Rebecca Hall Castro
Manager, Social Work, Ambulatory Operations
When did you start work at UTMB?
Sept. 9, 1995
What is the best thing about your job?
Our team, hands down. We are a diverse group of professionals who come to work daily to help others. And I get to help them be better social workers! It’s such an honor.
What is the most challenging thing about your job?
The lack of resources.
Who are your heroes?
My mom: She was raised with few resources in a small town in Oklahoma and became one of the top woman lawyers in San Antonio at the height of her career; she is a rock.
Dag Hammerskjold: He was secretary-general of the United Nations in the 1950s. He led a life of “active social service,” and I find his writings speak to the work I have dedicated my life to at UTMB and in the greater Galveston community.
What is your favorite quote?
"I am of the opinion that my life belongs to the whole community and that as long as I live it is my privilege to do for it whatever I can. I want to be thoroughly used up when I die, for the harder I work the more I live. I rejoice in life for its own sake. Life is no brief candle to me; it is a sort of splendid torch which I've got a hold of for a moment, and I want to make it burn as brightly as possible before handing it on to future generations."—George Bernard Shaw
Tell us about your life outside of work.
I am married with two newly adult children. We live in Galveston and frequently visit a family ranch in Mexico and a place we have in south Texas. I love reading thrillers, watching rom-coms and eating movie popcorn.
If you were a professional wrestler or sports star, what would your “walk-in” song be?
“All I Do Is Win” by DJ Khaled. The lyrics aren’t the best, but the song always makes me happy and makes my hands go up (and they stay there, and they stay there).
What is a dream that you want to make come true one day?
I want to have a garden that provides a bounty of vegetables for my household throughout the year. Right now, all I can grow are collard greens—and they basically grow themselves.
What is a cause you’re passionate about?
Promoting the profession of social work.
What is a favorite memory from childhood?
I am a third-generation social worker so, for me, it was growing up hearing all of the stories my parents shared about their work in underserved neighborhoods in Chicago and St. Louis and with heroin addicts in San Antonio.
What’s the best trip you’ve ever been on and why?
Last year, we spent a week in Greece. Our family loves Greek mythology and feta cheese, so this trip was amazing!
What has been your most meaningful accomplishment so far?
Professionally, nearly 30 years of service at UTMB.
What would you like to be remembered for?
Being an advocate for social work.
What is it that you can’t live without?
Unsweet tea, a good book and music I can sing along with.
If you could visit any place in the world, where would it be and why?
Yellowstone National Park—I don’t know why, but that place has been calling to me and I’m looking forward to driving there next year with my husband.
If you could pick any superpower, what would it be?
To heal grief. I know it’s necessary that we all walk with our grief, but I would love to help that walk move along a little more quickly.
Please tell us about your time at UTMB.
I met the man who became my mentor during a job fair in grad school. I shared that I loved the TV show “ER” but couldn’t understand why they didn’t portray social workers helping the patients. When he told me that UTMB employed social workers in the ER, I almost died. He hired me a few months later, and I moved to Galveston without knowing a soul.
In 1995, we documented on carbon paper (white copy for the chart, yellow copy for our files) and walked to the third floor of the McCullough building to review medical records. Back then, UTMB was known as the “free hospital” for the state of Texas, and folks came from all around, desperate to receive care. I knew the model was financially unsustainable, but it was nice to be able to care for people without worrying about the cost.
My work in the Trauma Center was my dream job! I met my husband there. Watched the Twin Towers fall there. And met so many awesome people, many of whom still work at UTMB. After 13 years, I moved to the Community Health Program then inpatient Care Management. Now, I work for Ambulatory Operations, managing a team of the hardest-working professional social workers anywhere.
As I look back on nearly 30 years of my life, I am proud of the work I have done and proud to work for UTMB. This is my home.