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The Mid Rio Grande
Border AHEC (MRGB AHEC)
was established in 1993
as a 501(c)3
organization with a
mission to improve the
distribution of health
care workers in 7
counties situated
between the Texas/Mexico
Border and San Antonio.
Because of its 501(c) 3
status, MRGB AHEC has a
Board of Directors which
represents a cross
section of community
leaders including health
care providers,
representatives of
education institutions,
representatives from
city and county
government, and
consumers. The Board
provides guidance as to
programmatic needs of
the area and ensures
needs of the rural and
frontier counties are
addressed.
S.B. 1288, authored by
Senator Judith Zaffarini,
established a Laredo
Campus Extension of the
University of Texas
Health Science Center.
With generous gifts from
local families and
funding by the Texas
Legislature, the first
building, the D. D.
Hachar, was opened in
December 2002. At that
time, the facility
housed programs ranging
from a Med/Ed recruiting
program to the
international recognized
South Texas
Environmental Education
and Research (STEER)
program. The campus is
undergoing expansion,
with the second building
expected to open in fall
2007. The second
building will house
classrooms,
laboratories, office
space, library for an
ever expanding number of
health training programs
– including physicians
assistants, nutrition,
and oral health. To
facilitate the expected
increase in students
being trained in the Mid
Rio Grande Border area,
the AHEC continues to
coordinate housing for
AHEC student rotations.
Because of the distance
to other metropolitan
areas, Laredo is viewed
as a health care hub for
a large number of rural
and frontier counties.
The MRGB AHEC implements
numerous continuing
education courses for
health professionals,
including an annual
tri-county medical
course. Coupled with its
efforts to get more
young people interested
in health careers, the
MRGB AHEC has annually
implemented a number of
career days, summer
camps and longitudinal
student activities to
prepare students on the
Texas/Mexico Border to
enter undergraduate
school and to continue
into health professional
schools.
The Mid Rio Grande
Border AHEC is housed
close to the Laredo
health care district.
Dr. Gladys Keene, a
pediatrician with
interest in allergies
and asthma, serves as
Director of the AHEC.[mrgbahec@grandecom.net]
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