MESSAGE FROM THE DEAN OF MEDICINE
December 7, 2007
The holiday season is upon us, but that does not mean things are slowing down at UTMB. I want to congratulate UTMB’s School of Nursing students, who earned a 98% pass rate on the Nursing Licensure Examination. That pass rate is the highest of any UT Nursing school and higher than any of the bachelor’s nursing programs in Texas. Congratulations also goes to our Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences for becoming the first public institution in Texas to offer a doctoral degree in clinical science. The program will provide advanced training in research involving human subjects and populations, and allow students to investigate basic human biology and help develop new treatments for diseases.
UTMB had another first this past month when a team of physicians, including Dr. Luca Cicalese in Surgery and Dr. Orhan Ozkan in Radiology, combined forces to treat a patient with a liver tumor using interventional radiology and a hepatic resection using a radio frequency ablation assisted method that is virtually bloodless. (The estimated blood loss for the entire case was 100cc.) This is the first time this type of surgery has been performed at UTMB, and I am pleased that our abilities have greatly expanded in that area.
Our Institute for the Medical Humanities hosted a delegation of scholars from Peking University this summer, and that visit has resulted in an official collaboration that is currently being finalized between Peking University and UTMB. Dr. Howard Brody is working to establish international ties with universities as the topics of bioethics and medical humanities expand beyond America to other countries. Congratulations to the IMH’s Dr. Bill Winslade, who has been appointed by Ken Shine M.D., UT System Executive Vice Chancellor for Health Affairs, as Chair of the Texas Consortium on Health Care Ethics and Policy. The Consortium is aimed at creating community action dialogues on health care ethics and policy to raise public awareness of the ethical aspects of health policy in Texas.
UTMB’s Institute for Human Infections and Immunity sponsored a high level delegation from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health this week. The delegation was here for an update on the progress of the GNL, and a tour of the facilities.
You can read more about your colleagues’ achievements and activities in the December issue of SOM e-NEWS.
One goal of our clinical strategic plan is to increase employee use of our health care services. To that end, UTMB employees can now dial a single number—772-CARE (2-2273)—to receive assistance with any aspect of their health care or that of a family member. The "2-CARE" team can help with everything from making an appointment to resolving an inpatient or outpatient service issue. 2-CARE services are available to UTMB employees 24 hours a day, seven days a week. For more information on this program, contact Pam Kuchta at (409) 747-3653.
In November and December we held a series of Admitted Student receptions across the state in Houston, Waco, Brownsville, Austin and College Station. These receptions were kindly hosted by UTMB alumni and parents. Students attending the receptions have been admitted to UTMB but have not yet made their final choice for medical school. In November I also met with the School of Medicine Alumni Association’s Diversity in Medical Education Committee, chaired by Dr. Harmon Kelley, Class of 1971. The Committee heard updates on this year’s entering medical school class, and on the activities of the Student National Medical Association (SNMA) and the United Latin American Medical Students (ULAMS). The members of ULAMS would like to implement a mentoring program to provide academic and social support for minority students. If you are interested in helping our students with this project, please contact Dr. Melodee Mancuso, Director of Academic Support Services and Career Counseling, mmancuso@utmb.edu.
This month Dr. Callender and Teri Wenglein-Callender joined Dr. Karen Sexton and members of the hospital, FOAM and Special Events teams to launch a new tradition at UTMB with a tree lighting ceremony to usher in the holiday season. It was a festive ceremony, and one I hope will continue for years to come. I wish you and your families a joyful holiday season, and look forward to working together in the new year as we continue to improve the employee, patient and student experience at UTMB.