I had no idea so much time had passed since I last blogged. It seems like only a few days ago that the RIF occurred. It is still painful.
Some good things are happening though. I heard today that alumnus Pompeyo Chavez and his wife had a healthy baby boy today. Also current R2 Sashi Braga and his wife welcomed a healthy baby girl to their family this week. Congratulations to all of them!
Also, faculty member Jim King who was affected in the RIF has been hired by the Baytown FMRP, so he will stay in the area. They are adding a great faculty member to their program. Our loss is their gain. I'm happy that Jim found a good spot in a good program.
Former Dept of FM member Susan Berkley PA who was working for the Dept of Surgery most recently and affected by the RIF has accepted a position at the 4Cs Clinic.
A community hospitalist physician at one of our community hospital partners today agreed to take the R3s onto her hospital service to finish out their last required block so they are on track to finish their curriculum and graduate on schedule. We are still waiting to see if John Sealy reopens on January 5th as projected. If so, we will staff that service with R1s and R2s.
Things are coming along with our new clinic space at UHC. We have been plagued by computer bugs and glitches since opening but it seems that some significant progress was made yesterday in resolving most if not all of the current problems.
Scheduling has been a major problem since the RIF, because key administrative staff were lost who normally managed that function. This week saw major strides toward figuring out a new process for dealing with scheduling and we are all hopeful that it will be simpler and easier to manage from January forward.
Recruiting is going very well, much better in fact than I ever dreamed it would this year. We appreciate the support shown by our applicants and are grateful that we've been able to progress with this more or less as normal.
I think we are all very much looking forward to the holiday break. I'm hopeful that the new year will bring good things for Galveston Island and UTMB.
Thursday, December 18, 2008
Tuesday, December 02, 2008
Wednesday, November 26, 2008
some updates
I read in this morning's paper that 125 faculty were laid off on Monday. The newspaper staff has filed an open records act request for the list of names. If they are able to obtain that and publish it, I'll post the link here. I know of a few individuals because I've needed to contact them since Monday, but will defer listing them for now in hopes that we can have a complete list and not just the ones I've stumbled across.
Curriculum update: our Cardiology rotation has been worked out. We'll be working on the Cardiology service at TDCJ. Procedure rotation is coming along. I'm waiting on word back from a few individuals before we can finalize a new template for that. Surgical Subspecialties is resolved. Gyn is back. Adult Med is 50% worked out, still trying to establish a faculty contact for the other half. Geri rotation progressing well but I still need to meet with one faculty about a few pieces of that. Pedi ER is resolved.
ER should be available in January. The latest projection on the hospital reopening date is December 9. Today I started working on a backup plan for the R3s in the event we have further delays with that.
Have a safe and happy Thanksgiving holiday.
Curriculum update: our Cardiology rotation has been worked out. We'll be working on the Cardiology service at TDCJ. Procedure rotation is coming along. I'm waiting on word back from a few individuals before we can finalize a new template for that. Surgical Subspecialties is resolved. Gyn is back. Adult Med is 50% worked out, still trying to establish a faculty contact for the other half. Geri rotation progressing well but I still need to meet with one faculty about a few pieces of that. Pedi ER is resolved.
ER should be available in January. The latest projection on the hospital reopening date is December 9. Today I started working on a backup plan for the R3s in the event we have further delays with that.
Have a safe and happy Thanksgiving holiday.
Monday, November 24, 2008
faculty RIF
Today has been very painful as we've said goodbye to more of our colleagues and friends.
The impact to the Dept. of FM of the faculty RIF is as follows:
Two faculty who had been recruited or were in the process of being recruited for December and January start dates will not be hired.
Dr. Weaver, Dr. Irwin and Dr. King will be leaving us. Although not official, I heard that Dr. Weaver may be staying on in some volunteer capacity with her POM groups. Dr. King has volunteered to continue to do some attending with the residents. As I hear anything official related to those two items, I will post here.
Also, my friend and right hand man (Assistant Program Director) Ron Williams will have his time reduced to 50%. He and I are in the process of figuring out exactly how we can arrange that to work best for all concerned.
Barbara Ferrell's time will also be reduced to 50%.
Many of our faculty are in dual-career families, and some who were able to retain their jobs in FM were still faced with the loss of their spouse's job.
We all, residents and faculty alike, are clearly saddened by these changes brought to us by Ike. Family Medicine was hit hard and rumor is, other departments took even harder hits. I won't go into details here because it would only be rumor at this point. Most likely you will be able to read about it on the local newspaper website before long.
In other news, the hospital opened briefly this morning, only to close again after a few hours due to air quality concerns as I understand it. I believe the next potential opening date is a week from today.
I am typically a silver-lining kind of person, but I'm having a hard time finding it today. I know I will find it and that I'm just feeling sad about today's events. But I'm going to allow myself to feel sad today and leave it at that. Check back later and I'll let you know about that silver lining. Or lemonade from lemons, or however you want to put it...
The impact to the Dept. of FM of the faculty RIF is as follows:
Two faculty who had been recruited or were in the process of being recruited for December and January start dates will not be hired.
