News Briefs

Memorial Hermann Children's Hospital CEO

Steve Allen, M.D., professor of anesthesiology at The University of Texas Medical School at Houston and chief medical officer at Memorial Hermann Hospital, is the new chief executive officer of Memorial Hermann Children's Hospital, effective Oct. 1. Allen is board certified in anesthesiology and critical care medicine.

Dan Wolterman, president and chief executive officer of Memorial Hermann Healthcare System, said, "As a physician and business leader, Steve continually demonstrates his commitment to top-quality, leading-edge patient care. And as a father of five, he brings a unique perspective and passion to his new role with Memorial Hermann Children's Hospital."

National Research Service Award

Connie Sixta, a Doctor of Science in Nursing student, has been awarded a National Research Service Award (NRSA) from the National Institute of Nursing Research, National Institutes of Health (NIH).

The two-year award of $57,996 will support her dissertation research on "Border Intervention by Promotores for Type 2 Diabetes" at The University of Texas School of Nursing at Houston (SON). Her NRSA sponsor and dissertation chair is Sharon K. Ostwald, Ph.D., holder of the Isla Carroll Turner Chair in Gerontological Nursing.

Sixta is the fourth D.S.N. student to receive an NRSA. Past recipient Lorraine Frazier, D.S.N., associate professor of nursing systems, SON, received subsequent awards from NIH. Heeseung Choi, D.S.N., is currently an NIH-sponsored post-doctoral fellow at the University of Chicago-Illinois. Lynette Summers, D.S.N., works as a nurse practitioner in a clinic for Hispanic, indigent adolescents in Las Cruces, N.M.

Minority Graduate Research Fellowship

The American Society for Microbiology (ASM) has selected Marenda Wilson-Pham, a student in The University of Texas Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences at Houston (GSBS), as a 2004-2007 recipient of the Robert D.Watkins Graduate Research Fellowship.

Wilson-Pham will receive a $19,000 annual stipend for three years to conduct research on "Identifying the Trans-acting Factors Involved in Nonstop Messenger RNA Metabolism." Her mentor is Ambro van Hoof, Ph.D., assistant professor of microbiology and molecular genetics at the UT Medical School at Houston and GSBS.

The Watkins fellowship seeks to increase the number of underrepresented minorities earning Ph.D. degrees in the microbiological sciences. In addition to the stipend, fellows receive additional travel funds to present their research results at ASM General Meetings.

Emergency Nurses Award

Deena Brecher won the national Micromedix Research Award at the Emergency Nurses Association meeting in September in San Diego. Brecher is a May 2004 certified nurse specialist graduate from the Emergency Care Track at The University of Texas School of Nursing at Houston.

Brecher's research submission was her thesis work, "Reliability of the Emergency Severity Index in the Pediatric Population." Her entry was selected by a panel of Ph.D. nurse researchers for the award. The Emergency Severity Index is a new ranking procedure for determining care at triage.