When a patient arrives at the emergency department on UTMB's Galveston Campus, there’s a good chance Vonday Millier will be the first university employee they see. “We really set the tone for the patient’s visit,” says Millier, a patient registration specialist and team leader within Revenue Cycle Operations (RCO).

It's 8 a.m. on a Saturday and Kim Barfield is in the midst of two days of nonstop receptions, luncheons, speakers and reunion dinners. More than 400 UTMB alumni and their guests have descended upon the San Luis Resort in Galveston for Homecoming Weekend—an October event that Barfield, assistant director of Alumni Relations and Annual Giving, and her team have been preparing for all year.

All it takes is 20 minutes for Heather Fields to help a woman take control of her breast health. “A mammogram is the best way to detect breast cancer early—when it is most treatable,” said Fields, a breast imaging technologist at UTMB’s Angleton Danbury Campus. “It only takes a few minutes and it saves lives.”

If you’re an employee or patient who frequents UTMB’s League City Campus, chances are you’ve met Jessica Norris. For the past year, she’s donated her time and energy to pushing a beverage cart around all League City Campus clinics—making sure no patient, family member or employee is overlooked.

After moving to Texas from the Philippines nearly six years ago, Vincent Ong has found his niche. As nurse manager of the Ramsey Cluster, Ong oversees a nursing staff of about 50 UTMB CMC employees who provide care to more than 4,300 offenders.

Glynnis Glover doesn’t need an alarm clock to wake up for her 3 a.m. shift—she’s naturally full of energy and looks forward to each new day.

Every day, Jeanene Trochesset sees how organ donation and transplant medicine provide recipients with a second chance at life. She’s spent the last 31 years working in nephrology-based positions at UTMB—from a pediatric dialysis nurse, to her current role as a post-transplant coordinator for UTMB’s kidney and pancreas transplant programs.

For more than two decades, Tandra Medellin has been part of patients’ most exhausting and most exhilarating moments—when they welcome their baby (or babies) into the world.

Wearing comfortable shoes should be a job requirement for Lauren Sheer. For the last 10 years, Sheer has helped bring UTMB’s voice to Austin—walking, and sometimes running, back and forth between her office on Congress Avenue and the capitol building.

Michelle Conley loves a good inspirational quote. As a student recruitment and event coordinator for UTMB’s School of Health Professions, her office walls are covered with motivational messages to remind students, colleagues—and herself—that success can be achieved with a positive attitude and hard work.

It’s well before daylight when Julian Ramirez arrives to work on Dec. 16—one of the busiest days of the year for UTMB’s Catering Services. “We’re really running this morning!” he says with a smile as he loads boxes of cutlery and plates into the back of a van.

Edwina Moore is full of creative energy when it comes to keeping UTMB’s Campus Store exciting and fresh. “I love new ideas,” she says as she hops into the Galveston shop’s glass display window and starts arranging holiday-themed décor. It’s a Thursday morning in mid-November, and Moore, a UTMB Campus Store clerk, is getting into the holiday spirit.

Tim Robinson’s attention to detail is one of the most important traits he acquired in the Navy—and one that has helped him throughout his career. His military state of mind is evident the moment I meet him at UTMB’s Wound Care and Hyperbarics Clinic in Dickinson. Opened in late April, the clinic provides specialized wound care treatment and hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) to heal serious infections and chronic wounds.

Eileen Schubert’s fingers rapidly flip and bend as she uses her hands to explain a doctor’s instructions to a patient. As a certified American Sign Language interpreter at UTMB, Schubert connects the deaf and hearing worlds, bridging communication gaps between medical staff and patients or caregivers who are hearing impaired.

Otis Johnson stands next to a large printing press that arrived at UTMB just before he did—nearly 30 years ago. It’s a daily reminder of how far printing and graphic design has come since he started his career as a press operator.

If you point at any one of the surgical instruments in UTMB’s Sterile Processing Department, bets are Lori Martin knows its name and purpose. No, she’s not a surgeon, but she plays a vital role in patient care. As a sterile processing technician, Martin handles thousands of reusable surgical instruments and devices—from scalpel handles to fiber-optic endoscopes—every week. Her team runs a 24/7 operation and is responsible for washing, sterilizing, cooling, assembling, packaging and storing all medical devices and instruments used by UTMB, from Galveston to Huntsville.

As a physical therapist at UTMB’s Sports Medicine and Rehabilitation clinic on the League City Campus, Hernandez brings indispensable energy and enthusiasm to her work helping those with injuries or disabilities manage pain, restore mobility and improve their overall quality of life.

When you first meet Tonya Visor, two words immediately come to mind: energetic and passionate. As a senior communications specialist at UTMB’s Angleton Danbury Campus, she has made it her mission for more than17 years to embed herself in the local community and spread awareness of the critical health care services offered in a small-town setting.

Dr. Pradan Nathan used to drive hundreds of miles to see psychiatric patients at Texas Department of Criminal Justice prison units across the state. These days, he doesn’t drive at all. As a telepsychiatrist for UTMB Correctional Managed Care, Nathan sees up to 20 patients a day in the comfort and safety of his office in Conroe.

“Ever wondered what it would be like to live on the Moon?” Bobby Marlin asks, as he points to an oversized drawing from the 1950s. It was made by Dr. James Gaume, who was charged with designing the first house in outerspace—before man had even left the atmosphere.