Medical School mentors

David Marks, left, talks with University Hospital patient Higinio Llanes while coaching first-year Medical School student Terry Holster, right. Marks took Holster through the process of removing staples from Llanes' heart surgery incision.

"When I started my first day of third year, I did not know where anything was located or how the system worked," Marks said. "I spent half of the first day trying to locate my work areas."

In an effort to make the transition from classroom to clinicals a smoother process, the Health Science Center added a partnering program to its revised curriculum. Third-year Medical School students rotating through six clinical experiences act as mentors for first-year students who shadow them at least one half day every six weeks. The program is mandatory for first-year students and an elective for third-year "coaches."

"We felt this type of early, ongoing clinical experience would help the first-year students see the relevance of the basic science materials they learn in the classroom," said Dr. Donald Currie, associate professor in rehabilitation medicine and a member of the Medical School Curriculum Committee. "They learn the practice of medicine."

Terry Holster, a first-year student at the Medical School, can attest to that. While watching and working with Marks for the afternoon, Holster observed the removal of staples from the chest of an elderly heart surgery patient, and witnessed a minor surgical procedure and a bypass operation.

"You really get an idea of the responsibilities that you have and the different types of patients you come into contact with," Holster said. "I also like the feeling I get from the patients--that I am actually taking care of them. It makes me feel that all of the work I am putting into this is appreciated."

Dr. Currie said initially there were concerns that the program would be an added burden to the third-year students who were already challenged with clinical rotation work, but he received largely positive feedback after the trial year from both sets of students. The first-year students gained experience in taking patient histories, writing progress notes and interacting with patients. Third-year students such as Marks benefited in the course of reviewing information when they explained procedures and diagnoses as part of their coaching duties.

"Third-year students thought it was a positive experience for them because they had to articulate their knowledge," Dr. Currie said. "In some cases they even discovered they might be interested in teaching."

Dr. Currie is hoping the new program will be a model for other medical schools. He and Dr. Cynthia Alford, family practice, presented initial program findings and student feedback from surveys and focus groups to colleagues at the annual meeting of the Association of American Medical Colleges in Washington, D.C., in late October.

Health Science Center gears up for 2000

"The holidays are always quiet, but this holiday is different," said Dr. Frank Stafford, chair of the President's Year 2000 Task Force, which has directed the Health Science Center's projects to prevent and prepare for problems related to Y2K. "Television plans all-day Y2K coverage beginning in the morning, and our paychecks will be distributed early. During mid-morning, log-ons to campuswide computer systems will be suspended to allow data backups. So this will not be a routine day," Dr. Stafford said.

The "millennium bug" describes the problem old computers have recognizing the year change from 1999 to the year 2000. In the mid-'90s, work began to fix the problem. Logic systems that only recognize the last two digits of the year might malfunction, and interpret 2000 to be 1900. Massive projects to fix computer code have spanned several years, and most experts expect few problems Jan. 1.

For employees, Dr. Stafford said, New Year's Eve will be different because:

Payday changes announced for Jan. 1 paycheck

A. Yes, you will. Dec. 31 is a regularly scheduled payday for hourly employees. Your paycheck will be distributed to you and can be deposited on Dec. 31. The income from this check will be included in your 1999 Form W-2.

Q. I am paid monthly and I do not have direct deposit. I heard that we are getting our paychecks on Dec. 31 instead of having to wait until Jan. 3. Won't that mean that I will have to report the income on my 1999 tax return?

A. You will receive your paycheck on Dec. 31. The decision was made to hand out these paychecks early because Jan. 3 is a skeleton day and holiday. Although you will get your paycheck on Dec. 31, it will be dated Jan. 3. This means that you will not be able to cash your paycheck, or deposit it, until Jan. 3. Because you will not have access to the funds until Jan. 3, the income will be included on your Form W-2 for 2000.

Q. I am paid monthly, but my check is direct deposited. How will I be affected?

A. You won't be. Your direct deposit will be credited to your bank account on Jan. 3 and the income will be included on your Form W-2 for 2000.

1999 Employee Excellence in Service Awards

Peggy Campbell

Campbell joined the Health Science Center in 1982 as a secretary in the School of Nursing and moved to the Dental School in 1988. She has served in many capacities within the department, including network administrator and editor. Computer work is her favorite aspect of the job.

Dr. Geza Terezhalmy, who directs the Oral Medicine Clinic, cites among other accomplishments her "endless creativity, saving funds for the department by utilizing two or three different software packages to create teaching diagrams in anatomy."

