Joel Ortiz, animal resource supervisor, and
Amanda Heatherly, protocol advisor and liaison with UTMB’s Animal Resource Center, traveled to Cayo Santiago, Puerto Rico— also known as Monkey Island—during the December holidays to help with recovery efforts following Hurricane Maria. Monkey Island is a 38-acre rhesus macaque colony located off the eastern shore of Puerto Rico and is home to 1,300 primates. The island was deeply affected by Hurricanes Irma and Maria. The primates on Monkey Island are among the best studied primates anywhere in the world, as for 79 years and nine generations, the births, deaths and group dynamics have all been well charted. During their time there, Ortiz and Heatherly worked with a large group of volunteers to help remove debris, rebuild the animal care infrastructure and the housing of the animal caretakers, assess the quality of the water system, and work to replace the island’s floating dock.
Dr. Joan Nichols, professor of Internal Medicine and Microbiology and Immunology and the associate director of the Galveston National Laboratory, was honored at the 22nd Annual San Luis Salute, held Feb. 9 at the Galveston Island Convention Center. The gala, hosted by Tilman and Paige Fertitta, celebrates Mardi Gras! Galveston by providing a charitable aspect to the city’s annual celebration. Each year, the Salute recognizes the extraordinary work of doctors and scientists and helps fund UTMB programs. This year’s event proceeds will support Nichols’ work bioengineering human tissues for testing and modeling in lung disease research, and the Jennie Sealy Hospital.
The Jennie Sealy Hospital Medical ICU (MICU) completed one year of zero catheter- associated urinary tract infections (CAUTI) on Feb. 19. In 2016, the MICU implemented a nurse-driven, evidence-based CAUTI reduction program to eliminate infections. This process included an assessment of the necessity of indwelling urinary catheters (based on CDC indications), CAUTI-prevention measures and care for patients requiring catheters, and shift rounding to assist staff with identifying opportunities for preventing catheter-associated urinary tract infections. UTMB President David Callender recently presented the MICU team with Way to Go Awards for their hard work and dedication to Best Care.
Katrina Lambrecht, vice president and administrator of the Angleton Danbury Campus, and vice president of Institutional Strategic Initiatives, was selected to join the America’s Essential Hospitals 2018-2019 Fellows Program. The program, which began more than 25 years ago, brings together leaders from around the nation to examine challenges, explore strategies and develop skills that can strengthen organizations and improve patient care. The program lasts about 10 months and includes three separate multi-day group sessions held in different cities. Activities include presentations from health care experts, case studies and group projects.
Dr. Tammy Cupit, director of nursing science and innovation, and
Dr. Veronica Kwarteng-Amaning, director of patient care services and assistant chief nursing officer for Hospital Galveston, in collaboration with colleagues from Baylor College of Medicine and Texas Children’s Hospital, have been selected to receive grant funding from the Texas Medical Center Health Policy Institute for their proposal, “Policies and Practices Addressing the Needs of Children and Incarcerated Parents.” As a winner of the 2018-2019 policy grant, they will receive more than $94,000 to help local leaders determine the best ways to support children whose parents are incarcerated. The policy research team will work with the Harris County Sheriff’s Office on the project. Researchers plan to ask those incarcerated about their children and the support they need. They also plan on conducting interviews with the people who take care of these children, to find out about the kids’ needs.
A textbook edited by
Dr. Michael Leger, director of Quality and Healthcare Safety, recently received a first-place award in the American Journal of Nursing’s annual Book of the Year Awards. The book, “Financial Management for Nurse Managers: Merging the Heart with the Dollar,” was the first-place winner in the “Nursing Management and Leadership” category. Several chapters in this fourth edition were written by UTMB Correctional Managed Care employees
Gary Eubank, chief nursing officer, and
Paul Brown, Region 3 director of nursing. The annual book awards honor exceptional texts for advancing health care quality. The list of winners appeared in the Jan. 2018 issue of AJN.
Five residents were chosen to receive the Thayer Award for Excellence in Teaching. The five were selected by Osler Student Scholars in the John P. McGovern Academy of Oslerian Medicine. The residents are chosen for exemplifying sound scientific knowledge, compassion toward patients and dedication to learning and teaching. This year’s winners are
Dr. Pablo Padilla, surgery;
Dr. Michael Gillespie, psychiatry and behavioral sciences;
Dr. Keyan Mobli, surgery;
Dr. Dominique Washington, obstetrics and gynecology, and
Dr. Taylor Herzog, psychiatry and behavioral sciences. Thayer was Sir William Osler’s first resident at Johns Hopkins during the late 1880s. Osler was one of the founding professors of Johns Hopkins Hospital and is regarded as the “Father of Modern Medicine.”