Impact

This issue of Impact features “A Night in the Life” of Anthony Azagidi, a sleep technician who works an evening shift in the John Sealy Hospital Sleep Lab on the Galveston Campus. Mr. Azagidi has dedicated his career to improving health for patients who are struggling to get the sleep they need.

Azagidi, who is more commonly referred to as a sleep technician, is typically scheduled to work from 6:30 p.m. until 8 a.m. three times a week. Alongside two team members, Azagidi conducts sleep studies for a wide variety of patients within the four-bed lab on the 10th floor of the hospital.

Dr. Gulshan Sharma, chief medical and clinical innovation officer, was recently named one of “100 Hospital and Health System CMOs To Know,” according to Becker’s Healthcare. The list features physician leaders dedicated to strengthening their organizations through leadership development, patient safety initiatives, health information technology and quality improvement. Many have served as department heads and continue to practice medicine, while others focus on process improvement and patient advocacy.

Whether working on the front lines in patient care or in another role at UTMB, everyone contributes to Best Care. Here are a few examples of employees in different roles who are demonstrating Best Care. These employees were recent recipients of the Best Care in Action Awards.

UTMB, recognized as a Joint Commission COPD Center of Excellence, is only the second center in the state to offer a unique lung volume reduction procedure using an endobronchial valve only recently approved by the Food & Drug Administration.

Xavier Rice, a second-year medical student at UTMB, first met Ben Amagwula, a 2019 UTMB School of Medicine graduate, at Prairie View A&M University while the two worked toward completing their undergraduate degrees. Rice remembers encountering Amagwula through PVAMU’s Undergraduate Medical Academy—a program that aims to funnel minority students into medical school by providing them necessary resources and support. Amagwula, who was an upperclassman at the time, was already a member of the academy and took then-freshman Rice under his wing almost immediately after meeting him

The Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences held its commencement ceremony May 17, awarding 28 master’s degrees, 34 Doctor of Philosophy degrees and three MD-PhD combined degrees.

David A. Brown, PT, PhD, FAPTA, joined UTMB as senior vice president and dean of the School of Health Professions on March 1. Renowned for his contributions to the rehabilitation science community, he says collaboration has been a key component of his career.

As we enter the dog days of summer here in Texas, it’s important to follow a few tips to stay as cool as possible while the heat is on.

In late April, UTMB’s School of Nursing held its 130th commencement ceremony at the Moody Gardens Convention Center in Galveston. How many graduates participated in the ceremony this year?

This issue highlights the contributions of our faculty and staff and your ongoing commitment to improving health for the people of Texas and around the world. In particular, this edition includes an article on the annual Employee Service Day celebration, which was held May 22.

Across UTMB, there are 116 employees in Property Services, including 98 technicians, who maintain the institution’s 10.5 million gross square feet of facilities that are part of our operations. Ron Krenek, a Facilities Operations Technician is a part of that team and helps keep UTMB's buildings and structures up and running.

In October 2018, a shuttle bus transporting industrial workers overturned and rolled several times down an embankment on the ramp of Highway 36 and 288, resulting in a range of injuries and one fatality. UTMB’s Angleton Danbury Campus Team did an amazing job handling this medical emergency while also demonstrating constant kindness and compassion to the many families affected by this tragedy. The team also managed the media who came to cover the accident in a highly professional manner, and for their efforts they received the President’s Way To Go Award from UTMB President David Callender on April 25.

DSRIP(Delivery System Reform Incentive Payment) program is technically a Medicaid-focused program, but at UTMB it's used as an incubator for larger population health initiatives that tackle issues like diabetes, heart disease and more.

A collaborative team from UTMB, Saudi Arabia and Canada has developed a potent and safe vaccine that protects against the deadly Middle East Respiratory Syndrome, or MERS

During the recent UTMB School of Nursing Commencement, more than 400 other graduates, each with their own stories of learning and growth, participated in the festivities, celebrating those journeys, what’s to come and the unifying experience of now being proud UTMB alumni.

MORE THAN 1,600 UTMB EMPLOYEES WERE CELEBRATED for reaching important milestones in their careers during the annual Employee Service Day ceremony in late May.

For Geoff Fish, medical laboratory scientist with UTMB’s Department of Microbiology and Immunology, playing guitar has been a passion and a pastime for more than 40 years.

Learn about some of the common myths about vaccines from two of UTMB's experts.

The annual Employee Service Day ceremony on May 22 paid tribute to employees who have marked milestones of service at UTMB, including six people who were celebrating more than 40 years at the institution.

April marks the 50th anniversary of what is now known as the UTMB Health Angleton Danbury Campus. Opened in 1969 as the Angleton Danbury General Hospital by the Angleton Danbury Hospital District, the campus has served the health needs of the surrounding area for decades.

Sara McDaniel smiles as she looks up from the stack of papers she’s busily preparing for patients. Every Wednesday morning, she’s the first person a patient sees as they enter the Angleton Danbury Campus Hospital.

Sonya Schiwart, a care coordinator in UTMB Health’s Care Management department, and Lisa Moore, a social worker on the Galveston Campus, were recently recognized by UTMB President Dr. David Callender with President’s Way To Go Awards for helping to reunite an oncology patient with his mother in Georgia whom he had not seen in more than two decades. The recognition marked the second time that Moore has received a WTGA from President Callender. She was previously honored in July 2017.

Five months after officially announcing it had signed a 15-year agreement to lease the facility formerly known as Bay Area Regional Medical Center, UTMB opened its new Clear Lake Campus Hospital on March 30.

Whether working on the front lines in patient care or in another role at UTMB, everyone contributes to Best Care. Here are a few examples of employees in different roles who are demonstrating Best Care.

UTMB researchers have developed a promising drug that significantly increases muscle size, strength and metabolism in aged mice.

Every year, on the third Friday in March, Match Day reveals to graduating medical students where they will fulfill residency training for their chosen specialty. UTMB students gathered with family and friends on March 15 to learn the next step of their long journey toward a career in medicine.

In an effort to modernize its content management and business processes across the institution, UTMB is replacing iSpace with two applications that are a part of Microsoft’s Office 365 Suite.

Jill Sanchez says she was immediately hooked on POP Pilates, a derivative of the popular exercise regimen that is choreographed to music and feels like a dance on a mat, because of the seamless transitions between exercises.

The warmer days of spring are here and with the associated outdoor activities such as barbecues, festivals and sporting events comes a wave of allergies that can spoil a great day.