Dr. Weaver, Dr. Irwin and Dr. King will be leaving us. Although not official, I heard that Dr. Weaver may be staying on in some volunteer capacity with her POM groups. Dr. King has volunteered to continue to do some attending with the residents. As I hear anything official related to those two items, I will post here.
Also, my friend and right hand man (Assistant Program Director) Ron Williams will have his time reduced to 50%. He and I are in the process of figuring out exactly how we can arrange that to work best for all concerned.
Barbara Ferrell's time will also be reduced to 50%.
Many of our faculty are in dual-career families, and some who were able to retain their jobs in FM were still faced with the loss of their spouse's job.
We all, residents and faculty alike, are clearly saddened by these changes brought to us by Ike. Family Medicine was hit hard and rumor is, other departments took even harder hits. I won't go into details here because it would only be rumor at this point. Most likely you will be able to read about it on the local newspaper website before long.
In other news, the hospital opened briefly this morning, only to close again after a few hours due to air quality concerns as I understand it. I believe the next potential opening date is a week from today.
I am typically a silver-lining kind of person, but I'm having a hard time finding it today. I know I will find it and that I'm just feeling sad about today's events. But I'm going to allow myself to feel sad today and leave it at that. Check back later and I'll let you know about that silver lining. Or lemonade from lemons, or however you want to put it...
Thursday, November 20, 2008
RIF
Yesterday we lost 7 of our administrative staff in the first wave of the RIF. Some who have been particularly instrumental in Residency Program activities - Dee Ann F., Susan R., Rosie V. and Cassie B. Fortunately, we lost none of our core Residency Admin staff and for that I am extremely grateful.
It is too soon to know the outcome of the clinical services RIF. All clinic employees were pink-slipped today and asked to reapply for a reduced number of jobs over the next two weeks. I still don't know exactly the number of positions that will be listed for FM. Some employees elected not to return to their jobs this morning after they were notified of the decision and process.
Faculty RIF is to occur on next Monday.
It is painful to be here right now and I'm looking forward to the recovery beginning in earnest because enough is enough. Some hopeful signs are that the next potential date for the hospital to reopen is 11/24, pending negative culture results due out tomorrow. We are still scheduled to move from the Fast Track/ER into clinic space in the UHC on 12/3.
And let me lay a rumor to rest... from somewhere there is coming a rumor that we will need to reduce our current residents by 4. NOT TRUE. We have no plans to let any of our current residents go.
We will only be matching for 4 residents for our INCOMING class in the Match this year. We hope to pick up 2 more residents for that class as PGY2 when the time comes. Perhaps this got miscommunicated to become the source of the rumor? I anticipate that we will match for either 6 or 8 in the 2010 Match. We plan to rebuild as quickly as our clinical volume allows.
It is too soon to know the outcome of the clinical services RIF. All clinic employees were pink-slipped today and asked to reapply for a reduced number of jobs over the next two weeks. I still don't know exactly the number of positions that will be listed for FM. Some employees elected not to return to their jobs this morning after they were notified of the decision and process.
Faculty RIF is to occur on next Monday.
It is painful to be here right now and I'm looking forward to the recovery beginning in earnest because enough is enough. Some hopeful signs are that the next potential date for the hospital to reopen is 11/24, pending negative culture results due out tomorrow. We are still scheduled to move from the Fast Track/ER into clinic space in the UHC on 12/3.
And let me lay a rumor to rest... from somewhere there is coming a rumor that we will need to reduce our current residents by 4. NOT TRUE. We have no plans to let any of our current residents go.
We will only be matching for 4 residents for our INCOMING class in the Match this year. We hope to pick up 2 more residents for that class as PGY2 when the time comes. Perhaps this got miscommunicated to become the source of the rumor? I anticipate that we will match for either 6 or 8 in the 2010 Match. We plan to rebuild as quickly as our clinical volume allows.
Wednesday, November 19, 2008
Ghost Town
Sorry about the disappearing right side bar. It's located way at the bottom of the page. Formatting problem with the links in the previous post that I don't have the time or energy to fix at the moment. And I want those links to stay there, so we'll deal with the format issue until that post rolls off the page.
The layoffs have begun in earnest today. Yesterday 450 employees across campus were notified they were affected. Today it has started in my building. Every employee is being called one by one into the Chairman's office and being told whether they are staying or going. Those who will return are being instructed to leave the building and return at 1:00. Those who are laid off are clearing out their offices and then leaving. The silence is deafening.
The nurses and other clinic staff will officially learn their fate tomorrow, although leaks are numerous and many have already heard through the grapevine. I honestly do not know how we are going to staff our clinics the rest of the week. My first task of the morning was to write letters of recommendation for nurses I can't believe we may not have with us next week.
Faculty will learn how the decision affects us on Friday. There is no question that this will be a different workplace on Monday.
Some decisions about how to handle the situation have been made at high levels that leave me apalled. Everyone knows that the layoff is necessary. But it should have been possible to work through this painful process with dignity and respect.
My Chairman has chosen to handle things much more professionally than what I've seen happening all around me in other areas. Although we don't always see eye-to-eye on things, my respect for my Chairman's professionalism, humanitarianism, and leadership have reached a new high. At least in Family Medicine, for the things we can control, we have continued to act like family, respect one another and act with integrity.
