Over the past year, UTMB has faced multiple challenges. Among the most prominent have been the COVID-19 pandemic and storms, both tropical and Arctic. Yet, we have continued to advance our vital mission to provide outstanding care, add to the body of biomedical knowledge and train the future health care work force. We have continued to grow our education, research and patient care efforts to, ultimately, improve health in Texas and beyond.

As I announced at today’s Virtual Town Hall, UTMB’s executive leadership has approved Team Award payments for eligible employees, to honor those who have made this tremendous year of service possible. We will recognize the collective efforts and contributions of our workforce thus far in FY21 with a one-time $1,000 Team Award payment to benefits-eligible employees.

We are glad to be able to offer Team Awards, in addition to the one-time $250 “thank you” gift just before the holidays and improvements to our compensation program that included raising our minimum hourly pay rate to $14 for benefits-eligible employees; implementing pay increases for nurse clinical advancements; providing certification and medical language interpreter pay to eligible employees; and implementing market adjustments for over 1,000 individuals.

The Team Award payment reflects, in part, your stellar response to the COVID-19 pandemic, our designation as a vaccination hub by the State of Texas and our milestone of more than 100,000 doses of vaccine administered so far. Together, we have created one of the most robust COVID-19 testing programs in the state, contributed numerous research advances that have had global impact, adapted to keep students safe and on track with their education, ensured we could provide Best Care to our COVID and non-COVID patients alike, and quickly built a highly efficient vaccination program.

This phenomenal work is all the more remarkable when we consider the economic challenges we have experienced as individuals, a state and a nation; Hurricane Laura, Tropical Storm Beta and other Atlantic systems; and, most recently, the record-breaking winter storm that affected every county in Texas with icy roads and power and water outages. We certainly have been tested over the past year. Because of your skill and determination, we have passed every test.

Team Awards will be paid on March 19, to employees who meet the following criteria:

·      Completed at least six months of continuous active employment (actual hours worked) during FY21 in a benefits-eligible Classified, CMC, Non-Teaching, Resident and/or A&P position;

·      Do not participate in the Faculty Compensation and Incentive Plan, Executive and A&P At-Risk Compensation Plan or any other incentive plan in FY21;

·      If under formal corrective action at any time in FY21, has documented performance improvement by March 15, 2021 as determined by their supervisor or manager;

·      Received a satisfactory performance evaluation for FY20; and

·      Is employed by UTMB on the payout date.

For more information about the Team Awards, please refer to these frequently asked questions. You may also contact Human Resources at hremprel@utmb.edu.

It truly is an honor to work with such a dedicated university community as we address some of the most daunting challenges in our history. You are the very definition of “grace under pressure,” and I am deeply grateful for your ongoing commitment to UTMB and everyone we serve.