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ARCHIVE NEWS - Issue
10
Texas AHECs’ 2007 Regional Diversity Conferences
Nursing Tuberculosis Education Series
New Emergency Medicine Residency Program in South Texas
Texas Poison Center Network Conducts Drill in Eagle Pass
6th Annual Public Forum “Options in Breast Cancer Reconstruction”
Nurse Oncology Education Program’s Breast & Gynecological Cancers Workshop
Mision Evangelica Luterana Grant
Pediatric Lead Reduction Project
Amanda Lopez, South Central AHEC Fall Intern
ANTE Tobacco Campaign
Grand Opening at New Horizons Clinic in Brownsville
NEWSLETTER
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Texas AHECs’ 2007 Regional Diversity Conferences
Sherry K. Snider, M.P.H.
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The South Texas AHEC, along with the East and West Texas AHECs, was recently awarded a grant from the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board to host a series of conferences to address diversity in the health care workforce. The South Texas conference will be held in McAllen, Texas, July 12-13, 2007. Proposals to present and applications for exhibits and sponsorship are being accepted at this time. Please visit the conference website at http://www.hwdc.org/ for more information about this conference, or contact Sherry Snider at 210-567-7813.
Texas has a growing shortage of workers in all areas of healthcare. Additionally, the diversity of the current health workforce does not reflect the demographics of the state. Many recognize that the potential for economic growth in Texas is directly affected by these issues. A comprehensive collaborative effort from all stakeholders is required to change the dynamics of healthcare workforce diversity in Texas. The Texas AHEC statewide network (East Texas, West Texas, and South Texas) is sponsoring six regional conferences to bring together health workforce stakeholders. Conferences are designed to explore innovations and best practices for strengthening recruitment and retention of underrepresented groups. Participants will engage in interactive strategies for putting new knowledge into practice during and after the conferences. Please consider presenting and participating in these action-oriented conferences.
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Nursing Tuberculosis Education Series
Paula Winkler, M.Ed.
 Five AHECs have partnered with the Heartland National Tuberculosis Center to present a four- part continuing education series entitled: The Nurse’s Role in TB Control: Implementing the New Guidelines (2005) for Controlling Tuberculosis in the United States. The Heartland National TB Training Center is a University of Texas Health Center at Tyler project funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) through the Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS). The Heartland National TB Center, located on the Texas Center of Infectious Disease campus in San Antonio, has been designated a CDC Center of Excellence to provide TB training, technical assistance and medical consultation to clinicians and healthcare workers in thirteen (13) states in the Midwest. The AHECs that are hosting the trainings are South Central Texas AHEC in San Antonio in collaboration with the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio School of Nursing, Mid Rio Grande Border AHEC in Laredo, South Coastal Texas AHEC in Corpus Christi, Western Illinois AHEC in Quincy, Illinois, and Oklahoma AHEC in Tulsa. The goal of the videoconference series is to reduce TB morbidity and mortality in the US by assisting the health care provider/nurse in public and private health care settings in understanding their roles and responsibilities in the control of TB as recommended by the American Thoracic Society, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Infectious Diseases Society of America. The videoconference program dates are September 19, October 17, November 14 and December 12, 2006. The Heartland is providing up to 4.8 contact hours for nurses who complete the series. All providers with an interest in TB are welcome to participate in any or all of the series.
For more information go to:
http://southtexas.uthscsa.edu/AHEC/HeartlandTB
or call 567-7818. To view webcasts of prior sessions in the series, please visit
http://129.111.156.214/SonicFoundry/Viewer/?cid=e0b39dfc-263d-4b2d-93dc-e3b1100bb3cc
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New Emergency Medicine Residency Program in South Texas
Belinda Flores, R.N.
Excitement is in the air in Corpus Christi, Texas! We are proud to announce the start of an 8-8-8, Emergency Medicine Residency Program. The ACGME (Accreditation Council of Graduate Medical Education) met the last week of September and voted to accredit a new program in South Texas.
The Corpus Christi Emergency Medicine Residency Program at CHRISTUS Spohn Hospital Corpus Christi-Memorial will serve a great need in South Texas. It will allow for an increased number of physicians to be trained in the area and further promote retention of the physicians to South Texas. This project was very important to our South Coastal AHEC due to the shortage of physicians in South Texas. Currently, Texas has only 6 Emergency Medicine Residency Programs with 2 being military programs.
The program will not be going through the match this year due to accreditation of the program occurring too late to be part of the sted students need to contact Belinda Flores at at (361) 902-6570 or email
residency@ccfprp.net and information will be sent to them by email.
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Texas Poison Center Network Conducts Drill in Eagle Pass
Patrick Young, M.S., R.S. & Sherry K. Snider, M.P.H.
A Tri-National Exercise Drill was conducted in Eagle Pass, Texas, on September 21, 2006, as a part of EPA Region 6 emergency response and preparedness evaluating the Poison Center network’s capacity and capability during disaster events. Mock callers were employees of the city of Eagle Pass, representing exposed community members with varied questions.
The exercise demonstrated network functionality of the Texas Poison Center Network; showed technological capability to “roll-over” excess calls; highlighted Poison Center data collection process and components; successfully tested communications and reporting mechanism inter- as well as intra-agency.
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6th Annual Public Forum “Options in Breast Cancer Reconstruction”
Julie Bazan
 The Mid Rio Grande Border AHEC sponsored the 6th Annual Public Forum “Options in Breast Cancer Reconstruction.” This public forum was held at the Laredo Campus Extension of The University of Texas Health Science Center San Antonio (UTHSCSA) on Wednesday, October 4, 2006, from 6:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. It is an annual event co-sponsored by Doctors Hospital and the MRGB AHEC. The program is geared for breast cancer survivors, relatives, friends and those concerned about issues relating to breast cancer. This year’s guest speakers were Dr. Gary Unzeitig, General Surgeon from Laredo, Texas and Dr. Peter R. Ledoux, Plastic Surgeon from San Antonio, Texas. A total of 106 people attended the forum.
