The UTMB Health Family Medicine Interest Group has announced its 2012-2013 officers. Fourth-year medical students Rachel Marinch and Christine Horstmeyer will serve as co-presidents of the student-led group.

We are pleased to announce that Debby Chambers, MBA, has been appointed Vice Chair of Administration in the Departments of Family Medicine and Preventive Medicine and Community Health, the Institute for the Medical Humanities, and the Sealy Center for Environmental Health and Medicine, effective July 9.

On Monday June 4, 2012 Family Medicine physicians were once again seeing patients at the Primary Care Pavilion (PCP). The PCP has been closed since September 2008 due to extensive damage from Hurricane Ike. The PCP has been beautifully restored to serve the patients of Galveston and offers a variety of patient care services and offers plenty of convenient parking.

The School of Medicine at the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston announced the six finalists who were selected by their peers in the graduating class to receive the prestigious 2012 Gold-Headed Cane Award, the highest honor bestowed upon a graduating medical student. The winner was announced Saturday, June 2 at the commencement ceremonies for the school. Family Medicine incoming intern, Karen Welch was one of the six finalists.

UTMB Health's Department of Family Medicine will be taking part in the African American Museum's Juneteenth Festival to be held at Courville Football Stadium Saturday, June 16th, as part of the 2012 Juneteenth celebrations taking part around Galveston Island from June 9 to the 19th,

Four groups including Department of Family Medicine faculty presented their work at the Society of Teachers of Family Medicine (STFM) Annual Conference in Seattle, Washington on April 25-29, 2012.

On April 19, 2012 the UTMB Health Family Medicine Interest Group hosted a suture workshop at the Primary Care Pavilion. The event, sponsored by the Department of Family Medicine's Medical Student Education Program, was attended by over 30 medical students who learned suturing techniques and practiced under the supervision of Family Medicine Physicians and Residents.

The Department of Family Medicine congratulates Rory Bradt, DO and Manju Mahajan, MD on their nominations for UTMB Health's 2011-2012 Outstanding Overall Resident awards. Dr. Bradt, a third-year resident, was nominated for Outstanding Overall Resident and Dr. Mahajan was nominated for Outstanding Overall First-Year Resident.

On May 1, 2012, three UTMB Health School of Medicine students were awarded the Weldon G. Kolb, M.D. Medical Student Scholarship at the May meeting of the Galveston County chapter of the Texas Academy of Family Physicians (TAFP). Amber Higgs (MS4), Geoffrey Moses (MS4), and Rachel Marinch (MS3) were each recipients of this scholarship in recognition of their outstanding achievement.

Put on your tux (or sparkling evening gown) and boots as the American Heart Association throws its annual Galveston Island Heart Ball, "Black Tie and Boots". This year they will honor UTMB Health's Department of Family Medicine chair, Dr. Barbara L. Thompson.

The 2012 Grand Opera House Kids Festival was a huge success and it was nice to see so many happy children and families enjoying what turned out to be a beautiful, fun-filled day of activities.

The Department of Family Medicine would like to congratulate its employees, and the employees of its administrative service group, who were honored for their milestone anniversaries at this year's UTMB Health Employee Service Day. Ten Family Medicine employees received service pins at the ceremony held March 22, 2012 in Levin Hall.

Visit the Family of Family Medicine at the 2012 Grand Kids Festival under the UTMB Healthy Fun Tent for your free bicycle safety helmet. Funding for TMA's Hard Hats for Little Heads provided by the Texas Medical Association Foundation thanks to top donors - Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Texas, Prudential, and an anonymous foundation - and gifts from physicians and their families. The Texas Academy of Family Physicians has joined with TMA in this effort to promote safety and exercise. Local support offered by Dr. Hanan Hussein, UTMB Family Medicine.

The UTMB Department of Family Medicine is pleased to welcome the Family Medicine Residency Class of 2015.

Barbara L. Thompson, MD, chair and professor of the UTMB Health Department of Family Medicine, was elected President -Elect of the Association of Departments of Family Medicine (ADFM) in February 2012 at the organization's winter meeting held in Palm Springs, California. In addition, Judy DiMarco, PhD was selected to serve as the Administrators Liaison to the ADFM Board of Directors for 2012-2013.

Please join us in congratulating the New Family Medicine Chief Residents for the 2012-2013 Academic Year, Dr. Saquib Ansar and Dr. Myers Hurt, III

We are excited to announce that Dr. Catalina Triana has been selected as one the 2012 recipients of the Excellence in Clinical Teaching Awards.

Dr. Saleh Elsaid, Assistant Professor and Director of Family Medicine Hospital Service, will be installed as the Treasurer/Secretary of the Galveston County Medical Society on January 20, 2012.

The UTMB Health Department of Family Medicine has published in 2010-2011 Annual Report.

In a survey of Texas medical professionals, 22 doctors from the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston have been named Texas “Super Doctors” and our very own Family Medicine Physician Barbara L. Thompson, MD is one of them.