Faculty Group Practice Newsletter

Each September, APP Week offers a valuable opportunity to recognize and honor the Advanced Practice Providers whose expertise, dedication, and leadership are integral to our mission.

Welcome to UTMB Health!

For many patients, getting the right prescription is only part of the challenge. Finding an open pharmacy, arranging transportation or navigating medication costs can delay treatment when care is needed most. New pharmacy kiosks help bridge those gaps.

In foot and ankle surgery, UTMB orthopedic surgeon Isaac Castillo, MD, sees the ability to restore something many people take for granted: the ability to move comfortably and confidently through daily life.

For Vinh Q. Lu, DO, a recent addition to the Division of Rheumatology at UTMB, the specialty is built on curiosity, connection, and the opportunity to make a lasting difference for patients.

The Division of Plastic Surgery invites the UTMB community to join them at the League City Campus to celebrate breast cancer survivors and raise awareness about breast reconstruction.

Critical care is more than caring for a very sick patient. To support billing for critical care services, the note must show both the patient’s critical condition and the critical care provided.

Congratulations to Lydia Ramirez, PSS II, Echo Lab, UTMB Health Clinics (UHC). She was the lucky winner randomly chosen from all those who correctly identified the UTMB Bay Colony Adult Primary Care.

When Joshua L. Gary, MD, stepped into the role of Chair of the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery and Rehabilitation at UTMB, he arrived with a strong record of past leadership and an ambitious vision for the department’s next chapter.

For Joanne Allieza Acevedo, MD, the practice of pediatric allergy and immunology is about more than treating symptoms. It's about helping children participate fully in the activities they love.

RX management is considered when a provider is managing a prescription drug. It may be a new, revised, refill, continue, or discontinue this drug.

Congratulations to H. Colleen Silva, MD, FACS, Professor of Surgery, Division of Surgical Oncology, and Director of Breast Cancer Services. She was the lucky winner randomly chosen from all those who correctly identified the clock in front of the Moody Medical Library.

Welcome to UTMB Health!

Advanced Practice Providers (APPs) are playing an increasingly vital role across UTMB, contributing clinical expertise, leadership, and innovation to nearly all areas of patient care.

The UTMB Health League City Campus has earned accreditation as a Total Joint Replacement Center of Excellence from The Joint Commission, recognizing the program’s commitment to delivering coordinated, evidence-based care for patients undergoing joint replacement surgery.

From Alignment to Experience, Creating Trust Across UTMB Saturday, Sept. 26, 2026, 8 a.m. to noon UTMB Galveston Campus

After 40 years of service to UTMB and the communities of Galveston County, Michelle Mercatante, MD, is retiring from a career defined by clinical excellence, deep compassion, and an unwavering commitment to her patients.

Welcome to UTMB Health!

Liver disease remains a leading cause of serious illness and can significantly affect quality of life if left untreated. To meet the growing need for specialized liver care across the region, UTMB is expanding access to expert hepatology services.

Major procedures with a 90-day global: the global period is 92 days. It includes: - 1 day before the procedure - Day of the procedure - 90 days after the procedure