Wishing you peace, joy and hope
 
 

This special season is a wonderful time for us to thank you for all you do, each and every day, to make lives better. As you share your gifts of heart, treasure and commitment, your support and engagement bolster our impact across our missions of education, research, patient care and community service.

 

We wish you safe and healthy holidays and the gifts that may matter most to all of us — peace, joy, hope.


 
 
 
2022 Gold Shield Staff Recipient: Kitty Henricksen, RDMS, RDCS
 
 

Kitty Henricksen, RDMS, RDCS, was the staff recipient of a 2022 Gold Shield Award! During her time with UT Health San Antonio, she has created a team-based environment for her patients, her providers and her colleagues and on multiple occasions, she has assisted her co-workers with patients to reduce the stress and burden of care.


 
 
Help needed: Volunteer at the Living Beyond Cancer A-Z Symposium
 
 

Mays Cancer Center needs volunteers at the 2nd annual Living Beyond Cancer A-Z Symposium on January 21 to help with parking, registration, lunch and navigation throughout the day. Three shifts are available in two-hour windows.


 
 
High Risk Pregnancy Conference
 
 

Earn CME or CNE at the 4th Annual High Risk Pregnancy & Heart Disease Conference this spring at the San Antonio Botanical Garden. This event invites cardiologists, maternal-fetal specialists and nurses to discuss modern approaches for pregnant patients with heart disease.

 

Healthcare providers will learn:

  • Signs and symptoms of cardiac disease in pregnancy, and which patients should be referred for higher care
  • How to develop a management strategy for following high risk pregnancies closely and planning for all stages, including labor, delivery and postpartum
  • The long-term impact of these cardiac conditions (previous or newly recognized) on the woman’s long-term health and on any future pregnancies

Don't wait! Take advantage to learn about one of the leading causes of maternal morbidity and mortality in the United States.


 
 
UT Health Physicians appoints Director of Patient Experience
 
 

We are pleased to welcome Lisa Hutcherson, Ed.D, as Director of Patient Experience for UT Health Physicians. 


We are pleased to welcome Lisa Hutcherson, Ed.D, as our Director of Patient Experience.  

 

Lisa began her career in risk management, working for Raytheon building proposals for government aircraft upgrades and risk management. Lisa continued to build her risk management, quality improvement, and patient safety career, entering the healthcare arena with more than twelve  years of experience in hospitals and clinics. As a director of risk management, Lisa worked closely with the faculty and staff to continuously improve the quality of systems and processes for safe patient care. Lisa is a master trainer for TeamSTEPPs and Lean.

 

Lisa has spent time with patients, nurses, physicians, and other healthcare providers, listening to their concerns and working to help improve the patient experience. For the last nine years, Lisa has been the Director of Health Systems Science for the Office of Graduate Medical Education and Assistant Professor for the Department of Medical Education, providing education in the areas of quality improvement, patient safety, social determinants of health, and many other areas. Her greatest passion is for putting patient’s first and encouraging healthcare providers to “Speak Up” about systems and process that can be improved for all. “It takes everyone working together to provide exceptional care to our patients and to build a happy, healthy healthcare family.”

 
 
Essay contest: What does patient experience mean to you
 
 

We want to know how you define the patient experience.

 

In a short essay tell us your definition of the patient experience. First, second and third-place prizes will be awarded.


The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) defines patient experience as the “range of interactions that patients have with the healthcare system, including their care from health plans, and from doctors, nurses, and staff in hospitals, physician practices, and other healthcare facilities.”

 

We want to know how you define the patient experience. 

 

In a short essay, share your definition of the patient experience. Your essay can include personal or observed experiences (no patient names, please). Prizes will be awarded for 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place. Please email your essays to Lisa Hutcherson, Director of  Patient Experience by January 16, 2023.  A team will review all essays and the winners will be announced on January 30, 2023.  

 

Details: 

  • Write a short, 300-500 word essay describing how you define the patient experience
  • Email your essay by 5 p.m. on Monday, January 16 to hutchersonl@uthscsa.edu  
  • First, second and third-place prizes will be awarded. Winners will be announced on January 30
 
 
Ruben Mesa, MD, FACP, departing in March 2023
 
 

Ruben Mesa, MD, FACP, took over as executive director of the Mays Cancer Center at UT Health San Antonio in 2017. But in March, he will join Wake Forest University in Winston-Salem, NC.

 

“Dr. Mesa is committed to the health and safety of patients, and he has led many initiatives for the cancer center. He will be missed, and we wish him all the best in his future endeavors” - Robert A. Hromas, MD, professor and dean of the Joe R. and Teresa Lozano Long School of Medicine.


 
 
 
Coping with the blues and feeling SAD, plus tips for better sleep
 

Prioritizing our mental health and well-being helps us increase our vitality to lead healthier, happier lives. Yet, as we approach the winter season, many of us begin to feel the impact of shorter winter days on our well-being; the pull of competing priorities between work and home, and the sense that we have less time to take care of ourselves.

 

For more info, go to the Mental Health & Well-Being page.

 


 
 
Tell your employee story on Comparably
 

Your stories and experiences at UT Health San Antonio help describe our workplace and promote us as an employer of choice locally and nationally. Please take this confidential and quick three-minute survey to share your voice and help us tell our story in the market. To learn more, click here.