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UTMB Magazine available for download

It took a while (Thank you, Ike), but the summer/fall 2008 edition of UTMB Magazine is now available for download as a PDF. Here’s a sample of what you’ll find inside:

• Learn how Drs. David Niesel and Norbert Herzog have entered the world of radio broadcasting to provide information about medicine to listeners in nine states, and counting.

• An invention by medical school alumnus Dr. Keith Rose can save lives on the battlefield.

• How work by Drs. William J. Calhoun and Allan R. Brasier to identify molecular fingerprints of four types of asthma may lead to better treatments.

• Dr. Luca Cicalese outlines his ambitious plans for UTMB’s Texas Transplant Center and his desire to offer “one-stop shopping” for patients in search of solutions.

Download the 3.4mb file at http://www.utmb.edu/utmbmagazine.

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John Sealy Hospital reopens

Congratulations to all! As of this morning, we are operating a full-service hospital, albeit a smaller one than before. We are starting out at 200 beds but will ramp up to 309 over the next few months (200 beds for John Sealy Hospital and 109 for the TDCJ Hospital). The full-service hospital includes areas such as operating rooms, hemodialysis, critical care, interventional radiology, clinical laboratory, cardiac catheterization laboratory and many others. This is a great step forward in our post-Ike recovery.

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"We Stop for No Storm!" T-shirts

The sales from these T-shirts were phenomenal, with approximately $15,000 raised for the Hurricane Ike Recovery Fund. If you purchased a T-shirt and have yet to receive it, please contact Angela Caskey at westopfornostorm@gmail.com. No new orders are being taken at this time. A heartfelt “thank you” to everyone who contributed. For questions about how the funds will be used to help UTMB get back on its feet, please contact Angela at westopfornostorm@gmail.com.

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UTMB celebrates the first Galveston County baby of 2009

Genesis Daniela Rodriguez is the first baby born in 2009 at the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston. She is also the first baby born in Galveston County this year. Genesis, the daughter of Lilian Rodriguez and Manuel Bonilla of Houston, was born at 1:28 a.m., Jan. 1, weighing in at five pounds, 14 ounces. UTMB nurses presented the Rodriguez family with a basket of good wishes. Read more in the newsroom.

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The Truth About UTMB: Chancellor Shine sends special message to UTMB community

Dr. Kenneth I. Shine, interim chancellor and executive vice chancellor for health affairs of the University of Texas System, issued a special message, “The Truth About UTMB,” to all UTMB employees on Dec. 30. Distributed via global e-mail broadcast, the text is also available here.

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Return to normal hours for campus buildings

All campus buildings with the exception of the six noted below have now returned to their “Pre-Ike” status for both occupancy and hours of access. For most buildings, access to first floor spaces will not be available and our elevator service and air-conditioning systems are not fully functioning.  Any clinical or research laboratory use requires additional specific approvals. Buildings that are not available for use or access until further notice are:

1. Ashbel Smith ( Old Red )
2. 1108 Strand
3. Nolan Hall
4. 1700 Strand
5. Rosenberg House
6. Open Gates Conference Center

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Additional UTMB clinics now open

UTMB reopened more than a dozen additional clinics in December, marking another significant milestone in recovery efforts following the impact of Hurricane Ike. Many of the reopened or relocated clinics are housed in the University Hospital Clinics building (UHC), on the university’s Galveston campus adjacent to the Emergency Room. These sites join an extensive network of mainland and Galveston Island clinic locations already in service. For more information about clinics, to find a doctor or to make an appointment, visit www.utmbhealthcare.org. Or, call the UTMB Access Center at (409) 772-2222 or toll-free at (800) 917-8906.
 

.: Download a flyer with information about UTMB clinics

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UTMB recognized for outstanding community service

UTMB was recognized by the Association of American Medical Colleges as a finalist for the 2008 AAMC Spencer Foreman Award for Outstanding Community Service. UTMB was one of three finalists selected for the award, which is presented annually to an institution or organization with a "long-standing, major institutional commitment to addressing community needs." Read the article

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Dr. Townsend appointed Medical Director of Physician Assistant Studies

Dr. Courtney M. Townsend Jr., chairman of the department of surgery, has been appointed the medical director for the Physician Assistant Studies program. He succeeds Dr. Michael Warren. Townsend was the keynote speaker at the 2008 Physician Assistant White Coat Ceremony held on Dec. 10.

Here is an excerpt from his comments that day: “The white coat is the mantle of medicine, but it’s more than an external sign or uniform of the profession. It is a coat of privilege. It is a cloak of covenant. The privilege is what is given to you by the patients whom you will see … who place their lives in your hands. The covenant – inviolable – is your solemn pledge that you will do your best for the patient at all times.”

