UTMB’s Employee Advisory Council (EAC) members visited Correctional Managed Care employees at the Walls and Estelle prison units in Huntsville to conduct “engage and chat” sessions June 12-13.

The visits offered EAC members a chance to let CMC employees know about the advisory council, to listen to CMC employees’ concerns and to experience their unique work environment. “We met some amazing employees who love their job,” said EAC representative Souby George.

CMC employees Jerri Denee’ Robison (regional nurse manager and an EAC member elected to represent CMC), Shelia Curry (CMC administrative secretary), Beth Pipkin (nurse manager, Huntsville Unit), Shelly Hanson (nurse manager, Estelle Unit), Khari Mott (business manager, Estelle Unit) and Minnie Jennings (nursing supervisor, Estelle Unit), along with captains from the Texas Department of Criminal Justice, provided fascinating tours of the units over two days.
 
“What an extraordinary opportunity it was to spend the day in our colleagues’ work environment to gain perspective and appreciation for what they do on a daily basis,’’ said EAC Chair Julie Cantini. “It was truly eye-opening.’’
 
The Estelle Unit, about 10 miles north of Huntsville, incarcerates more than 3,200 offenders, including offenders who are classified as high-security and geriatric. More than 160 CMC employees work at the unit.
 
The Walls Unit in Huntsville, the oldest unit in the prison system established in 1849, incarcerates more than 1,500 offenders, with 17 CMC employees working in the clinic.
 
EAC members who visited the prisons were: Denee Robison and Kevin Moore (representing CMC); Souby George, Jacqueline Pope and Craig Kovacevich (representing Hospitals and Clinics); Julie Cantini, Neal Cooper and Frank Valiulis (representing Institutional Support); Jennifer Anderson (representing Academic Enterprise) and Mary Ann Hellinghausen (EAC advisor).
 
The EAC’s slogan is “your colleagues, at your service,” and members welcome invitations to host “engage and chat’’ sessions with any UTMB department. For more information,visit the EAC blog here.