Servant Leadership is our third RISE value, and it is just as important as the other three. Medicine is a profession in which we serve our patients. I often begin my visits with patients by asking “how can I be of help to you today?” As educators, we are here to serve our students, and to help them become excellent physicians who are also servant leaders. Servant leaders constantly try to serve those whom they seek to lead, and servant leadership has been shown to be one of the most effective leadership styles. Great leaders throughout history have been servant leaders. Servant leaders put others first, and seek to serve, as opposed to being served. And great servant leaders lead by example. We are blessed to have many servant leaders among our College of Medicine faculty, staff, and students. Thank you for living this RISE value!
- Steve Spann
Tilman J. Fertitta Family College of Medicine welcomes the Class of 2027. Founding Dean, Stephen J. Spann M.D., M.B.A. and other leadership addressed incoming students and inspired them as they donned the symbol of their commitment: white coats for the first time heralding the official start of their medical journeys. View the ceremony recording here.
Congratulations to Brandon Gonzalez, Itzel Amacalli Tejeda and Guillermo Saldaña upon receiving Hispanic Health Coalition scholarships this past month. The purpose of the Hispanic Health Coalition’s Scholarship program is to support Hispanic scholars in their pursuit of a career in the health professions by providing financial assistance for higher education expenses. Eligible students must exhibit excellent academic performance, strong leadership abilities, active involvement in meaningful extracurricular activities and a genuine commitment to serving their community. Congratulations to these outstanding students.
“Back to School Bash has become a big part of the VOICES organization. It started in 2021 when we saw the huge need for school supplies and health services for the greater Houston area. Since then, we have grown our partnerships and worked with community organizations like WIC, Cool Dads, Operation Love, Legacy Clinic and even our very own College of Medicine to provide free health screens, community resources and school supplies to over 300 students,” says founding member Brianna Gonzalez. This year, VOICES hosted their annual Back to School Bash at Blackshear Elementary and provided school supplies to hundreds of students in our community.
Chinyere Adiuku, MSN, FNP joined as a Clinician for the Clinical Sciences Department.
Nwachukwu Anazodo, MSN, FNP-C joined as a Clinician for the Clinical Sciences Department.
Ann Bakama joined as a Clinician for the Clinical Sciences Department.
Christian Davidson Eckman, M.D. joined as a Clinician for the Clinical Sciences Department.
Saralyn McMorris, LCSW joined as a Clinical Assistant Professor and Mental Health Clinician for Behavioral and Social Sciences.
Sarat Munjuluri, M.D., M.S. joined as a Clinical Assistant Professor for Behavioral and Social Sciences.
Nkechi Onwumere, FNP-C joined as a Clinician for the Clinical Sciences Department.
Stephen Scott, M.D., M.P.H. joined as the Senior Associate Dean for Education and Clinical Professor.
Suzan Skef, M.D., M.S. joined as Interim Director of the Longitudinal Integrated Clerkship (LIC) and Clinical Associate Professor for the Clinical Sciences Department.
Michelle A. Carroll-Turpin, Ph.D. Assistant Dean of Admissions was promoted to Associate Professor.
Winston Liaw, M.D., M.P.H. Chair of Health Systems and Population Health Sciences was promoted to Clinical Professor.
Kenya Steele, M.D. Assistant Dean of Outreach and Student Pathways was promoted to Clinical Professor.
We continue to grow our dynamic team of consummate professionals. Let us welcome the newest members to join our college:
The annual Mayor’s Back to School Festival was held on August 5 at the George R. Brown Convention Center, where 25,000 Houston students received free backpacks and school supplies. The UH Health Family Care Center attended to discuss the importance of childhood nutrition, the clinic and its services to the community.
The UH Health Family Care Center was invited to Cristo Rey Jesuit to provide sports physicals to student athletes. Clinic staff, physicians and College of Medicine students had the opportunity to perform over 50 physicals, hand out educational materials and meet with Cristo Rey Jesuit families.
LCME Full Accreditation Survey Visit
The LCME will be conducting its Full Accreditation Survey Visit for the College of Medicine on March 17-20, 2024. A team of 3 or 4 experienced medical educators and administrators will meet with faculty, staff and students to discuss their experiences and to assess the College of Medicine’s compliance with required LCME elements. The survey visit team then submits a report to the full LCME, which will make an accreditation decision in June 2024.
Lola Adepoju, Ph.D, M.P.H. submitted a proposal to the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine and was approved. She will conduct research on Multisectoral Partnerships to Chronicle and Assess the Impact of Successive Disaster Events on Affordable Housing and Mental Health Outcomes in Underserved Communities.
James Bray, Ph.D. gave two presentations at the European Congress of Psychology in Brighton, England.
Tameka Clemons, Ph.D. was an invited speaker at Duke PUMP summer research program on July 7.
Thomas Gest, Ph.D., as President, attended and presided over the Annual Meetings of the American Association of Clinical Anatomists on July 9-12 in Orlando, Florida.
Lauren Gilbert, Ph.D., M.P.H. and Ben King, Ph.D., M.P.H. Mentored the first place team at UH Humana Institute's Summer Health Equity Research Program, SHERP Shark Tank pitch competition.
Ben King, Ph.D., M.P.H. served as an award judge for the Elizabeth Barrett-Connor Research Award for Early Career Investigators and the American Public Health Association Student Assembly Scholarship.
Ben King, Ph.D., M.P.H. served on the Environmental Protection Agency's Science Advisory Board on Toxicology Review of Hexavalent Chromium. (July 19 & 27).
Brian Reed, M.D. participated on a panel entitled “Mental Health in Our Communities: What are the community driven solutions we should all know about” at the 5th Annual Black Maternal Mental Health Summit on July 20.
On August 12, the UH Health Family Care Center hosted its first Back to School Block Party in partnership with Boynton Chapel Methodist Church. The Family Care Center gave away more than 250 backpacks with school supplies to the 350 plus attendees, provided sports physicals, vaccines and exams to the community and connected the families with local resources and partners. Thank you to all who volunteered and supported this event!
The UH Health Family Care Center is now accepting Community Health Choice for primary care and behavioral health services. Call us at 832-UHCARES for an appointment.
Sarat Munjuluri, M.D., M.S. has joined the College of Medicine as a clinical assistant professor and serves as a child psychiatrist at the UH Health Family Care Center. He is board certified in general and child & adolescent psychiatry. He will provide outpatient psychiatric care to children and adolescents with a broad range of mental health concerns, including depression, anxiety and ADHD. His primary role is conducting medication evaluations, managing pharmacotherapies and collaborating with the UH Health Family Care Center care team to provide more coordinated support for patients. Please join us in welcoming Dr. Munjuluri.
Do you have something you’d like to share college wide? Email uhcomcom@central.uh.edu with details for consideration in next month’s edition of The Pulse.
