UTMB Community Engagement and Education

01/20/2026

A huge thank you to UTMB APAMSA (Asian Pacific American Medical Student Association) for their generosity and love in action! Their homemade dumplings, teriyaki chicken, fried rice, and roasted green beans were a true blessing to our unhoused and underserved community at Galveston Central Church.

We also want to extend a heartfelt thank you to our Federal Work-Study students for helping prep the food and serve with such care and dedication today. Your teamwork and compassion made a meaningful impact! 💛

01/15/2026

Debbie Faubion made her monthly shoe donation to Grace Clinic's Physical Therapy department today. For our friends that use walking as their main mode of transportation, a good, well-fitting pair of shoes can make all the difference and help prevent toe and foot injuries. Donations like Debbie's give our PT students plenty of options to give away to patients that need them. Thank you Debbie and thank you Grace Clinic PT!

12/23/2025

🎉 Big congratulations to the UTMB Running Club! 🎉🏃‍♀️

We’re proud to share that our club competed in the 2nd Annual Texas Medical School Mileage Competition and came out on top! With 40 members logging an incredible 1,817.82 total miles, UTMB finished ahead of UTSW, TCU, TCOM, Baylor, McGovern, and the University of Houston.

Even more meaningful—together we raised $2,123.41 for UTMB’s student-run free clinic, St. Vincent’s Grace Clinic. Huge thank you to all the friends and families who donated and supported us 💙

👏 Special shout-out to Bruce Chang-Gu, our top fundraiser, and Evan Chandlee, who led the entire competition with an amazing 128.70 miles!

So proud of this team and what we can accomplish together! 🏆

12/12/2025

✨ UTMB School of Medicine Volunteers in Action! ✨

This week, our incredible UTMB School of Medicine volunteers and community partners came together to cook, prepare, and serve holiday meals for our underserved neighbors at Galveston Central Church.

We are so grateful for our students who continually give back—pouring their time, compassion, and energy into making sure others feel love, hope, and kindness during this season. ❤️

Thank you to everyone who helped make this meaningful day possible. Together, we make our community stronger!

12/12/2025

Our Harmony Healers caroled through the hospital to bring holiday cheer to those in need. What a truly beautiful experience! We are so grateful for the incredible voices and talents who dedicated their time to bring joy to our patients at UTMB—from pediatrics to geriatrics. The halls were filled with music, smiles, and the true spirit of the season. 💙🎶✨

11/05/2025

🌟 The Community Engagement and Education Department is so grateful for the opportunity to join the Collaborative Symposium in San Antonio! A huge thank-you to Charles E. Cheever, Jr. and the Center for Medical Humanities and Ethics at UT Health San Antonio for inviting our team.

The symposium, “Medicine, Meaning, and Community: A Collaborative Symposium — Exploring Best Practices in Free Clinics, Service-Learning, and the Arts,” brings together our two institutions for a day of shared learning, collaboration, and innovation. We’re honored to take part in meaningful conversations that strengthen community partnerships and enhance service-learning initiatives.

10/23/2025

A HUGE thank you to the Laboratory Services Employee Engagement Committee for organizing a shoe donation drive with the Laboratory Services Department, family, and friends! 👟💙

If you didn’t know — Grace Clinic gives out shoes every Thursday to our unhoused and underserved community members. This generous donation is such a blessing and will make a real difference for so many people in need.

Our PT students were all smiles today unpacking and unloading these shoes — what an incredible example of compassion and teamwork in action! 🙌✨

10/13/2025

We’re excited to shine the spotlight on Martha Diaz, our St. Vincent’s Community Engagement Nurse Manager, and Annika Pierson, our dedicated St. Vincent’s Medical Assistant! 💙
We are so grateful for both of these incredible women. Their passion, drive, and unwavering dedication to our patients truly shine through in everything they do. Their hearts for service and compassion make a difference every single day — and we are so thankful to have them as part of our team! 💫

09/20/2025

🌟 We Were Part of Something Bigger Today! 🌟

The Galveston County Recovery Rally at the Texas City Nessler Civic Center reminded us of the power of connection. This year’s theme, “Empowerment Through Connection,” brought together community partners, advocates, and families to spread hope and support.

UTMB Community Engagement & Education and the Center for Addiction Sciences & Therapeutics came together to let our community know: there is a way out. If you or someone you love is struggling with Substance Use Disorder, please reach out—help is available, and recovery is possible. 💙

A huge thank you to the ROSC Foundation Recovery for inviting us to be part of this impactful event! Together, we are stronger.

09/17/2025

✨ We are so proud of Brent Fluker PA-C and Dr. Miles Farr – recipients of the Physician/PA Partnership of the Year Award!

This award celebrates a Physician-PA team that embodies the trust, collegiality, and mutual respect at the heart of the PA profession. Their collaboration allows them to provide exceptional medical care to their patients and community—achieving more together than either could alone.

Congratulations to Brent Fluker PA-C and Dr. Farr on this well-deserved recognition! 👏💙

09/02/2025

We love our partnership with Galveston Central Church where Grace Clinic is located! Beautiful article written below.

https://www.facebook.com/share/1SEZTJ4kb5/?mibextid=wwXIfr

The trust built by a church in Galveston, Texas, is translating into better access to treatment at a free clinic staffed by health care providers and housed in former Sunday school classrooms.

08/19/2025

🎉 Congratulations to Martha Diaz and Julian Quiceno for their outstanding work on their poster presentation at the ACU 2025 Conference: The Power of Advocacy & The Promise of Primary Care in Washington D.C!

Their project, “Medication Savings Program: Enhancing Medication Adherence Through Financial Assistance and AI-Driven Decision-Making at St. Vincent’s Clinics,” was selected as the Poster Winner. We are so proud of their dedication, innovation, and commitment to improving patient care! 🌟