Did you know that epilepsy is the third most common neurological disorder after stroke and Alzheimer’s disease, affecting more than three million Americans of all ages?

During World War II and immediately afterward, this physician served as a military surgeon in the U.S. Army Air Corps and then in the U.S. Army, eventually receiving the Army’s Legion of Merit.

Welcome to the latest issue of Impact. I’d like to start by congratulating each of you for your efforts in helping UTMB be named a winner of the prestigious 2018 Vizient Bernard A. Birnbaum, MD, Quality Leadership Award. We are one of 11 academic health science centers in the U.S. to be honored, and this marks the second year in a row that our university has received this national recognition.

When Christine Lai thinks back to her first exposure to the world of physical therapy, her grandfather comes to mind. After having several strokes, he needed the help of trained physical rehabilitation professionals to regain his strength and command of his body. As a child, Lai sometimes accompanied her parents to his therapy sessions, where she witnessed firsthand the integral role the physical therapists played in his recovery.

Aiming to get ahead of the rising threat posed by infectious disease and further UTMB’s mission to improve the health of the people of Texas and beyond, UTMB’s Dr. Peter Melby has been working diligently with his colleagues in the Department of Internal Medicine to organize and guide the efforts of the Global Infectious Disease Research Network, an initiative funded by the Office of the Provost.

Following a successful pilot run in 2017, the Coaching for Emerging Leaders developmental training program graduated its second group of participants Aug. 22. During the graduation on the Galveston Campus, participants received a certificate of completion and shared their biggest takeaways from the six-month program, which gives high-performing, high-potential UTMB employees the chance to receive one-on-one coaching and mentoring from leaders within the organization.

Twenty-seven UTMB faculty, staff and students recently received UTMB President’s Cabinet awards for projects that promote outreach, education and improved patient care in the community. This year’s awards program doubled as an anniversary celebration, as 2018 marks the 25th year of the distinctive organization.

For more than five decades, UTMB's School of Health Professions has educated generations of health care professionals who have become leaders in their fields and changed the world through life-altering care and research.

President David Callender launched his “Pulse” video update series in May to keep the UTMB family up-to-date on issues affecting the organization. Here's what was covered in the September and October videos:

A master electrician by trade, Ray has always had a creative side. He went to art school after high school, ran a screen print shop for a few years and created custom T-shirts and stickers showcasing his art. About 12 years ago, he started expanding his portfolio, which now includes acrylic paintings on canvas, wood carvings, murals and custom surfboards and skateboards.

Eating a balanced diet is important to provide energy, improve health and decrease risk for certain diseases. Women have special nutrient needs that change at each stage in life.

This health care professional never wavered in her passion for reducing people’s pain and restoring mobility. At one time, she also worked as a chicken farmer and bookseller.

Ask anyone who has been a student at UTMB in the past 30 years, and there’s a good chance they’ll tell you they’ve met Mike Cromie. For going on three decades now, Cromie has played an integral role in working with students all across the institution, first as a representative in the financial aid office and now as the assistant director of student life.

Fiscal Year 2019 is off to a running start! Before we shift our focus to the future and what’s to come, I want to recognize the hard work of our dedicated faculty and staff during a challenging FY18. Thanks to each of you—along with just a bit of luck—we were able to surpass our budget projections and end the fiscal year on a positive note.

Compassionate care delivered by UTMB health care professionals helped save a blood clot patient's life.

A new UTMB study has uncovered why some people who have brain markers of Alzheimer’s disease never develop the classic dementia that others do. The study is now available in the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease.

When the 2018 School of Health Professions graduates received their degrees in August they joined more than 12,000 others who have earned degrees and certificates since the school’s founding in 1968.

President David Callender launched his “Pulse” video update series in May to keep the UTMB family up-to-date on issues affecting the organization. Here's what was covered in the August videos:

Whether it’s competing on the television program “American Ninja Warrior” or sailing on the 1877 Tall Ship Elissa, Dylan Lancaster loves to climb. He balances a healthy respect for the dangers of heights with what he calls the lingering effects of “invulnerable youth syndrome.”

UTMB studied and helped treat those afflicted with an outbreak in the summer of 1920 that terrorized Galveston.The map, at left, shows the locations of the 18 confirmed cases, which led to 12 deaths.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, nearly 6 million people in the United States have atrial fibrillation (or AFib), an abnormal heart rhythm characterized by rapid and irregular beating of the upper chambers of the heart.

Welcome to the final issue of Impact for Fiscal Year 2018! We’ve had a most eventful year—Hurricane Harvey and unusual winter ice storms on the Gulf Coast; tremendous Best Care success; research breakthroughs in such areas as infectious diseases, Alzheimer’s and more; the creation of the Sealy Institute for Vaccine Sciences; expansion at our League City Campus; the recent announcement of our letter of intent to lease an existing hospital facility in Webster, Texas.

Lela Lockett-Ware, UTMB’s institutional American with Disabilities Act (ADA) officer, will conduct more than 100 ergonomic worksite evaluations in a year, just one of the many responsibilities this occupational therapist will tackle in a given day.

UTMB’s Ambulatory Care Management Team is always looking for ways to better serve patients. So when Information Services approached the team about participating in a video visits pilot program, they knew this was something that could benefit patients—especially those who live in rural areas.

A UTMB research team has bioengineered lungs and transplanted them into adult pigs with no medical complications. In 2014, Dr. Joan Nichols and Dr. Joaquin Cortiella were the first research team to successfully bioengineer human lungs in a lab.

For nine UTMB Correctional Managed Care nurses working in Gatesville, Texas, June 26 started off just like any other day. But that normalcy changed after one nurse received a Skype call from an off-duty colleague.

President David Callender launched his “Pulse” video update series in May to keep the UTMB family up-to-date on issues affecting the organization. Here's what was covered in the July videos:

Jorge De La Garza has always been passionate about photography. But his hidden talent emerged when he faced a commute to his new position at UTMB and needed a fuel-efficient car.

Back to school tips to make the transition from the lazy days of summer to the busy school routine as easy as possible for both parents and students.

Nowadays, we take it for granted that ambulances provide safe and quick transport to our campus hospitals. The photo at left shows the first such motorized ambulance used at UTMB’s Galveston Campus.