Campbell credits the faculty and staff in her department with making this award possible. "If you like what you're doing and have the right people to work for, anyone can get this award," she said.

Campbell, who has a 24-year-old son, plans to go to Las Vegas to celebrate. "I'm really thrilled to get this award," she said. "I'd also like to encourage all the Health Science Center employees to strive for this award. It is well worth it when you experience that enormous emotional rush as you reach one of your goals and sparkle amongst your peers. There is nothing you can't achieve with a little bit of effort on your part."

Kristine Doyle

"Kris is one of the few really customer service-oriented individuals," said Catherine Duncan, public affairs, editor of The Mission magazine and one of several colleagues who nominated Doyle for the award. "She tries to make each publication the absolute best product it can be. She is truly devoted to this university and making it a better place."

Doyle, a designer III in graphic services, came to the Health Science Center in 1977 as a graphics technician. During her more than 20 years of service, Doyle has worked on numerous in-house publications, including The News, The Mission and Impact, providing page layout and design services. Doyle also does graphic design and production work on brochures, certificates, special publications and projects such as the Health Science Center holiday card, among others.

Doyle said one of the highlights of her job is meeting with clients and coming up with new ideas and creating new designs for the numerous projects that she produces.

"Her hard work and dedication are coupled with extraordinary design talents. Her work has been recognized by the Health Sciences Communications Association, the International Association of Business Communicators and Women in Communications Inc.," said David Barrera, director of graphic services, in a letter of nomination.

Doyle is an avid participant in volunteer activities for the March of Dimes organization. She and her husband, Mike, have four children

Ralph Kaster

Kaster, manager of accounting operations in the Office of Accounting, has implemented a number of efficiency measures during the 16 years he has worked at the Health Science Center in an effort to cut costs and provide timely service to the department's customers. Recently he was honored for his service to the institution with a 1999 Employee Excellence in Service Award.

"During Ralph's tenure, accounting operations has gone through four major reorganizations," wrote Delbert Gonzalez, assistant director of accounting, in a letter of nomination for the service award. "Ralph has used his time as manager to improve processes within accounting operations. The institution benefits by improved service."

Kaster implemented a document imaging pilot program and a customer services section, realigned payment methods between travel and service vouchers, and re-engineered processes involving imaging, document retention, distribution and data processing.

Those actions have resulted in quicker and better service for Office of Accounting customers.

Kaster joined the Health Science Center in 1983 in the Purchasing Department. In February of 1984 he began working for the Office of

Accounting. He later worked in the Budget and Payroll Department as an accountant II before transferring back to the Office of Accounting in 1990. He held several positions in the office and moved up from accountant I to accounting group supervisor. In his current position, Kaster supervises 23 employees, whom he credits with his success.

"I am grateful to those who nominated me and I believe it is a testimony to the whole office that I won this award," Kaster said. "I work with good people. If I didn't have such a great staff, I wouldn't be sharing this honor."

In nominating Kaster, Gonzalez summed up: "Because of Ralph Kaster's dedication to the Health Science Center, he is a major contributor to the institution's excellent reputation."

Fayerene Nelson

On joining the Health Science Center in 1990, Nelson said, "One challenge was to see how many mistakes I could find and fix to justify my paycheck." She maintains 28 separate accounts, which more than justifies her salary.

Besides keeping accounts, Nelson supports the department chair, Dr. William Kuebker, and his assistant, Elaine Melton. Nelson will be 70 in June and has no plans to retire. She has worked at various jobs, taking a break to raise her twin boys and a daughter.

She and her son started a small surplus and salvage merchandise business and she served as a precinct judge. Those jobs involved much of the organization and accuracy she brings to her current position. After her husband died, Nelson went back to school for business and computer training and rejoined the workforce.

"I believe that older workers are the best kept secret in the workplace. In general, they have a good work ethic, understand the importance of deadlines, and take less time from the job because their children are grown," said Nelson.

"They can readily step in and handle critical deadlines when younger workers must leave to care for their children. A diverse workplace keeps the department running smoothly."

Nelson thinks older workers also have much to gain. They are useful to their community, have a routine that ensures better health and a chance to add funds to their retirement, and, most of all, they feel needed.

Paul Summers

As administrator in the Department of Acute Nursing Care, School of Nursing, Summers managed the department's recent move and reorganization with aplomb. In the meantime, he cross-trained the secretarial staff members and upgraded their computer literacy so they could handle more complicated work for the faculty. "I believe everyone should be able to do everyone else's job," he said.

"My number-one motto is customer service," Summers said. "You can't turn customers away."

