Sixteen UTMB faculty and staff and one student recently received UTMB President’s Cabinet awards, totaling more than $230,000.
The President’s Cabinet provides financial resources that advance UTMB’s mission to improve health. The contributions of the cabinet’s 400-plus members, which include university friends, community and business leaders from the Houston-Galveston area, and UTMB faculty members, staff and alumni, provide seed money to launch initiatives designed to improve the quality of life in the community and beyond. President’s Cabinet members have contributed more than $5 million since 1993, with more than 100 awards given to innovative community programs. For information on the President’s Cabinet, click here.
Erin Kearney, Ann Ross, Elizabeth Ginn and Martha Norris
“Shaping healthy families: Screening, treating, educating and preventing childhood and adolescent obesity and dyslipidemia in Galveston County”
In order to combat obesity rates among Galveston County children and adolescents, this program will partner with the Teen Health Center Inc., to identify children 10 or older who are overweight or obese and provide family counseling, weight loss education and nutritional skills in addition to screens for high cholesterol.
Dr. Karen Szauter
“We need to talk”
Through a series of simulations, based on real-life examples, UTMB faculty members and staff will learn to master the skills needed to engage in difficult conversations with their peers, executive management and students while being coached and receiving feedback in a confidential setting.
Deana M. Gehring
“Patient navigation-improving outcomes and reducing barriers to care”
Navigators help patients overcome socioeconomic obstacles, maneuver through the health care system, coordinate follow-up appointments, investigate financial resources and provide continuity of services. To provide navigation services for uninsured and medically underserved women, the UTMB Cancer Center will extend this program to satellite clinics and allow the creation and administration of a comprehensive patient database to manage demographic, clinical, coding and billing information.
Maria C. Swartz, PhD, and Elizabeth Lyons, PhD
“Pink warrior: Support group toolkit for breast cancer survivors”
Partnerning with the UTMB Breast Cancer Support Group, this project will help increase physical activity among breast cancer survivors by funding a program coordinator and development of a “toolkit” of materials to serve women in Galveston County. Trained facilitators will deliver a 12-week, evidence-based physical activity program through group- or home-based sessions.
Rebecca Trout
“The return of UTMB’s Mini Medical School”
In an effort to provide the general public with an understanding of science and the importance of biomedical research, UTMB will reinstate the Mini Medical School concept and offer a series of seven weekly classes to be taught by UTMB faculty members and centered on the university’s strengths and medical expertise.
Kelsey Berg and Barbara Slusher, PhD
“Teaching Others Oral Technique and Hygiene (TOOTH)”
To help combat tooth decay—the No. 1 chronic disease of childhood—the TOOTH project will be implemented at Galveston’s Parker Elementary School with a series of three, 30-minute sessions on the importance of oral health.
Christine Arcari, PhD, Shannon Ronca, Ariel Ludwig, Michaela Huynh and Sergio Rodriguez
“Building the future of UTMB Health and Galveston through urban farming”
By transforming underused plots of land into organic, urban farm sites, this program will provide sustainable and organic fresh fruits, vegetables, eggs and goat dairy products to island residents year-round.
David Marshall, DNP
“Establishing a MakerNurse Medical Makerspace at UTMB Health”
The UTMB Makerspace, the first of its kind in the U.S., will enable nurses to create innovative breakthrough solutions in medical technology to improve patient care. This 800-square-foot dedicated area is equipped with necessary tools and materials and has a resident design fellow to help develop prototypes for new devices or upgrades to existing devices.