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On March 10, the University of Texas Medical Branch Pediatric and Adult Primary Care Clinic in Friendswood will open its doors at a new location at 1715 S. Friendswood Dr., Friendswood.

Although this new space will be less than a half mile away from the current location, what patients will find in the new building will be quite different.

“We're expanding to not only have Primary Care, Pediatrics and Psychiatry, as we currently do, but to also include Cardiology, Gastroenterology, Neurology and Orthopedics specialties as well,” said Stephenie Pharr, director of Ambulatory Operations at UTMB. “We're also increasing the access for existing imaging services such as X-rays and ultrasounds.”

In addition to these changes, the new clinic also include an on-site pharmacy so that patients can walk out potentially the same day as their appointments with the treatments they need.

In the community for more than two decades, the care teams within the current clinic have watched the area they serve grow, so they're excited to be increasing the services available to this population.

“I'm so excited about the changes coming for this community,” said Dr. Carolyn “Becky” Risinger, UTMB physician, clinical associate professor and medical director for the clinic. “Having more service options also means added expertise as we enhance our multidisciplinary team approach. We're already a strong unit from the doctors and nurses you see to the medical assistants and patient service specialists on board, we all work together to provide the best possible care to every patient every time.”

For clinic-specific questions, contact the team on site directly at (281) 482-5695.

Dr. Carolyn "Becky" Risinger is a physician, clinical associate professor and the medical director of the new clinic.

Dr. Esosa Odigie-Okon, professor and provider with the Department of Cardiology, joined the latest segment of Houston Moms to discuss with host Meagan Clanahan all things women's heart health.

From signs and symptoms, to how to ask for help and advocate for yourself, Dr. Okon covers it all. 

To learn more, watch the full discussion.

Dr. Esosa Odigie-Okon is an advanced cardiac imaging cardiologist who is passionate about leveraging imaging technologies to enhance patient outcomes.

UTMB Health Heart Health

Souby George, a nurse clinician V with the UTMB Health Mother-Baby Unit in John Sealy Hospital in Galveston joined the latest segment with Houston Moms to discuss with host Meagan Clanahan the ins and outs of perinatal mood and anxiety disorder, frequently known as PMAD.

From signs and symptoms, to how to ask for help and even available resources at the local, national and international levels, Souby covers it all. 

To learn more, watch the full discussion.

In 2024, a group of UTMB clinicians from different departments, teams and campuses came together with a shared mission --  spread awareness about perinatal mood and anxiety disorder, also known as PMAD, by sharing their own personal, firsthand experiences with it. 

Each participant has since had a chance to share her story on video, and the compilation of their unique situations helps shine a light on maternal mental health. 

Participants in the video include:

• Dr. Vanessa Abacan, clinical nurse specialist 
• Souby George, nurse clinician V
• Dr. Jackie Meyer, nursing program manager 
• Haley Castillo Condit, nurse clinician IV
• Laurie Chabouni, assistant nurse manager 

May their candor and vulnerability serve as a reminder for women everywhere that they are not alone and that there are resources and help available to those who need it. 

Nearly 16 million U.S. adults have chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) which prevents airflow to the lungs, causing breathing problems. There’s no cure for the condition, but to provide relief from symptoms a variety of treatments exist, including regular physical activity and specific, targeted breathing techniques.

Enter the University of Texas Medical Branch’s Harmonicas for Health support group for those diagnosed with COPD. Spearheaded by UTMB nurse practitioner Sarah Lindsay, the collective, which meets monthly, is comprised of UTMB patients who are currently battling the chronic disease.

Members gather in person, along with Lindsay and others from the care team to discuss a relevant patient education topic, such as tips related to COPD management, nutrition and more, and then they transition to a harmonica lesson.

“We have about nine members so far,” said Lindsay, who originally got the idea for the group from the COPD Foundation, which is a nonprofit U.S. organization that has a mission to help people with COPD live longer and healthier lives. “I adapted the foundation’s program to meet the needs of our community here. So far, there’s twelve months of topics planned out with ideas for guest speakers along the way.”

Designated as a Joint Commission Center of Excellence for COPD since 2015, UTMB is equipped to effectively diagnose and manage COPD for patients.

But why harmonicas, one might wonder? The act of playing the instrument employs a lot of the same techniques and practices physicians like Dr. Alexander Duarte, professor in the UTMB Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine within the Department of Internal Medicine, encourage and recommend COPD patients to use to improve their symptoms.