I hold out hope that this is the bottom and from here things improve as we start to rebuild.
The layoffs have begun in earnest today. Yesterday 450 employees across campus were notified they were affected. Today it has started in my building. Every employee is being called one by one into the Chairman's office and being told whether they are staying or going. Those who will return are being instructed to leave the building and return at 1:00. Those who are laid off are clearing out their offices and then leaving. The silence is deafening.
The nurses and other clinic staff will officially learn their fate tomorrow, although leaks are numerous and many have already heard through the grapevine. I honestly do not know how we are going to staff our clinics the rest of the week. My first task of the morning was to write letters of recommendation for nurses I can't believe we may not have with us next week.
Faculty will learn how the decision affects us on Friday. There is no question that this will be a different workplace on Monday.
Some decisions about how to handle the situation have been made at high levels that leave me apalled. Everyone knows that the layoff is necessary. But it should have been possible to work through this painful process with dignity and respect.
My Chairman has chosen to handle things much more professionally than what I've seen happening all around me in other areas. Although we don't always see eye-to-eye on things, my respect for my Chairman's professionalism, humanitarianism, and leadership have reached a new high. At least in Family Medicine, for the things we can control, we have continued to act like family, respect one another and act with integrity.
I hold out hope that this is the bottom and from here things improve as we start to rebuild.
Monday, November 17, 2008
ups and downs
It is SO NICE to have most of the residents back to Galveston, as of today! It's been such a great day having the residents trickle by my office one by one and welcome them home.
Some ongoing challenges... I'm sure many have read by now that UTMB plans to downsize the campus workforce by 3800 FTE sometime this week. There will be impacts to the FM department both in faculty and staff, but to a much lesser extent than many other departments across campus. This is in large part thanks to Dr. Thompson's leadership and the dedicated efforts of our faculty, staff and residents to get back to business as usual, as quickly as possible.
Also, the opening of the hospital has been delayed, probably until the first week or so of December, although no proposed dates have been released as of yet. The last rumor I heard the end of last week was that a medical floor might reopen first, in advance of surgical capability, as the latest delay was caused by poor results on mold/fungal cultures in the ORs.
UTMB has been in the news quite a lot since the announcement of the proposed layoffs. Below are links to some of the recent stories.
Word on the Street
Galveston County Daily News, Nov. 17, 2008
Numerous Letters to the Editor concerning UTMB and its recovery were published calling for restoration of its Level 1 trauma center, establishment of a hospital district and urging state and local officials to support the university. http://galvestondailynews.com/letters.lasso
Docshop says so long, Mary Ann
Galveston County Daily News, Nov. 17, 2008
In her Scenes column, Frances Powell wrote: “Many ’grats to Divafave Mary Ann Ross, who’s retiring from UTMB. Her swansong party at Salsa’s was organized by Pat Reazin and Anna Perez.” http://galvestondailynews.com/story.lasso?ewcd=92729a3d5b72b60e
Hankins again named a national top doctor
Galveston County Daily News, Nov. 17, 2008
Dr. Gary Hankins, chairman of the department of obstetrics and gynecology at UTMB, was named one of the nation’s best doctors for women for the fourth straight year. The ranking was published in the November issue of Women’s Health. (Link unavailable.)
Galveston biodefense lab was fortress during Ike
Dallas Morning News, Nov. 16, 2008
This article surveys the safety and security measures of the Galveston National Laboratory at UTMB. Reporter Emily Ramshaw wrote, “The nation’s newest mammoth biodefense lab towers like a fortress over this hurricane-battered ghost town, a rare unscathed sight among uprooted palm trees, shattered shop windows and beach homes teetering perilously on warped stilts.”
http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/news/texassouthwest/stories/DN-ikeside_16tex.ART.State.Edition1.4a63bc5.html
For health’s sake, take action now
Galveston County Daily News, Nov. 16, 2008
In this editorial, publisher Dolph Tillotson urges Galveston officials to create a countywide health care taxing district to help the county’s health care providers, including UTMB. http://galvestondailynews.com/story.lasso?ewcd=3184d927c43952e8
Smaller UTMB causes worries
Galveston County Daily News, Nov. 16, 2008
State health care leaders said a plan to downsize UTMB poses vexing questions about the future of Galveston County’s poorest and most traumatically injured patients. David Lopez, CEO of the Harris County Hospital District, said the plan will cause a ripple effect across the Texas health care system, a patchwork of overburdened providers that treat the 30 percent of Texans without insurance.
http://galvestondailynews.com/story.lasso?ewcd=e5d65e052f4890e6c8545f57966c90b3
UTMB hires Atlanta firm to assist in downsizing
Galveston County Daily News, Nov. 16, 2008
UTMB has hired Kurt Salmon Associates of Atlanta to advise about reshaping UTMB as it cuts as many as 3,800 jobs and downsizes its 550-bed hospital to a 200-bed operation. The company will conduct market, facility and financial analyses of the medical branch.
