Dr. Kevin Merkley appointed as interim chairman of Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences

Dr. Kevin Merkley has been appointed interim chairman of UTMB’s Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences. Merkley will oversee all departmental activities and personnel until a permanent chairperson is recruited. Merkley earned his medical degree from the University of Utah Health Sciences Center and completed his residency training in ophthalmology at St. Luke’s Hospital in Cleveland and his cornea/anterior segment fellowship at the University of California, Irvine. He also earned his MBA from the Marriott School of Management at Brigham Young University. Merkley has more than 20 years of management experience in the private sector, currently serves as medical director for the Joffe MediCenter in Houston and has most recently been serving as program director for our ophthalmology residency.

UTMB receives prestigious American Heart Association award

For the second year in a row, UTMB has achieved GOLD level recognition from the American Heart Association for performance in resuscitation through the Get With The Guidelines program. Awards are for 85 percent compliance with four performance measures for a designated period. The four measures are:

  • time to first chest compressions < 1 minute,
  • device confirmation of correct endotracheal tube placement,
  • time to first shock < 2 minutes for VF/pulseless VT, and
  • percent pulseless cardiac events monitored or witnessed.

In 2014, UTMB was the first hospital in Texas to achieve GOLD level recognition.

Dr. Joan Richardson receives Steel Oleander Award

The Galveston Historical Foundation announced Dr. Joan Richardson, professor and chairwoman of UTMB’s Department of Pediatrics and director of the Division of Neonatology, as the 2015 recipient of the “Steel Oleander” award. The award, a cast oleander blossom sculpted by the late Galveston sculptor David Moore, is given each year to salute an outstanding Galveston woman whose community service reflects the ideals and independent spirit of Miss Bettie Brown of Ashton Villa.

Certified Nurses Day Essay Winners

Veronica Serona, BSN, RN, CVRN-BC, Nurse Clinician III, received first place for her essay answering the question, “How Does Your Nursing Certification Enhance Your Practice?” The essay contest was put on by UTMB and gifts were awarded to the authors of the top five winning essays. Other essay winners included certified nurses Jaisamma Samuel, Eduardo Niez, Lorife Nepomuceno and Annie Chacko.