Dr. Nancy Girard, chair of the department, said he can procure any item the faculty needs, find answers to any question or locate any person. What's more, he does it with a smile. Dr. Girard calls Summers "the consummate professional."

Summers came to the Health Science Center following 25 years in the Air Force, where he was an education and training manager. He and his wife, Susan, have five sons. "I was very surprised and honored to receive this award," said Summers.

Energy conservation measure
replaces lighting on campus

The restroom facilities on campus also will be modified with the installation of either new water-saving fixtures or new flush valves to conserve water.

Chris Miller, assistant director of the Facilities Management Department, who is supervising the campuswide project, estimates the lighting improvements will take four to five months; all buildings more than 10 years old will be affected.

Lighting retrofits and replacements will be done at night, and each department will be notified in advance when its areas are scheduled for construction activities. Restrooms will be renovated one at a time, with minimal disruption.

Occupancy sensors, which turn lights on and off automatically as they detect movement, will be installed in areas that are candidates for energy conservation through lighting control.

Additional energy conservation measures include the installation of a fourth boiler and a new chiller in the Central Energy Plant

1999 Grass lecture set for Dec. 8

Dr. Delong, the Timmie Professor in the Department of Neurology at Emory, will discuss the "Pathophysiologic Basis of Movement Disorders and Surgical Approaches." His lecture is at 2 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 8, in room 209L of the Medical School building. The public is invited to attend.

Dr. Delong, one of the world's premiere experts on the study and treatment of Parkinson's disease, discovered in the early '90s that tremor and other stilted movements result from overactive, not underactive, cellular activity.

This discovery led to his making critical refinements in pallidotomy (a type of surgery to relieve Parkinson's symptoms) and deep brain stimulation. Both are treatments for movement disorders.

Throughout his career, Dr. Delong has made numerous contributions to understanding the neural basis of movement, particularly with regard to the role of basal ganglia, a set of structures at the base of the brain.

Dialing patterns set to change in January

When the new dialing pattern goes into effect, employees may reach existing extensions on campus and at all other Health Science Center buildings by dialing 7 plus the original four-digit number. The change affects on-campus calls only.

Individuals calling from off campus will continue to use the 567 exchange and the regular extension number.

The Telecommunications and Networking Department plans to make the transition the evening of Jan. 14, with the system in place and running the morning of Jan. 15.

Additional information on five-digit dialing will be provided in future editions of The News.

Nine appointed to Nursing Advisory Council

Dr. Janet D. Allan, dean of the School of Nursing, announced the appointments. The Nursing Advisory Council, which consists of 30 leaders from health care, business, military, legal, civic and other backgrounds, provides an important link between the School of Nursing and the South Texas communities it serves.

The council relates the mission and purposes of the school to the communities and helps the school seek resources to fund important projects.

Breedlove is a certified family nurse practitioner and civic leader in Los Fresnos, near Brownsville in the Lower Rio Grande Valley. Carlyle is the chief financial officer of Severance & Associates in San Antonio. Gaskill is administrative director of the Hartman Surgical Pavilion and the J. Kent Trinkle Center for Transplant Sciences at University Hospital. Harrell is manager of regulatory affairs for DPT Laboratories.

Kingman is active in the Bexar County Medical Alliance, the Junior League and the Alamo Heights Independent School District. Kowalski, a noted caterer, founded the RK Group. Leon is director of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development operations in San Antonio, a captain in the U.S. Navy Reserves and a member of the International Women's Forum. Riojas is vice president for corporate relations at the San Antonio Federal Credit Union. Rubin, a registered nurse, is a lawyer and partner in General Health Law Practice, The Rubin Law Firm.

Phyllis Siegel, president of Biomedical Development Corp., is the current president of the Nursing Advisory Council.

The School of Nursing is the largest nursing school in The University of Texas System. It offers undergraduate, master's and doctoral degree programs.

The school is recognized for its innovative research, distance learning initiatives in the South Texas/Border Region and specialized efforts to train nurse practitioners.

A 'light' lunch at IBT

Of Note

More than 460 presentations will be made during the four-day symposium, focusing on clinical efforts toward prevention and treatment of breast cancer and recent developments made in the study of the disease. Symposium directors include Dr. Charles Coltman, professor of medicine at the Health Science Center. For more information, contact Lois Dunnington at 616-5912.

Students, faculty, former faculty, community leaders, and the deans and directors of other San Antonio nursing schools have been invited to attend.