http://galvestondailynews.com/story.lasso?ewcd=e6a15dd01f373482
Hospitals jammed since UTMB’s down
Galveston County Daily News, Nov. 15, 2008
Admissions are up 40 percent, emergency room visits have increased by a third and operating rooms are running around the clock at Mainland Medical Center. Since Hurricane Ike ravaged UTMB’s John Sealy Hospital on Sept. 13, admissions at Mainland Medical have jumped, as has demand for other medical services it provides. Likewise, Clear Lake Regional Medical Center in Webster reported a 30 percent increase in hospital admissions while emergency room visits doubled. http://galvestondailynews.com/story.lasso?ewcd=cfdd17e4506f95c5c8545f57966c90b3
Waco representative fights for isle
Galveston County Daily News, Nov. 15, 2008
During a tour of Galveston Island, U.S. Rep. Chet Edwards said he would encourage FEMA to expedite funding for projects throughout the city to help officials prepare for next year’s tourist season. He also is pushing the agency to fast-track damage reimbursements for UTMB.
http://galvestondailynews.com/story.lasso?ewcd=cc9665b3336d78ee
UTMB woes back on county agenda
Port Arthur News, Nov. 15, 2008
BEAUMONT – Damage to UTMB continues to reverberate throughout Southeast Texas as counties reconsider medical treatment for uninsured residents. “This is something that is affecting not only Jefferson County, but much of the state in a critical way,” Bo Alfred, Precinct 4 County Commissioner, said. http://www.panews.com/local/local_story_320165336.html
Hospital flooded in storm to cut its staff by a third
New York Times, Nov. 14, 2008
This article summarizes the effect of Hurricane Ike on UTMB and includes comments from a number of UTMB employees, including Karen Sexton, executive vice president and CEO of the UTMB Health System. “We can’t make any promises,” she said, “because we don’t know what’s going to happen. We are committed to getting back into the health care business. We know we have to be a lot smaller right now.”
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/15/us/15hospital.html?scp=1&sq=%22medical+branch%22&st=nyt
UTMB layoffs may have major ripple effect in Houston hospitals
KTRK-TV (Ch. 13) Houston, Nov. 14, 2008
This report focuses on the effect that UTMB’s layoffs are having on hospitals in the Houston area.
http://abclocal.go.com/ktrk/video?id=6506299
Some ongoing challenges... I'm sure many have read by now that UTMB plans to downsize the campus workforce by 3800 FTE sometime this week. There will be impacts to the FM department both in faculty and staff, but to a much lesser extent than many other departments across campus. This is in large part thanks to Dr. Thompson's leadership and the dedicated efforts of our faculty, staff and residents to get back to business as usual, as quickly as possible.
Also, the opening of the hospital has been delayed, probably until the first week or so of December, although no proposed dates have been released as of yet. The last rumor I heard the end of last week was that a medical floor might reopen first, in advance of surgical capability, as the latest delay was caused by poor results on mold/fungal cultures in the ORs.
UTMB has been in the news quite a lot since the announcement of the proposed layoffs. Below are links to some of the recent stories.
Word on the Street
Galveston County Daily News, Nov. 17, 2008
Numerous Letters to the Editor concerning UTMB and its recovery were published calling for restoration of its Level 1 trauma center, establishment of a hospital district and urging state and local officials to support the university. http://galvestondailynews.com/letters.lasso
Docshop says so long, Mary Ann
Galveston County Daily News, Nov. 17, 2008
In her Scenes column, Frances Powell wrote: “Many ’grats to Divafave Mary Ann Ross, who’s retiring from UTMB. Her swansong party at Salsa’s was organized by Pat Reazin and Anna Perez.” http://galvestondailynews.com/story.lasso?ewcd=92729a3d5b72b60e
Hankins again named a national top doctor
Galveston County Daily News, Nov. 17, 2008
Dr. Gary Hankins, chairman of the department of obstetrics and gynecology at UTMB, was named one of the nation’s best doctors for women for the fourth straight year. The ranking was published in the November issue of Women’s Health. (Link unavailable.)
Galveston biodefense lab was fortress during Ike
Dallas Morning News, Nov. 16, 2008
This article surveys the safety and security measures of the Galveston National Laboratory at UTMB. Reporter Emily Ramshaw wrote, “The nation’s newest mammoth biodefense lab towers like a fortress over this hurricane-battered ghost town, a rare unscathed sight among uprooted palm trees, shattered shop windows and beach homes teetering perilously on warped stilts.”
http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/news/texassouthwest/stories/DN-ikeside_16tex.ART.State.Edition1.4a63bc5.html
For health’s sake, take action now
Galveston County Daily News, Nov. 16, 2008
In this editorial, publisher Dolph Tillotson urges Galveston officials to create a countywide health care taxing district to help the county’s health care providers, including UTMB. http://galvestondailynews.com/story.lasso?ewcd=3184d927c43952e8
Smaller UTMB causes worries
Galveston County Daily News, Nov. 16, 2008
State health care leaders said a plan to downsize UTMB poses vexing questions about the future of Galveston County’s poorest and most traumatically injured patients. David Lopez, CEO of the Harris County Hospital District, said the plan will cause a ripple effect across the Texas health care system, a patchwork of overburdened providers that treat the 30 percent of Texans without insurance.
