In the first issue of Heartbeat, we asked: If you could ask someone at UTMB one question, who would it be and what would you ask? We had one intrepid responder, but she had questions for three people.
Thank you for responding, Rebecca Castro! Rebecca is manager of Ambulatory Social Work and a member of the Community and Population Health team.
To Tim Harlin, executive vice president and CEO, UTMB Health System: When you were a kid, what did you want to be when you grew up?
TH: When I was young, growing up, I wanted to be an Air Force fighter pilot. My dad was career Air Force, and although he was not a pilot, we often lived on air bases so I was around the fighter jets all the time. At the Base Exchange (think scaled-down
Walmart), my mom would occasionally buy me plastic models of F4 Phantoms and Navy A-7 Corsairs. I would glue them together, put on the decals and hang them up all over my room.
I remember one time at Cub Scouts, we had a SR71 Blackbird pilot talk to us while we lived on Okinawa. For those that don't know, the SR71 was the spaceship-looking, supersonic spy plane, and I thought it was the coolest thing ever.
I'm not exactly sure when my career aspirations shifted, but at some point they did. The Air Force, as it turned out, was not my path. However, I am proud to say it was my older brother's. Like me, he always wanted to be an Air Force pilot and that's exactly what he did, finding a career where he was able to combine his lifelong love of flying with his deep love of country.
To Jenny Lanier, director of Ambulatory Operations: How do you maintain your energy and positivity?
JL: It takes a
lot more energy and is physically draining for me to be negative, angry or in a bad mood. Over the years, I have just realized that if I find the humor in a problem and have a positive outlook, it gives me more energy and makes things easier for me
and those around me.
With that said, I also realize that saying “choose happy” or “snap out of it and smile more” is not always as easy as it sounds. Everyone’s journey is different. I love a good puzzle, challenge or chaotic problem to dive into, but some days life situations can get the best of anyone. When that happens, I try to focus on what I can do and where I can make a difference, instead of spending energy obsessing about what barriers or problems are in the way. By focusing on what I can do, I find a self-empowering energy to keep moving forward.
Our work at UTMB is mission-based, founded in a greater good for humanity. Remembering the human side of our work and making those personal connections with people throughout the day brings back purpose and meaning in the goals we are working toward and the daily tasks to achieve them: Every day, every patient, every time.
And when all else fails, I take a deep breath and drink some more coffee.
To Darnella Piper, coordinator II, Community & Population Health: Where did you get your sense of style?
DP: Honestly, I would say it comes from my daring to
step outside the box. I love colors, and I’m always willing to mix different prints and patterns to create something that catches the eye. Confidence is key, be BOLD and CREATIVITY will surely follow. Understanding that the job is where I spend
most of my day, I say why not dress up and have fun with it. A fun fact: I love the blazers!