The State Employee Charitable Campaign returns to UTMB this month, and it promises to raise more than just dollars. With a zombie and Halloween-inspired theme, it’ll be spooky and it’ll be fun. But most importantly, it’ll provide UTMB’s incredibly generous workforce an easy way to put their dollars to work for good, for the communities and causes that matter to them.

The following tips can help improve communication with your health care team—and ultimately help you take charge of your own health by becoming a better informed, more engaged patient.

Tammy Canales, a senior business coordinator for Radiation Oncology, smiles as she waits to receive a flu shot from Richard Bond, LVN. Free flu shots were available beginning Sept. 13 for all UTMB employees, retirees and volunteers.

Happy New (Fiscal) Year! The past year has been one of tremendous growth, significant research breakthroughs and excellence in educating the future generation of health care professionals.

The Texas Space Grant Consortium recently awarded scholarships for the upcoming academic year to two UTMB students. Armando Elizondo, a medical student, received a $1,500 STEM Columbia Crew Memorial Scholarship. Brooke Barnette, a biochemistry and molecular biology student, received a $5,000 fellowship grant. Part of the consortium’s mission is to promote high-quality, graduate-level space research.

Thomas Geisbert, PhD, in collaboration with Arbutus Biopharma Corporation, has protected nonhuman primates against Ebola Sudan four days after exposure to the virus. The study results, which were recently published in Nature Microbiology, demonstrated that the treatment was effective at a point when animals had detectable levels of the virus in their system and were at an advanced stage of disease.

Every employee at UTMB contributes to patient care. Whether you work directly with patients on a daily basis or not—each person who wears a UTMB badge impacts the overall patient experience on some level.

Many teens experience physical or sexual abuse within their romantic relationships, and now dating violence can also be perpetrated digitally by harassing, stalking or controlling a romantic partner via technology and social media.

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.

Carolee “Carrie” King has been at UTMB since 2008 and serves as senior vice president and general counsel for the university. Her expertise includes health care and regulatory law, hospital compliance, fraud and abuse, technology and commercialization, medical liability and legal issues regarding physician practice and clinical research.

Responding to employee requests for additional professional development opportunities, UTMB launched an extensive online library of books, training courses, videos and other learning assets in July.

Inside the Ronald McDonald House of Galveston, there’s now a special room for children who are facing a life-threatening illness or disability to rest and regain their superhero powers. It’s called the “Superhero Hideout” and it’s thanks to the UTMB Physician Assistant Class of 2017 in the School of Health Professions, in collaboration with the National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants organization.

Becoming a health care professional has always been a dream for Robert Guedea. But when he received a bachelor’s degree in respiratory care at the School of Health Professions graduation ceremony on Aug.12, it became a reality—one he previously thought was beyond reach.

Whether you sit or stand, have a desk job or provide patient care, a comfortable workspace can help you feel your best. Following some of these ergonomic tips will help to decrease fatigue, discomfort and physical stress while increasing comfort and productivity.

Andrew Maxwell-Parish, MakerHealth Space manager, shows incoming UTMB students how a 3D printer can be used to create medical devices and organ models.

We are nearing the end of another fiscal year and what a year it has been. From the opening of Jennie Sealy Hospital in Galveston in April to the first patient at our new League City Campus Hospital in June, there has been much to celebrate. I’d like to thank you for making this 125th year a remarkable one at UTMB as we’ve continued to build on our legacy of excellence in education, research and patient care.

Maureen Wilder, DNP, RN, ANP-BC, associate professor and Master’s Program director in the School of Nursing, was recently awarded a grant from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Health Resources and Services Administration entitled, “Adding Practice Partnerships for Learning to Advance Underserved Service Efficiency.”

When Dr. Gwyn Richardson hears a bell ring at UTMB’s Cancer Center in Galveston or League City, it’s music to her ears. “It’s a happy, happy sound,” said Richardson, a gynecologic oncologist and assistant professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology. “It signifies the end of cancer treatment and has been a UTMB tradition for many years. Patients also ring a bell when they reach certain milestones, such as one-year or five-year anniversaries being cancer-free.”

Are you a serious runner who always gets aches and pains at mile 14 of a marathon? Are you looking to improve your form and shed a few seconds off your 10K personal record? If so, a video running analysis could help. The analysis is a new service now offered by UTMB’s Occupational and Physical Therapy Clinic in Galveston.

The latest research from UTMB scientists found that a drug to treat Zika virus infections could already exist and be available on the market. A team of researchers, led by Dr. Mariano A. Garcia-Blanco, a professor and chair of the biochemistry and molecular biology department at UTMB, and Shelton S. Bradrick, an assistant professor in the department, tested more than 770 different U.S. Food and Drug Administration-approved therapeutics and found that more than 20 of those decreased Zika virus.