From: Durham, Erika
Sent: Wednesday, November 16, 2005 3:39 PM
Subject: UTDB eflash (weekly edition) -- Wednesday, November 16, 2005

Wednesday, November 16, 2005

Welcome to the family: Walter Knowles has arrived
A feature of the UTDB eflash that highlights faculty, staff and research postdocs who are new to the Dental Branch.

Meet: Walter Knowles, Business Manager for the Faculty Practice Plan and Advanced Education Clinics

Walter Knowles began Nov. 1 as the business manager of the new Faculty Practice Plan. He will be responsible for the business and financial operations of the Dental Branch faculty practice clinics and advanced education clinics in all locations. Knowles will hire the staff for the clinic and business areas, as well as manage the financial and marketing aspects of the new enterprise.

The Faculty Practice Plan is expected to have its first-floor clinic open in early 2006. It will provide patients with top-quality dental care that is comparable in every way to private practice dentistry.

Knowles, who came from the UT M. D. Anderson Cancer Center, where he was clinical business manager for the Cancer Prevention Center, said he is looking forward to the new endeavor.

“The Faculty Practice Plan will really take the Dental Branch into a new era. It is just inspiring to sit across the table from the leadership, listen to the vision for the project and then be charged with carrying it out,” he said.

Knowles holds a bachelor’s degree in marketing and a master’s degree in general business administration, both from the University of Houston.

Knowles and his wife, Melanie, have two children, Walter III, 2, and William, 5 months. In addition to being a full-time businessman and father, Knowles is also a volunteer firefighter with the Cloverleaf Volunteer Fire Department in the Northshore area. The department answers about 1,000 fire calls each year.

Knowles can be reached at Walter.A.Knowles@uth.tmc.edu or (713) 500-4272.

Flu shots available

A small amount of flu vaccine has become available and will be given at the Dental Branch 11 a.m.-12:30 p.m., Thursday, Nov. 17, Room 207. The shots will cost $25.

O’Black is UCSC President’s Appointee

John O’Black, director of Instructional Media at the Dental Branch, has been named the President’s Appointee to the University Classified Staff Council. O’Black will serve a 2-year term, where he will be responsible for influencing the health science center’s policies and procedures regarding classified staff. Congratulations John.

DB’s work in electronic conversion showcased

Jung-Wei Chen, D.D.S., clinical assistant professor in the department of Pediatrics, presented at the American Medical Informatics Association annual meeting in Washington D.C. on Oct. 25.

Chen talked about her experiences at the Dental Branch in the evaluation of electronic dental records systems for patient care and teaching.

According to Chen, as quoted in Ending the Document Game, published by the Commission on Systemic Interoperability “electronic health information in dentistry, like that in medicine, can do a multitude of good, from tracking oral hygiene to tracking the medical actions and the learning progress of a dental student while giving clinical care to patients.” Read a detailed report of Chen’s work on page 19 at http://endingthedocumentgame.gov/PDFs/Stories_Healthcare.pdf.

All Dental Branch clinics are scheduled to be completely electronic by next summer.

Reaching out at Rusk

The first-year Dental Hygiene students made a recent visit to Rusk Elementary and conducted oral hygiene education in the classrooms of Pre-K thru second graders. The students then applied fluoride varnishes to the childrens' teeth and gave toothbrushes and dental-related prizes.

Many of the children at Rusk are homeless and attend the school while at the Star of Hope Shelter. This is a semi-annual project coordinated by Donna Warren, R.D.H., M.Ed., associate professor of Periodontics, since 2000.

The UTDBeflash is a weekly publication of The University of Texas Dental Branch at Houston. Please submit items for consideration to dbnewsdesk@uth.tmc.edu.