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As we celebrate Black History Month, we’re spotlighting our caregivers, the diversity they bring and the difference they make at UT Health East Texas.

Carola Erwin knew from a young age that healthcare was her calling.

Erwin fondly remembers sitting around the television set with her family watching the TV series Julia, which earned actress Diahann Carroll an Emmy nomination and a Golden Globe in 1969 for her pioneering role as nurse Julia Baker.

Doctor at UT Health East Texas talks the importance of Kids Ear, Nose, Throat Awareness Month

UT Health East Texas commemorated the one-year anniversary of the first COVID-19 vaccination being given in East Texas by hosting a plaque dedication and ceremony on Wednesday, Dec. 15, at UT Health North Campus Tyler. 

The location was the first in East Texas to receive vaccines a year ago and later became one of the state’s vaccine hub locations. While the state ceased having mass-vaccination locations when vaccines became more widely accessible, the site continues to offer COVID-19 vaccines, including boosters and pediatric doses.

After 50 years doing a job he loves in nursing, the advice Charles Beene would give up-and-coming nurses is simple: “Make sure if you want go into nursing it’s what you want to do. You’ve got to like what you’re doing and if you don’t, then find something else.”

Beene recently celebrated his milestone anniversary, along with his 77^th birthday, with coworkers at UT Health Tyler, the hospital where he’s worked for the majority of his career, save for a four-year stint at the Henderson hospital in the early 1980s.

Austin, Texas (July 26, 2021) — Texas Healthcare Trustees presented the Advocate of the Year Award to Paul W. Detwiler, M.D., immediate past chair of the board of trustees of UT Health Tyler. This honor is bestowed to a hospital board member who displays outstanding advocacy efforts on behalf of a hospital or health system.

“This is a much deserved award for Paul. He’s done so much for our region, for our community, for our university,” said Dr. Kirk A. Calhoun, chairman of the board of UT Health East Texas and president of The University of Texas at Tyler.

UT Health Tyler caregivers now have access to a special breakroom specifically designed to alleviate stress that often results from the fast-paced nature of working in healthcare. The space provides a calming environment where healthcare workers can escape the hospital setting and take a few minutes to rest, regroup and reenergize. 

The Recharge Room utilizes neuroscience-supported elements that facilitate emotional regulation and lower the stress levels of its visitors.  

The East Texas Pin-A-Sister group was formed in 2010 after results of the Tyler Affiliate of Susan G. Komen’s community needs assessment indicated a decrease in screening mammograms among African American women residing in Smith County. The goal of the program is to encourage women, specifically African American women, to receive screening mammograms.

Objectives:

Evelyn Joseph is the director of Pharmacy at UT Health Carthage and UT Health Henderson. She is a member of the Ardent and the UT Health East Texas Diversity and Inclusion Council.

Evelyn Joseph was intrigued by healthcare even at an early age, often carrying around a bag with bandages in it as a young girl.

Evelyn got her heart for healthcare from her grandmother, Evelyn W. Joseph, who was a civilian licensed vocational nurse for the United States Air Force.

UT Health East Texas will launch COVID-19 vaccine appointments by phone beginning Tuesday, March 16. Those who need help navigating online sign-up or who are without access to internet can now call 903-747-4VAC (4822) from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday to get an appointment for a COVID-19 vaccine.

When Melissa Maeker, director of pharmacy for UT Health North Campus Tyler, saw the weather forecast late last week, she went into planning mode. As with previous ice storms, she planned to stay at the pharmacy for a few nights so she could still work and wouldn’t have to risk being on dangerous, icy roadways.

But this time, there was a new element added to her preparations – making sure power remained for the precious COVID-19 vaccine being kept in an ultracold freezer at the pharmacy.