Topics at a glance: Dr. Kaiser to hold Town Hall Meeting June 12 at Dental Branch ...UTDB STAR PERFOMER: Louise Stacey is ‘go-to’ person for Perio, Endo, DH...New ICE software makes patient education easier...March of Dimes grant to support cleft palate research at UTDB...Dr. Dubinsky, proteomics featured in IMM’s May newsletter...'Houston Business Journal’ names UTDB alumni as Health Care Heroes..UCSC BROWN BAG SESSION...UTDB eFlash! goes on biweekly schedule for summer...

Larry R. Kaiser, M.D.

Dr. Kaiser schedules Dental Branch town hall meeting

Larry R. Kaiser, M.D., president of The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, will visit the Dental Branch Friday, June 12 for a town hall meeting from 12:10 p.m. to 1 p.m. in Room 207.   Faculty, staff, students and friends of the Dental Branch are encouraged to attend. Dr. Kaiser will discuss his vision for the Dental Branch, the search for a permanent dean, and recent actions of the Texas Legislature and their impact on the UT Health Science Center at Houston.

UTDB STAR PERFORMER:
Louise Stacey is ‘go-to’ person for Perio, Endo, DH

Louise Stacey

Twenty-seven-year UT Dental Branch employee Louise Stacey, administrative services officer II for the Department of Periodontics/School of Dental Hygiene and the Department of Endodontics, has been chosen as the UTDB Star Performer for the fourth quarter (February, March, April). She was nominated by Gissela B. Anderson, D.D.S., and was selected by a committee comprised of Dental Branch employees Janice Thomas, Dr. C.D. Johnson, Dr. Chia Chi, Ann Yue and Dorothy Roberts-Goff, chair.

Winners are chosen quarterly on the basis of caring, commitment, integrity and knowledge. On the nomination form, Anderson described Stacey as someone “who consistently goes well beyond her job requirements to help others and offer assistance to everyone. … She keeps up to date on current regulations and proper procedures and is a reliable source of information not just of the Dental Branch, but of The UT Health Science Center as well,” Anderson wrote. “She will always either have the answer or will direct one to the correct source with a smile. This is of utmost importance in a dynamic working environment like the one in the Departments of Periodontics and Endodontics. Ms. Stacey has always conducted herself in a gracious and professional way".

As a Star Performer, Stacey will receive a gift card, one day of administrative leave, an award for her desk and a departmental pizza party.

New ICE software makes patient education easier

ICE Dental Systems representative Mark Genuis leads a training session on the new patient education software May 27 in the Learning Resources Center at the Dental Branch. Photo by Rhonda Moran.

High quality, 3-D animations aren’t just for movie-goers anymore. Now, patients at the UT Dental Branch’s faculty practice, UT Dentists, can learn about their specific dental problems and procedures by watching a chairside computer screen playing patient education materials chosen just for them.

The new software, a product of ICE Dental Systems, complements the electronic patient record (EPR) system already in use. ICE allows dental professionals to keep patients well informed through customizable animations and presentations and includes:

• High quality 3D animations and presentations to help educate patients about upcoming procedures
• User-friendly, full editing capabilities that allow customized content
• Templates to save frequently assigned presentations
• Audio recording function for dictating notes and comments
• Full library of animations and presentations automatically updated on a regular basis
• Online information for dental management of medically compromised patients

Interim Dean John A. Valenza, D.D.S., said the new system begins to make good on one of the original EPR promises of integrating electronic patient education into the patient record. “One of the key features of this system is that it is Internet-based, eliminating the need for additional hardware and software for us to purchase and support,” he said. “From our experience with faculty practice, the next step will be to expand use of the system to all Dental Branch clinics.”

March of Dimes grant to support cleft palate research at UTDB

Peter Yang, Ph.D.

A March of Dimes grant of just over $100,000 will support research at the UT Dental Branch by Yunzhi “Peter” Yang, Ph.D., assistant professor in the Houston Biomaterials Research Center, part of the Department of Restorative Dentistry and Biomaterials. Yang is investigating ways to repair cleft palates in babies. He began the three-year project, “Fabrication of Bone-Inductive Calcium Phosphate Scaffolds to Repair Bony Birth Defects,” at the University of Tennessee, but transferred his research to UTDB when he joined the Dental Branch faculty earlier this year.

Cleft palate is the most common birth defect in the U.S. and affects approximately 1 in 700-750 births. Repair of a cleft palate often requires multiple surgeries over the course of 18 years. Children with a cleft palate usually need a bone graft at approximately age 8 to fill in the upper gum line so that it can support permanent teeth and stabilize the upper jaw. However, using the child’s own bone tissue to repair the defect is extremely difficult because of size and surgical complications. Yang is investigating alternatives to bone to repair these types of birth defects.

William Dubinsky, Ph.D

Dr. Dubinsky featured in IMM’s May newsletter

Professor William Dubinsky, Ph.D., of the UTDB Department of Diagnostic Sciences, was featured in the May edition of “Innovations,” the newsletter of the UT Brown Foundation Institute of Molecular Medicine (IMM) for the Prevention of Human Diseases. Dubinsky leads the proteomics core of the UT/Center for Clinical and Translational Science. To read the article, CLICK HERE.

'Houston Business Journal’ names UTDB alumni as Health Care Heroes

Zeb F. Poindexter III, D.D.S

The Houston Business Journal honored Houston father-and-son dentists Zeb F. Poindexter Jr., D.D.S., and Zeb F. Poindexter III, D.D.S., as Health Care Heroes at an awards luncheon May 20 at The Wortham Center. Both are alumni of The University of Texas Dental Branch. At the Poindexters’ invitation, both UTDB Interim Dean John A. Valenza, D.D.S., and Philip Pierpont, D.D.S., associate dean for student and alumni affairs, attended the awards luncheon.

In 1956, Zeb Poindexter Jr. became the first African-American to graduate from a dental school in Texas. He established The Cullen Clinic on Cullen Road and practiced more than 40 years, winning numerous dental, business and community awards. He retired in 2000.

His son, Zeb Pioindexter III, continued the family tradition by graduating from UTDB in 1984. He has served as the dental health practitioner in public health facilities, hospitals and nursing homes, and has had a private practice for more than 25 years. He is a fellow of The Academy of General Dentistry and was a Pinnacle Award Recipient from the Houston Citizen’s Chamber of Commerce in 2008. He serves the historic Chocolate Bayou community. For more information on Poindexter Dental, visit www.drpoindexter.com.

UCSC BROWN BAG SESSION

The University Classified Staff Council Staff Development Committee invites you to a Brown Bag Session entitled “Payroll Process Update” from noon to 1 p.m. Tuesday, June 16 in Room 3.001 at the Medical School. Rhonda Walton, director of payroll and benefits for The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, will provide a summary of the payroll process update and will answer questions.

UTDB eFlash! goes on biweekly schedule for summer

In keeping with tradition, UTDB eFlash! will publish every other week through the summer, instead of weekly. Questions or story ideas should be directed to Senior Communications Specialist Rhonda Moran at Ext. 4023 or Rhonda.Moran@uth.tmc.edu.