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Bhat wins Hector P. Garcia essay competition at UTMB

Anand Bhat, a third-year medical student at UTMB, is the 2008 winner of the Hector P. Garcia M.D. Cultural Competency Essay Competition which is held annually in honor of Dr. Hector P. Garcia, a 1940 graduate of UTMB. Carla Kantara, a student in the Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, received the second place award and Margaret Wardlaw, an M.D.-Ph.D. student, received third place. The competition was open to students in all four UTMB schools. Click here to find out more

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UTMB’s history of medicine goes prime time

UTMB’s long and fascinating history will be featured on Houston’s Channel 55 (KTBU-TV) in a new broadcast focusing on stories from Southeast Texas. Scheduled to air in early 2009, the program will spotlight the creation of UTMB’s School of Medicine and School of Nursing just before the turn of the 20th century. Interviewed today, Sarita Oertling, manager of Moody Medical Library’s Truman G. Blocker Jr. History of Medicine Collections, shared several historical texts, architectural renderings, photographs and medical supplies. Stay tuned for details as the air date draws near.

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UTMB accreditation reaffirmed

At its annual meeting in San Antonio earlier this month, the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools voted to reaffirm the accreditation status of UTMB. "This reaffirmation was the result of the work of many people across all areas of the university and represents a triumph of teamwork," said Pamela G. Watson, UTMB vice president for education and SACS liaison. The reaffirmation lasts for 10 years. As part of the reaffirmation process, the university is required to submit an interim report in five years.

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Updated: Schedule for viewing salvaged dry contents

Thousands of boxes of dry contents were salvaged and removed from the ground floors of UTMB buildings after Ike and prior to the ground floor clean-up activities. They are now being returned to departments in an orderly process. 1902 Harborside Drive has been set up as a temporary location to view dry contents. The tentative schedule identifies the dates that departments will be able to view their contents. The schedule will be updated each week and departmental administrators will be notified as their date approaches. The schedule for viewing those boxes that were wet will be posted soon. Click here to see a video report about the process and how the holiday spirit has spread in the work area.

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Dr. Hay to serve on TYC advisory board

Gov. Rick Perry has appointed Dr. Matthew J. Hay, associate professor of pediatrics at UTMB, to the Texas Youth Commission Advisory Board. The board, which advises the executive commissioner of the TYC, held its first meeting Dec. 12. Hay is a member of the Texas Medical Association, Texas Pediatric Society and American Academy of Pediatrics. He is also past president of the Bay Area Pediatric Society and chief of staff at the Mainland Medical Center in Texas City. Hay received a bachelor’s degree from Stephen F. Austin State University and a medical degree from UTMB.

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General contribution limits increase for TSAs and DCPs in 2009

Effective January 1, 2009, the IRS has increased the general contribution limits for 2009 for Tax Sheltered Annuities (TSA) 403(b) and Deferred Compensation Plans (DCP) 457(b). The annual general contribution limits for both the TSA (Traditional pre-tax and/or Roth after-tax) and DCP plans will increase to $16,500 (from $15,500 in 2008). An additional $5,500 can be contributed by employees over the age of 50 into each plan. Optional Retirement Program participants whose annual salary exceeds $214,521.00 in 2009 will be eligible to contribute less than the maximum to a TSA. Those participants should contact Benefits Services for a calculation of their allowable limit. To make changes to your paycheck deduction amounts into either plan, log on to UT Retirement Manager at www.aigretco.com/retireman.

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The Sealy Smith parking garage closed for repairs

The Sealy Smith parking garage will be closed for repairs to the electrical, elevator and gate equipment. Parking is available at the surface lot behind the Administration building, between the Sealy Smith parking garage and Arlan's Market. A completion date for repairs has not yet been announced. Please continue to monitor iUTMB and the daily announcements for updates.

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Recent testimony to legislative committee offers recap of Ike developments

Dr. Kenneth Shine, interim chancellor of the UT System, and UTMB’s Dr. David Callender testified before a state legislative committee on Dec. 3 about the damage caused by Hurricane Ike. In their testimony to the Joint Hearing of the House of Representatives Select Committee on Hurricane Ike Devastation and Senate Intergovernmental Relations Subcommittee on Flooding and Evacuations, President Callender said that UTMB needs an emergency appropriation and long-term financial support from the state to rebound from the damage. The testimonies provide a good overview of events and are available online. Read comments by Dr. Kenneth Shine. Read comments by Dr. David Callender.

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A Hospital Conditions Update

A Global Broadcast from Dr. Karen Sexton, interim executive vice president and chief executive officer of the UTMB Health System, outlined some recent findings of air and water quality testing in John Sealy Hospital. If you missed the broadcast message, read it here.

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HIPAA Notice of Privacy Practice

UTMB is required by law and committed to making sure that all UTMB Protected Health Information (PHI) is kept private. The UTMB Notice of Privacy Practice describes the rights and certain obligations we have regarding the use and disclosure of PHI. To access an electronic version of the UTMB Notice of Privacy Practice go to the HIPAA section at www.utmb.edu/compliance. To obtain a paper copy of the notice or a poster for a clinical area contact the Office of Institutional Compliance at hejolin@utmb.edu.