http://galvestondailynews.com/story.lasso?ewcd=e5d65e052f4890e6c8545f57966c90b3
UTMB hires Atlanta firm to assist in downsizing
Galveston County Daily News, Nov. 16, 2008
UTMB has hired Kurt Salmon Associates of Atlanta to advise about reshaping UTMB as it cuts as many as 3,800 jobs and downsizes its 550-bed hospital to a 200-bed operation. The company will conduct market, facility and financial analyses of the medical branch.
http://galvestondailynews.com/story.lasso?ewcd=e6a15dd01f373482
Hospitals jammed since UTMB’s down
Galveston County Daily News, Nov. 15, 2008
Admissions are up 40 percent, emergency room visits have increased by a third and operating rooms are running around the clock at Mainland Medical Center. Since Hurricane Ike ravaged UTMB’s John Sealy Hospital on Sept. 13, admissions at Mainland Medical have jumped, as has demand for other medical services it provides. Likewise, Clear Lake Regional Medical Center in Webster reported a 30 percent increase in hospital admissions while emergency room visits doubled. http://galvestondailynews.com/story.lasso?ewcd=cfdd17e4506f95c5c8545f57966c90b3
Waco representative fights for isle
Galveston County Daily News, Nov. 15, 2008
During a tour of Galveston Island, U.S. Rep. Chet Edwards said he would encourage FEMA to expedite funding for projects throughout the city to help officials prepare for next year’s tourist season. He also is pushing the agency to fast-track damage reimbursements for UTMB.
http://galvestondailynews.com/story.lasso?ewcd=cc9665b3336d78ee
UTMB woes back on county agenda
Port Arthur News, Nov. 15, 2008
BEAUMONT – Damage to UTMB continues to reverberate throughout Southeast Texas as counties reconsider medical treatment for uninsured residents. “This is something that is affecting not only Jefferson County, but much of the state in a critical way,” Bo Alfred, Precinct 4 County Commissioner, said. http://www.panews.com/local/local_story_320165336.html
Hospital flooded in storm to cut its staff by a third
New York Times, Nov. 14, 2008
This article summarizes the effect of Hurricane Ike on UTMB and includes comments from a number of UTMB employees, including Karen Sexton, executive vice president and CEO of the UTMB Health System. “We can’t make any promises,” she said, “because we don’t know what’s going to happen. We are committed to getting back into the health care business. We know we have to be a lot smaller right now.”
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/15/us/15hospital.html?scp=1&sq=%22medical+branch%22&st=nyt
UTMB layoffs may have major ripple effect in Houston hospitals
KTRK-TV (Ch. 13) Houston, Nov. 14, 2008
This report focuses on the effect that UTMB’s layoffs are having on hospitals in the Houston area.
http://abclocal.go.com/ktrk/video?id=6506299
Friday, November 07, 2008
checking out new space
Today I got to go look at our proposed new clinic space. I was less than enthusiastic. We are so spoiled, having been in such a nice clinic up until hurricane Ike. The new space will work. I think. It's just not great.
We are to have 15 exam rooms and the two team rooms (precepting rooms) are each about half as big as in our previous space, which already felt pretty cramped. There is no room for medical students and very little room for faculty.
As we're walking the space, the clinic director says to the group that we need to look on the bright side. It took about half an hour for anybody to figure out what that was. And this is what we came up with:
It's better than the Fast Track in the ER, which is where we are currently seeing patients.
It's closer to the hospital than our previous clinic space, so more convenient in that way.
The waiting area is much nicer than in our old clinic.
And there is a beautiful view of Old Red from the registration area.
At least there's something good about it.
We are to have 15 exam rooms and the two team rooms (precepting rooms) are each about half as big as in our previous space, which already felt pretty cramped. There is no room for medical students and very little room for faculty.
As we're walking the space, the clinic director says to the group that we need to look on the bright side. It took about half an hour for anybody to figure out what that was. And this is what we came up with:
It's better than the Fast Track in the ER, which is where we are currently seeing patients.
It's closer to the hospital than our previous clinic space, so more convenient in that way.
The waiting area is much nicer than in our old clinic.
And there is a beautiful view of Old Red from the registration area.
At least there's something good about it.
Wednesday, November 05, 2008
faculty presentations
For STFM Annual Spring Conference 2009 in Denver CO:
Outcomes of a Texas Family Medicine Residency Rural Training Track: 2000 – 2008
Nash LR, Olson MM, Caskey JW, Thompson BL (scholastic poster)
Osteopathic Medicine: Contributions for The Future of Family Medicine
Nash LR, et. al. (1 day pre-conference session) (also includes Sierpina VS, Curka PA)
Portfolio Smorgasbord: Exploring Portfolio Experiences From Across The Country
Kulie T, et. al. (includes Williams RE) (3 hour theme session)
Integrative Medicine In Residency Curriculum: First Year Implementation And Evaluation
Lebensohn P, et. al. (includes Sierpina VS) (90 minute seminar)
Contributions of Community-based Preceptors to The Family Medicine Clerkship Curriculum
Bulik RJ, Wright DP (scholastic poster)
Supplementing Student Experiential Learning At Community-Based Training Sites
Bulik RJ (special topic breakfast)
Outcomes of a Texas Family Medicine Residency Rural Training Track: 2000 – 2008
Nash LR, Olson MM, Caskey JW, Thompson BL (scholastic poster)
Osteopathic Medicine: Contributions for The Future of Family Medicine
Nash LR, et. al. (1 day pre-conference session) (also includes Sierpina VS, Curka PA)
Portfolio Smorgasbord: Exploring Portfolio Experiences From Across The Country
Kulie T, et. al. (includes Williams RE) (3 hour theme session)
Integrative Medicine In Residency Curriculum: First Year Implementation And Evaluation
Lebensohn P, et. al. (includes Sierpina VS) (90 minute seminar)
Contributions of Community-based Preceptors to The Family Medicine Clerkship Curriculum
Bulik RJ, Wright DP (scholastic poster)
Supplementing Student Experiential Learning At Community-Based Training Sites
Bulik RJ (special topic breakfast)
national conference presentations accepted!
