Uthealthhoustonem

06/20/2025

🎤🔥 Same spot, even more chaos! Our annual EM Resident Roast took over the once again, and let’s just say… the laughs came faster than a code blue page. 📞🔵

Massive shoutout to PGY3s and graduating legends, Matthew Shopshire and Gunnar Reichenberger for absolutely crushing it as this year’s hosts—funny, fearless, and just the right amount of unhinged.

A night packed with laughs, roasts, and all the EM family feels. Can’t wait to do it all again next year (new grads, consider yourselves warned 👀).

06/18/2025

🚀 On April 23, our very own Dr. Nicolas Heft (Space Medicine Fellowship Director) and Dr. Samuel Beger (Space Medicine Fellow) had the incredible opportunity to join a special meeting hosted by the Greater Houston Partnership with Congressman Brian Babin, DDS.

As Chair of the House Science, Space, and Technology Committee, Dr. Babin led an important discussion on national security, U.S. leadership in space, the rise of space commercialization, and the growing need for a strong space medicine healthcare system.

We’re proud to be part of these conversations at the cutting edge of policy, innovation, and health. Stay tuned—big things are on the horizon! 🌌👨‍🚀🩺

06/02/2025

Keeping Cool: Dr. Hilary Fairbrother Featured on KPRC2! ☀️

We’re excited to share that Hilary Fairbrother, MD, MPH, from UTHealth Houston Emergency Medicine, was recently featured on KPRC Channel 2 to talk about the rising summer heat and how it can impact health — especially for vulnerable groups like the elderly, children, and people with underlying conditions. 🌡️💦

In her interview, Dr. Fairbrother emphasized the importance of early recognition and prevention of heat-related illnesses. She shared practical tips to stay safe:
✅ Stay hydrated
✅ Avoid outdoor activity between 10 AM–4 PM
✅ Wear light, breathable clothing
✅ Take breaks in the shade or A/C
✅ Never leave children or pets in parked cars

Thank you, Dr. Fairbrother, for sharing your expertise and helping keep our community informed and safe this summer! 🌻🩺

06/02/2025

Another successful "Save a Life" event in the books 🙌 This session focused on *Narcan administration*—a critical skill in emergency response and opioid overdose situations.

Big thanks to Dr. Gowri Stevens & Sunny Elagandhala for leading the training, and to our incredible student leaders from the helping make it all happen 💪

Participants walked away with hands-on experience, lifesaving knowledge, and some free Chick-fil-A 🍗

Quick Narcan Tips:
✔️ Narcan (naloxone) reverses opioid overdose
✔️ It’s safe, easy to use, and available without a prescription
✔️ Always call 911 after administering

Swipe through to see the highlights!

06/02/2025

🌟 Rising Leaders at UTHealth Houston Emergency Medicine!

Big congratulations to Ryan Johnson (PGY-2) for being awarded "Best Research in Texas" by the Texas College of Emergency Physicians (TCEP)! 🎉 His work on cost-saving strategies using a Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) protocol at Memorial Hermann-TMC shows the real-world impact of evidence-based care on patient outcomes and health system efficiency.

We’re also proud to share that Ryan was elected Resident Member of the TCEP Board of Directors (2025–2026) — an incredible opportunity to bring resident voices into statewide emergency medicine leadership and advocacy. 👏

A huge shoutout as well to Abbey Pasterolle (PGY-2) for her nomination for the TCEP Resident Board Member role — we’re so proud of both Ryan and Abbey for representing our program so strongly!

And cheers to Jonathan “Jay” Harrell II (PGY-2) for presenting his case poster on T1 radiculopathy at the AMSSM conference, adding valuable insight to the national sports medicine conversation. 🏅

We are beyond proud of all our residents for their achievements in research, leadership, and academic excellence! 💛🩺

Learn more about TCEP at texacep.org

06/02/2025

🏆 At the Annual UTHealth–Memorial Hermann Quality Symposium, the Department of Emergency Medicine proudly showcased several award-winning projects—demonstrating our ongoing commitment to quality improvement and patient safety.
We’re excited to recognize the following achievements:
🔹 Graham Award in Patient Safety and Quality Improvement – Tied for First Place
“The Dugout: Reimagined Team-Based Triage in the Emergency Department”
Dr. Benjamin Cooper, Dr. Carrie Bakunas, Tina Chacko, PA-C, Jenna Clark, RN, Dr. Kunal Sharma, and Angela Steen, RN
🔹
Resident-Led Initiative
“Journey to a Safe Discharge” Workshop
Dr. Jeffrey Chen, Dr. Andreea Xavier, Dr. Amee Amin, and team

🔹 Memorial Hermann–TMC Category
“Improving Transitions of Care: Patient-Centered Discharge Education”
Elizabeth Mitchell, Dr. Andreea Xavier, Rhonda Wade, and Gabriel Edquilang

These projects reflect our strong interdisciplinary teamwork and drive to elevate care for every patient.