“Harmonica playing is a way of performing pursed lip breathing and this technique allows people to breathe through their nose and exhale through puckered lips that provides symptomatic relief,” he said. “It improves lung capacity, strengthens breathing muscles and provides a respite for breathlessness.”

Response to the program thus far has been positive with members singing, or rather playing, their praises and appreciation.

“We are learning so much in the support group and are having a great time in the process,” said Vicky Baldwin, who attends the meetings along with her husband David Baldwin who suffers from COPD. “Who would have ever known that playing the harmonica, a small, simple, hand-held instrument, could provide such great therapy for your lungs?”

Currently, meetings only take place in person, and to date they have been held in the Randall Room in the Rosenberg Library in Galveston. However, Lindsay is exploring a virtual option as well.

“This support group is a place to learn and understand their condition deeper as well as reduce loneliness and connect to other people with the same condition,” said Lindsay. “We laugh a lot too!”

Learn more about UTMB Health Pulmonary Critical Care and Sleep Medicine  

UTMB Health Bariatrics patient Felicity Cunningham joined UTMB Bariatrics surgeon Dr. Sarah Samreen and Houston Moms host Meagan Clanahan to share her experience receiving bariatric surgery at UTMB Health. She's lost half her body weight since having the surgery and said the mental load that's been lifted has been the best part of the process.

During the 2024 Galveston Women’s Conference, Dr. Kimberly Gushanas, a licensed clinical psychologist with the University of Texas Medical Branch, shared insights on the ways nature can impact one’s wellbeing. 

While she acknowledged the already well-known benefits such as improved sleep, attention, cardiovascular and eye health, among other physiological benefits experienced from time outside, she took time to explore the ways emotional, existential and spiritual health are impacted.

“We know that in general, the more you get out in nature, the more you experience better moods and less stress,” she said. “You are even at lower risk for psychiatric disorders like depression, anxiety, substance misuse, and even Schizophrenia. Research has even shown that the more time you spend with nature, the more cooperative, generous, and empathetic you are.”

But to feel these effects, what does one have to do in nature, exactly?

Well, experiments have found that the following activities can prove beneficial:

• Being in green spaces such as meadows, forests or grasslands or by blue spaces such as bodies of water
• Experiencing the vastness of open horizons and skies
• Finding variety and biodiversity in the outdoors
• Getting ten minutes of sunlight in your eyes each morning and afternoon/evening
• Spending at least two hours a week in nature Touching the soil around you with your bare hands and feet

“Simply looking at the color green can help,” said Gushanas, who reiterated that looking at actual green plants will reap the most benefits than witnessing the color green on something else.

She also went on to add that while there are minimums set for the time of certain exposures in the outdoors, there’s no maximum and actually the longer or more frequent you’re outside the better the benefits will be.

“Anecdotally, the practice of grounding, which is the act of touching the earth with your feet or bottom, appear helpful as well, but the science has yet to validate those experiences,” said Gushanas.

Acknowledging that it’s hard to prescribe any sort of specific dosage for spending time in the natural world, Gushanas urged audience members to not overthink the act, but instead encouraged them to simply slow down and keep it simple. Start with what’s already in front of them on a regular basis and just linger a bit longer.

“Explore the world around you, allow your brain the space and time to connect with nature,” she said. “In the process, you’ll likely reconnect with yourself.”

At the University of Texas Medical Branch's John Sealy Hospital in Galveston, an innovative program offers young, long-term patients in the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) a unique creative outlet. Through this initiative led by nurse Manager Emily Nicoletti and pediatric child life coordinator Lizette Perez, children can design and create ceiling tiles that are later placed throughout the hallways of the unit, creating a comforting environment for past, current, and future patients.

For children facing extended hospital stays, the experience can be emotionally taxing. Allowing them to personalize ceiling tiles offers them a sense of control, self-expression, and accomplishment. Each ceiling tile becomes a personal story for the child with themes focusing on Galveston's beaches, aquatic life, or popular children's characters. These tiles bring bursts of color and joy to a traditionally intimidating environment for younger patients.

The ceiling tile art not only provides therapeutic benefits for the patients but also offers comfort to others, who gaze up at the inspiring artwork during difficult moments. These small but meaningful changes in the hospital environment emphasize the healing power of creativity, community, and empathy in pediatric care, showing that medicine is not only about treatments, but also about creating spaces where young patients feel seen, supported, and comforted.