Congratulations to the Drs. Melendez on the acceptance of their scholastic poster for presentation at the STFM Annual Conference next spring! The title of their poster is "Community Medicine Program In Co-occurring Substance Abuse, Psychiatry Disorders And Primary Care, a Tri-service Model".
Good work!
Monday, November 03, 2008
opportunities to help
The Texas Medical Association is hosting a fund drive for UTMB medical students. Click here to review the call and donation instructions.
Thursday, October 30, 2008
letter to our applicants
So… what about Hurricane Ike?!
This is a very good question you might ask yourself and us in relation to residency training at UTMB – Galveston!
What I can tell you at this point is that the Family Medicine Residency Program in Galveston is continuing. We have for many years been fortunate to have available to us community hospitals in the area for several of our core rotations, as well as electives. Thanks to our off-campus sites and community preceptors, the FMRP experienced the least disruption in training probably of all the UTMB GME programs. Our residents were back on clinical rotations within one week of landfall, although many chose to rotate out of the immediate Houston-Galveston area for one or two rotation blocks, due to housing and personal family needs. No delays in graduation related to the storm are anticipated.
We don’t yet know exactly what the future of the clinical enterprise on campus will look like. Possibilities range from the establishment of essentially a 200 – 250 bed community hospital to as much as full recovery (650+ beds) although I think what eventually will come to pass probably lies somewhere in the middle. Campus-based rotations continue to come back online as time passes and various departments make progress in the recovery effort.
The future location of our Family Medicine Center (outpatient clinic) remains under negotiation. The two most likely contenders seem to be 1) in the University Health Clinics building near the ER or 2) that our Primary Care Pavilion clinic will be refurbished. If the long-term decision is option #2, we may temporarily be housed in the UHC until the PCP is ready for our return. At present, we are temporarily located in the Fast Track area adjacent to the ER. The only thing I can tell you for sure is that we won’t be staying there!
Now, why should you come here? If you enjoy building things, consider yourself a pioneer or adventurer, have a strong sense of personal responsibility and professionalism and are flexible and innovative in making the most of a wide variety of learning experiences, this may be the program for you! While many of our core rotation experiences remain stable, we intend to take this opportunity to reevaluate our curriculum as a whole and reinvent ourselves to our best potential in the coming few years. Sometimes change occurs slowly and incrementally and sometimes it occurs quickly in big ways. It would be a shame not to capitalize on this opportunity for amazing progress and we don’t intend to miss it. Come join us and be a part of reinventing our future!
Lisa R. Nash, DO, FAAFP
Program Director
This is a very good question you might ask yourself and us in relation to residency training at UTMB – Galveston!
What I can tell you at this point is that the Family Medicine Residency Program in Galveston is continuing. We have for many years been fortunate to have available to us community hospitals in the area for several of our core rotations, as well as electives. Thanks to our off-campus sites and community preceptors, the FMRP experienced the least disruption in training probably of all the UTMB GME programs. Our residents were back on clinical rotations within one week of landfall, although many chose to rotate out of the immediate Houston-Galveston area for one or two rotation blocks, due to housing and personal family needs. No delays in graduation related to the storm are anticipated.
We don’t yet know exactly what the future of the clinical enterprise on campus will look like. Possibilities range from the establishment of essentially a 200 – 250 bed community hospital to as much as full recovery (650+ beds) although I think what eventually will come to pass probably lies somewhere in the middle. Campus-based rotations continue to come back online as time passes and various departments make progress in the recovery effort.
The future location of our Family Medicine Center (outpatient clinic) remains under negotiation. The two most likely contenders seem to be 1) in the University Health Clinics building near the ER or 2) that our Primary Care Pavilion clinic will be refurbished. If the long-term decision is option #2, we may temporarily be housed in the UHC until the PCP is ready for our return. At present, we are temporarily located in the Fast Track area adjacent to the ER. The only thing I can tell you for sure is that we won’t be staying there!
Now, why should you come here? If you enjoy building things, consider yourself a pioneer or adventurer, have a strong sense of personal responsibility and professionalism and are flexible and innovative in making the most of a wide variety of learning experiences, this may be the program for you! While many of our core rotation experiences remain stable, we intend to take this opportunity to reevaluate our curriculum as a whole and reinvent ourselves to our best potential in the coming few years. Sometimes change occurs slowly and incrementally and sometimes it occurs quickly in big ways. It would be a shame not to capitalize on this opportunity for amazing progress and we don’t intend to miss it. Come join us and be a part of reinventing our future!