06/02/2025

🚑 Bringing Advanced Training to South Texas EMS Providers
The UTHealth Houston Emergency Medicine Mobile Simulation Training Unit (MSTU), led by Drs. Gowri Stevens and Jessica Wilson, recently conducted a hands-on training session for over 30 emergency medical rescuers from South Texas. This initiative, held at Wyatt Ranches - Tasajillo Division 🐎 near Hebbronville, was made possible through the generous support of Wyatt Ranches and Mr. Brad Wyatt.

Utilizing realistic, computer-controlled mannequins🧑‍🦲, the training simulated various emergency scenarios, including road injuries and respiratory issues, allowing EMS providers to practice critical, life-saving skills in a controlled environment.

A heartfelt thank you to our dedicated EM Faculty & Residents: Drs. Kevin Schulz, Leanne Fagan, Grace Owens-Pochinka, Hannah Rosenthal, Karl Upplegger, and Sam Beger, whose expertise made this training a success!

04/10/2025

🚨 We’ve been on the move! 🚨
The Department of Emergency Medicine at UTHealth Houston has been busy these past few weeks—and we’ve got the pics to prove it!

🫀 We showed up at the *Houston Shock Symposium*, where our team of faculty and residents (shoutout to Drs. Jordan Wallace and Cade Johnson!) brought the energy—and the ECMO unit—for a hands-on experience.

🌌 Dr. Kris Lehnhardt, our Space Medicine Section Director, gave McGovern students a stellar look into the world of space medicine with his “Intro to Space Medicine” talk and shared the details of our brand new COSMOS elective.

📚 We also had the honor of hosting Dr. Michael Weinstock for Grand Rounds—an EM legend, prolific author, podcast contributor, and the mind behind the *Bouncebacks!* series.

👟 And we hit our stride at *Walk with a Doc*, where Dr. Sam Luber led a great group of faculty, staff, and students through medical conversations on the move.

04/09/2025

🚑💥 Huge shoutout to the EMS team for absolutely crushing it at today’s conference!

They delivered an eye-opening, powerhouse presentation on managing medical emergencies from the perspective of an EMS Director—and gave us an inside look at what it takes to handle emergencies during an Ironman Race. 💪🔥

Incredible insight, incredible work. Hats off to everyone involved! 👏👏

04/08/2025

Flying High with Medicine!

Last month, Dr. Sam Beger—UT Space Medicine Fellow—completed the FAA’s Aviation Medical Examiner (AME) training in Oklahoma City. ✨

As an AME, Dr. Beger is now certified to evaluate and clear civilian pilots for flight, playing a vital role in keeping our skies (and spaceways) safe. 🧑‍⚕️✈️

His week-long training at the FAA Civil Aerospace Medical Institute included:
🔹 Hypoxia simulation in an altitude chamber
🔹 Spatial disorientation exercises
🔹 Lectures on aerospace physiology, psych, and more
🔹 Case reviews with FAA flight surgeons
🔹 Tours of cutting-edge aviation medicine research labs

Why it matters: With commercial spaceflight on the rise, AMEs like Dr. Beger are bridging the gap between flight and space medicine, contributing to safer missions and better performance in extreme environments. 🌌🚀

We’re proud to have him representing at the intersection of aviation, medicine, and exploration!

04/06/2025

🎉 Faculty Feature Alert!
Dr. Princess Emeana (PGY-3) and Dr. Adeola Kosoko (Associate Professor & Co-Section Chief of Pediatric EM) were recently published in *JACEP Open*! 🩺📚

Their fascinating case report, "A Leaky Belly Button," dives into the rare diagnosis of an infected urachal duct cyst in a pediatric patient—a reminder that sometimes, the umbilicus tells more than you'd expect!

🔍 The case highlights the power of bedside ultrasound, CT imaging, and great teamwork in managing complex pediatric presentations.

👏 Congrats to Drs. Emeana and Kosoko on this publication and their continued contributions to pediatric emergency medicine!

👉 Read the full post here:
https://med.uth.edu/emergencymedicine/2025/04/06/more-than-just-a-belly-button-drs-emeana-and-kosoko-published-in-jacep-open/

Congratulations to EM PGY3, Princess Emeana, DO, and Associate Professor and Co-Section Chief of Pediatric EM, Adeola Kosoko, MD, on their recent publication in the June 2025 issue of JACEP Open. Their case report, titled “A Leaky Belly Button,” explores...

03/17/2025

🚨 Join us in congratulating our 2025-2026 Chief Residents!🩺👏

(L-R)
🌟 Ryan Johnson
🌟 Jay Harrell
🌟 Christina Anderson
🌟 Cait Minutella

Each of these brilliant💡individuals brings unique talents🛠️, and we’re excited for the year ahead! We can’t wait to see all they accomplish - be sure to congratulate them when you see them! 🎊