clinic was honored with Best Nurse 2025.  Congratulations to both of our Family Medicine & Community Health providers on their awards! 

    Laura Porterfield, MD, MPH, Faculty Physician at UTMB Health's Family Medicine & Community Health Clinic - Island East     Photo of LaNita Burton Edwards Nurse Clinician at the UTMB Health Family Medicine & Community Health Clinic - Island East
  • Photo of Kendall M. Campbell, MD, FAAFP - Chair of the UTMB Health Department of Family Medicine & Community Health

    Chairs Update Spring 2025

    As we look forward to sunshine and spring and continuing our forward momentum in our service to patients, education to our learners and to solving the research challenges in primary care, I want to thank you all for your dedication to the work and commitment to the plan. I think we have more direction now than we have had in the last four years as evidenced by some of the great candidates that have applied to our open positions recognized our work and our aspirations.

    We have lots of interest in our VC for research position and more candidates will be coming to campus. I ask that whenever possible please attend these in person presentations to hear thoughts from the candidates about how they see research evolving in family medicine. We also continue to recruit for open faculty positions and have interviews pending and offers out to bring additional faculty into the department. Thank you to those who continue to cover departmental needs during this time. Your commitment has helped us keep the work going.

    Thanks to our education leaders who are getting ready to welcome a new class of interns, creating outstanding educational experiences for medical students and FMIG and continuing to forward our strategy map to enhance our offerings in the clerkship and in longitudinal educational experiences. We continue to make progress across all fronts of the map, with submitted proposals, published papers, collaborative partnerships and team spirit all around. Thank you to those who are holding up the flag in our clinical areas from the outpatient clinics to our inpatient service, we appreciate you caring for our patients and leading the way in how we do medicine.

    As we continue our pace through the year and plan for the work ahead, I ask that you encourage each other, collaborate, and support each other in moving the work of the department forward together. We are better together and with all of us advancing family medicine and the work of primary care we will see outcomes that impact our patients, their families and the community.