Lisa R. Nash, DO, FAAFP
Program Director
Monday, October 20, 2008
interviews
5 brave souls who are not afraid of a challenge have signed up for interviews since we started inviting applicants last week! We are so excited to begin looking FORWARD and planning for the future, beyond our immediate recovery timeframe.
In further news, OB and Adult ER rotations at UTMB return to our schedule in block 6 (November 17) and we're excited about that too. This is "hot off the press" news, just learned today.
In further news, OB and Adult ER rotations at UTMB return to our schedule in block 6 (November 17) and we're excited about that too. This is "hot off the press" news, just learned today.
News about the FM Clinic and HOS service
This morning’s update from Dr. Thompson included the news that the UHC building is currently targeted to be restored to service first, before the PCP. Most likely this means that our clinic will move to the UHC at least temporarily but possibly “permanently” (whatever “permanently” means…). Currently, the belief is that faculty offices, conference room space, etc. will remain in the 2nd floor of the PCP. Timeframe undetermined. I have sent an email to the powers that be requesting to be included in the decisions regarding our clinical space and also informing them of our RRC requirements. I will be looking forward to the opportunity to be involved in those ongoing negotiations.
The better news is that the first med/surg unit at JOHN SEALY is scheduled to open November 10, in time for us to resume our hospital service in block 6!! We have been promised beds, although I don’t have an exact number yet. As you know, L&D and NBN are already functional. I’m told no decisions have been made yet regarding pedi beds.
Last week we saw about 370 outpatient visits in our various locations, but mostly at Stewart Road. This is excellent, with steady increases in demand occurring every day. It is possible that I may put some R3s back into continuity clinics in this block even, so stay tuned! FYI, 370 would be about 50% of our normal volume for this time of year and is excellent under the circumstances. The key question is where will the demand level out? I’ve been saying all along that one of my indicators would be school enrollment. Last week while I was at Ball High for prenatal clinic, I learned that about 60% of GISD students have returned.
Today when I drove in, I noticed that almost all of the trash and debris has been removed from Holiday Drive between Seawall and Harborside. I got phone service at my house late yesterday afternoon. No DSL, but I do have telephone. And somebody (FEMA, the city?) picked up my stinky freezer full of rotten food from the alley. You may have seen that the curfew was lifted for all but part of the Strand and downtown areas a little over a week ago. The last Red Cross shelter on the island is closing today.
Slow but steady improvement all over the island is evident. We continue to await news from Dr. Callendar about the future of UTMB as a whole but at least I can say all things considered, FM is in about the best position we can be. Our programs are all functioning and we are serving our patients. Our students and residents are completing their educational experiences and we are going about our business.
The better news is that the first med/surg unit at JOHN SEALY is scheduled to open November 10, in time for us to resume our hospital service in block 6!! We have been promised beds, although I don’t have an exact number yet. As you know, L&D and NBN are already functional. I’m told no decisions have been made yet regarding pedi beds.
Last week we saw about 370 outpatient visits in our various locations, but mostly at Stewart Road. This is excellent, with steady increases in demand occurring every day. It is possible that I may put some R3s back into continuity clinics in this block even, so stay tuned! FYI, 370 would be about 50% of our normal volume for this time of year and is excellent under the circumstances. The key question is where will the demand level out? I’ve been saying all along that one of my indicators would be school enrollment. Last week while I was at Ball High for prenatal clinic, I learned that about 60% of GISD students have returned.
Today when I drove in, I noticed that almost all of the trash and debris has been removed from Holiday Drive between Seawall and Harborside. I got phone service at my house late yesterday afternoon. No DSL, but I do have telephone. And somebody (FEMA, the city?) picked up my stinky freezer full of rotten food from the alley. You may have seen that the curfew was lifted for all but part of the Strand and downtown areas a little over a week ago. The last Red Cross shelter on the island is closing today.
Slow but steady improvement all over the island is evident. We continue to await news from Dr. Callendar about the future of UTMB as a whole but at least I can say all things considered, FM is in about the best position we can be. Our programs are all functioning and we are serving our patients. Our students and residents are completing their educational experiences and we are going about our business.
Thursday, October 16, 2008
Updated recruiting information
Please see the link to the right regarding Info for Applicants 2009, as the information has been updated to reflect our current status related to recovery from hurricane Ike.
Also, our new website has launched and the link to the right has been updated, so check out our new look and available information!
Also, our new website has launched and the link to the right has been updated, so check out our new look and available information!
Thursday, October 02, 2008
Relocating
We will close down our temporary office in Fort Worth tomorrow afternoon. Effective Monday, you can reach us at our usual telephone numbers in Galveston.
Wednesday, October 01, 2008
progress!
Wow, finally some exciting news to report!
There is a preliminary prediction (unconfirmed as of yet) that the PCP 2nd floor (NOT the clinics) will reopen next week, which would allow the Residency Program faculty and staff to be all located in one place. Our usual place. It's so hard to believe.
I read on the UTMB updates today that MS1 and MS2 return to classes has been delayed to 10/20.