Door prizes for the event include two tickets on American Airlines, Sunday brunch for two at the Omni Hotel, a free car rental at Avis, a one-month membership to Concord Athletic Club, dinner for two at Acadiana Café, dinner for two at Los Barrios and lunch for two at Tony Roma's. Entries will be available the morning of Dec. 16 in the Medical School foyer. The drawing will be held at 4 p.m. that day.

Anyone interested in donating to Gifts for Children before the holiday event can drop off a new or handmade toy or cash donation at containers marked "Gifts for Children" in the Dental School cafeteria, the bookstores, the "Easy Go" area by the cafeteria, the Allied Health/Research Building deli and Subway. Drop-off boxes also are located in each department and donations may be brought to the reception.

Calendar for Dec. 6 - 12

TUESDAY, DEC. 7
6:30 a.m.
Podiatry Case Conf. (LEC: 2.010)
8:00 a.m.
Rehab Medicine Lecture Series "Therapeutic Exercise for Strength & Endurance-I," Drs. Kirsten Paynter & Mark Fredrickson (UH: Reeves Rehab Center 3rd-floor classroom)
8:00 a.m.
Medical Housestaff Specialty Conf. (MED: 409L)
9:00 a.m.
Training Office "Library Pathways," Cathy Rhodes (Library room 2A) (call ext. 2320 to register)
Noon
Medicine Research Conf. "The Chimpanzee Model of Hepatitis C Virus: In Vivo & In Vitro Studies," Dr. Robert Lanford, Southwest Foundation for Biomedical Research (MED: 209L)
1:15 p.m.
Psychiatry Grand Rounds "Atypical Antipsychotic Medication & Tardive Dyskinesia: Has TD Been Eradicated?" Dr. William Glazer, Harvard Medical School & Massachusetts General Hospital (MED: 409L)
4:00 p.m.
Molecular Medicine Seminar Series "Function & Dysfunction of Cyclin-Dependent Kinase 5 in Brain Development & Degeneration," Dr. Li-Huei Tsai, Harvard Medical School (IBT: 3.002)
4:00 p.m.
Cardiovascular Pathobiology Research Conf. "Hyperglycemia-Associated Alterations in PMN Activation Via G Protein-Coupled Receptors," Dr. Linda McManus (MED: 331.5B)

WEDNESDAY, DEC. 8
6:30 a.m.
Podiatry Grand Rounds "Offloading," Dr. Darmos (MED: 309L)
7:00 a.m.
Vascular Surgery Grand Rounds, Dr. Mellick Sykes (MED: 209L)
8:00 a.m.
Medical Grand Rounds "Are All Drugs in the Same Class Interchangeable? Limitation of Class Affect Concept," Dr. Curt Furburg (MED: 409L)
9:00 a.m.
Surgery Trauma M&M Conf., Dr. Ronald Stewart (MED: 309L)
Noon
Pharmacology Seminar Series "Regulation of G Protein-Coupled Receptor Signaling & Trafficking," Dr. Jeffrey Benovic, Thomas Jefferson University (MED: 444B)
1:00 p.m.
Training Office "Basic Travel Procedures," Donna Henckel (call ext. 2320 to register)

THURSDAY, DEC 9
7:30 a.m.
Thoracic Surgery Resident Teaching Conf. (VA: 4th-floor CT Library A404 )
7:30 a.m.
Obstetrics & Gynecology Grand Rounds "Proximal Tubal Disease," Dr. Gerard Honore (MED: 309L)
8:00 a.m.
Pain Management Grand Rounds "IV Lidocaine & Testing," Dr. Carl Smith (UH: Reeves Rehab Center 3rd-floor classroom)
Noon
Pulmonary, Thoracic & Oncology Conf. (MED: 309L)
4:00 p.m.
Surgery Tumor Conference, Dr. Anatolio Cruz (MED: 209L)
4:30 p.m.
Citywide Thoracic Grand Rounds Conf. "Case Presentation," Dr. A. Joseph Atiya (MED: 309L)
5:00 p.m.
Plastic Surgery Grand Rounds "Craniofacial Anomalies," Dr. Peter Wang (MED: 409L)

FRIDAY, DEC. 10
7:30 a.m.
Pediatric Grand Rounds "Practical Approach to Pediatric Tuberculosis," Dr. Jeffrey Starke, Baylor College of Medicine (MED: 409L)
8:00 a.m.
Rehab Medicine Lecture Series "Therapeutic Exercise for Strength & Endurance-II," Drs. Mirelle Foster & Mark Fredrickson (UH: Reeves Rehab Center 3rd-floor classroom)