Debra Wilson, a materials handling technician, counts the supplies in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) and Labor and Delivery to help ensure that the doctors and nurses can take care of the tiniest of patients.

Fritz Kuebler, UTMB’s assistant director for Institutional Preparedness and Facilities Risk Management, talks about his daily routine as part of this issue’s Day in the Life feature.

Officer Curtis Dorsey and he and Public Safety Officer Michael Peltier are responsible for patrolling the Galveston Campus on their bicycles, conducting security assessments in UTMB clinics and facilities, teaching a variety of classes—including the Civilian Response to Active Shooter Events (CRASE) training, and handling the UTMB Police Department’s segment at the twice-monthly New Employee Orientation.

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.

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.

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.

Diane Ugartechea is an occupational therapist at the League City Campus where she helps patients recover and heal in both the hospital and rehabilitation gym setting.

Leonard LaComb, a principal facilities project manager for UTMB Design and Construction, oversees the exterior construction of the new South Tower that will add five stories and boost the patient bed count to nearly 100 as the campus rapidly expands to meet growing patient demand.

At the start of every day, Rina Kalariya sits at her desk checking the latest performance reports for the point-of-care-testing (POCT) equipment she helps maintain and manage. It’s just one part of her role as technical supervisor for the POCT group within UTMB’s Laboratory Services department, but it’s an important one. “It’s my job to do this initial review every day to ensure there are no outliers [out-of-the-ordinary figures] and that the machines are producing accurate results,” says Kalariya. Producing rapid results and taking place as the patient is receiving care, POCT allows patients to receive faster diagnoses. This means they can more quickly receive the appropriate care they need. To perform this type of diagnostic screening, UTMB has specialized equipment that receives routine quality control checks and maintenance.

Dr. Joseph Sheringo is one of 74 dentists practicing in UTMB-CMC Dental Services, which also employs 26 dental hygienists and 112 dental assistants who together provide care to the majority of the prison population in the state of Texas.

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.

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.

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.

Dr. Laticia Stewart’s day begins hours before she ever steps inside the doors of UTMB’s Angleton Danbury Hospital. Mondays are usually a clinic day at the Angleton Danbury Campus for Stewart. But this particular Monday starts before sunrise in Galveston, after she responds to an early-morning call for residents to cover procedures at Hospital Galveston, the Texas Department of Criminal Justice facility on UTMB’s island campus.

Sleep doesn't always come easy for UTMB Detective Greg Gaona. He often wakes up in the middle of the night with an “aha” moment that may crack a case or lead to an arrest. “I can’t tell you how many times I’ve had an idea come to mind at 3 a.m. and I have to go write it down,” he says. “Putting puzzles together and solving cases, especially complex cases—I can’t tell you how rewarding that is. You have to be persistent, nosy and think outside the box.”

Angela McDowell likes to talk trash… and recycling. As UTMB’s sustainability coordinator, she’s passionate about promoting environmentally conscious attitudes and planet-friendly habits across the institution. It’s an ambitious endeavor, but she’s up to the challenge.

Flu? Poison Ivy? Spider bite? Broken bone? Rash? You name it, Tasheda Johnson has seen it. “Every day is different—you never know what situation is going to walk through the door when you work in urgent care,” she says.

Ever since she can remember, UTMB graduate student Elizabeth Jaworski has had “a thing” for science. “I love it so much! I really do. It can be a huge challenge but it’s fun—you’re at the forefront of discovery, which is really exciting,” she says.

For Jeimmy Banegas and Darion Alexander, working as patient transporters means much more than just taking patients from point A to point B. It’s about providing excellent customer service, supporting patients when they need it most—and always greeting everyone who comes through the door with a smile.

UTMB Stroke Coordinator Brenda Yanez lives and breathes the mantra “Time is brain.” “Every minute counts after a person has a stroke,” she says.