There are still tremendous difficulties with lack of housing. Dr. Triana is on the island now and will be actively seeking out opportunities for our residents, so watch for email from her. I've asked Becky to contact various island daycares and check on their status and openings, so if you have childcare needs, watch for emails from her too.
Our SRFH location is still expected to reopen this week (mobile units there now, faculty seeing patients) and we hope to have two residents there in block 5 for FM outpatient rotations.
Various favorite restaurants and businesses are starting to reopen... I've heard Casey's, Fishtails, Chili's and NY Pizza have all reopened for lunch service.
Program faculty have begun preliminary discussions about recruiting for the 2009 Match and we will have definitive plans in the next couple of weeks. At this point, we're thinking about recruiting for a smaller class, somewhere in the 4 to 6 range with the option to pick up some PGY2 residents in the following cycle. We may be able to locate hotel rooms for the applicants in Houston, which will make the process simpler. Most likely we will not begin interview until at the earliest the first week in November.
That's all for now, but watch the UTMB website, this blog and email for further updates! Things are beginning to happen faster now.
There is a preliminary prediction (unconfirmed as of yet) that the PCP 2nd floor (NOT the clinics) will reopen next week, which would allow the Residency Program faculty and staff to be all located in one place. Our usual place. It's so hard to believe.
I read on the UTMB updates today that MS1 and MS2 return to classes has been delayed to 10/20.
There are still tremendous difficulties with lack of housing. Dr. Triana is on the island now and will be actively seeking out opportunities for our residents, so watch for email from her. I've asked Becky to contact various island daycares and check on their status and openings, so if you have childcare needs, watch for emails from her too.
Our SRFH location is still expected to reopen this week (mobile units there now, faculty seeing patients) and we hope to have two residents there in block 5 for FM outpatient rotations.
Various favorite restaurants and businesses are starting to reopen... I've heard Casey's, Fishtails, Chili's and NY Pizza have all reopened for lunch service.
Program faculty have begun preliminary discussions about recruiting for the 2009 Match and we will have definitive plans in the next couple of weeks. At this point, we're thinking about recruiting for a smaller class, somewhere in the 4 to 6 range with the option to pick up some PGY2 residents in the following cycle. We may be able to locate hotel rooms for the applicants in Houston, which will make the process simpler. Most likely we will not begin interview until at the earliest the first week in November.
That's all for now, but watch the UTMB website, this blog and email for further updates! Things are beginning to happen faster now.
Wednesday, September 24, 2008
incremental recovery
There is not a tremendous amount of "new" news since my last post. Incremental recovery efforts continue.
The FM residents are dispersed across the state and Linda and I are working on plans for block 5 now. We hope to have a little more than half to maybe 2/3 of the residents back to the Houston/Galveston area by the beginning of block 5. We are fortunate in that we've worked with a number of mainland community hospitals for certain core rotations for several years and they are up and running already and taking on additional residents beyond the usual numbers.
It looks like FM will be able to open one of our clinic sites in the next week or so and I hope to put some residents there for the outpatient FM core rotation in block 5.
This morning I read a news article stating that 75% of the island's housing is uninhabitable so I'm concerned that even once we're able to return, many of our patients simply will not be there. The ABFM is being flexible with us regarding continuity clinic requirements, but we will need to aggressively work towards recovery of our FMC even so. Dr. Thompson and others have this high on their priority list.
We're beginning to work on housing options for our residents whose housing is uninhabitable. This will be a significant challenge, given the widespread destruction of housing and very limited availability for the foreseeable future. We are exploring several different avenues as solutions.
No definite decisions regarding recruiting and the 2009 Match have yet been made. We WILL interview and recruit a class, although I'm not sure what size that class will be. I definitely plan to interview and recruit for our 2 PGY1 AOA positions and some ACGME positions as well, number to be determined. In all likelihood, we will not begin interviews until late October or early November. Stay tuned for further updates!
The FM residents are dispersed across the state and Linda and I are working on plans for block 5 now. We hope to have a little more than half to maybe 2/3 of the residents back to the Houston/Galveston area by the beginning of block 5. We are fortunate in that we've worked with a number of mainland community hospitals for certain core rotations for several years and they are up and running already and taking on additional residents beyond the usual numbers.
It looks like FM will be able to open one of our clinic sites in the next week or so and I hope to put some residents there for the outpatient FM core rotation in block 5.
This morning I read a news article stating that 75% of the island's housing is uninhabitable so I'm concerned that even once we're able to return, many of our patients simply will not be there. The ABFM is being flexible with us regarding continuity clinic requirements, but we will need to aggressively work towards recovery of our FMC even so. Dr. Thompson and others have this high on their priority list.
We're beginning to work on housing options for our residents whose housing is uninhabitable. This will be a significant challenge, given the widespread destruction of housing and very limited availability for the foreseeable future. We are exploring several different avenues as solutions.
No definite decisions regarding recruiting and the 2009 Match have yet been made. We WILL interview and recruit a class, although I'm not sure what size that class will be. I definitely plan to interview and recruit for our 2 PGY1 AOA positions and some ACGME positions as well, number to be determined. In all likelihood, we will not begin interviews until late October or early November. Stay tuned for further updates!
Friday, September 19, 2008
RTT article
An article about our Rural Training Track was published in this month's edition of Texas Medicine.
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