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Nurse Oncology Education Program’s Breast & Gynecological Cancers Workshop
Julie Bazan
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NOEP Staff and Diana Reyna, AHEC Staff Provide information to health care providers at the NOEP Workshop at the Laredo Medical Center |
On September 22, 2006, the Mid Rio Grande Border AHEC, participated in the Nurse Oncology Education Program’s Breast & Gynecological Cancers Workshop held the Laredo Medical Center, Community Education Suite. The MRGB AHEC staff displayed information, promoted the AHEC program and invited health professionals present to register for the 22nd Annual Update in Medicine Conference. A total of 58 health providers attended the workshop.
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Mision Evangelica Luterana Grant
Paula Winkler, M.Ed.
>The South Central Area Health Education Center (AHEC) received a grant from the Bexar County Community Health Assessment to revitalize the Mision Evangelica Luterana Neighborhood by developing a community center at the site. The future community center is located at 8138 Westshire Drive near Loop 410 and Marbach on the west side of San Antonio.
The grant will allow the South Central AHEC and Mision Evangelica Luterana to conduct a needs assessment of the area, establish a formal strategic planning process to address short and long term health concerns of the community, develop a plan for a community wellness program that focuses on positive health behaviors, and establish programs of hospitality for families such as dances, talent shows, carnivals, etc.
The South Central AHEC is currently in the first phase of the project which includes the development of a strategic plan and a community assessment. The community assessment will be conducted by using platicas. Platicas allow members of the community to come together to talk about current issues in their community. A total of ten platicas will be held at Mision Evangelica Luterana November 8-16, 2006. The strategic plan for the project will also be completed during the month of November. Once the assessment and strategic plan have been completed, the South Central AHEC and Mision Evangelica Luterana will work together to develop programs needed in the community.
Warm Springs Hospital donated over 20 used computers to Mision Evangelica Luterana. This grant will provide the resources for installation of the computers to develop a learning center at the site.
The South Central AHEC and Mision Evangelica Luterana have been working together since December of 2005 to develop the community center. This project is guided by an advisory board whose members include: Jean Hays OTA, CHES, Chairperson; Kurt Winkler, PharmD, MHA, Treasurer; Debra Pena, LVN, Secretary; Carlos Jaen, MD; Stormie West, MPH; Rev. Julio Flamenco; Maricela Flamenco; Martha Castilla; Georgia Polacek, PhD; and Marisa Hernandez Romero.
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Pediatric Lead Reduction Project
Paula Winkler, M.Ed.
The South Texas AHECs and the Department of Community Pediatrics at UTHSCSA have partnered to establish an outreach education program to community-based physicians, nurses and dentists in South Texas. The focus of the project is to provide education and awareness of the hazards of lead to brain development to the children of South Texas. Additionally, the AHECs will work with Promotores groups in South Texas to develop a community awareness campaign about the hazards of lead in the home, cooking utensils and other commonly used items in the community and in the workplace. The only way to know if a child has a high blood lead level is a blood test. The highest risk is to children ages 6 years and younger. The project runs from October 2006 – March 2007
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Amanda Lopez, South Central AHEC Fall Intern
Kimberly Ferguson, CHES
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Amanda Lopez South Central AHEC Fall Intern |
The South Central Area Health Education Center (AHEC) is working with the Department of Health and Kinesiology at Texas A&M University in College Station to support their Community Health internship program. The undergraduate curriculum in Health and Kinesiology is structured to present concepts which prepare students to become effective leaders in their chosen professions. In addition to the student‘s classroom experiences, the Department of Health and Kinesiology provides the student an opportunity for pre-professional experience. Those students whose career goals do not include certification as a teacher may be placed in various agencies which best fit their professional goals. The purpose of the internship experience is to:
1. Make each student aware of situations that arise in work settings that may not have been discussed in theory courses;
2. Prepare the student to make the transition from student to employee; and
3. Provide the student with a link to the profession that may prove useful in the future (letters of recommendation, professional contacts, etc.).
In support of this program, the South Central AHEC is hosting Amanda Lopez for the fall semester. Amanda is a senior at Texas A&M University and will receive a Bachelor of Science in Health in December. Amanda began her internship on August 28, 2006 and will work with the AHEC until November 28, 2006. Since her arrival, Amanda has been involved in many different AHEC activities such as health careers and health promotion presentations and community and board meetings. Among her duties during the internship, Amanda will develop nutrition and wellness presentations, assist in community assessments, as well as work with current Health Careers Clubs to provide health careers programming.
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ANTE Tobacco Campaign
Belinda Flores, R.N.
Medical Students from different medical school rotating in South Texas have kicked off an anti-smoking campaign geared towards 1st through 3rd grades in the South Coastal region. The coloring books and DVD’s featuring animated ant characters have been very popular with the children. The goal of the program is to incorporate this campaign with our “Tar Wars” campaign for 5th graders, to further promote anti-smoking. Dr. Salim Surani one of our internal medicine/pulmonology physicians is a co-sponsor of the ANTE tobacco campaign and has provided the materials to make this program possible.
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Grand Opening at New Horizons Clinic in Brownsville
Sherry K. Snider, M.P.H.
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Enrique Garcia, PaulaGomez (BCHC) and Sherry Snider (South Texas AHEC) outside BCHC‘s new affiliated Clinic, New Horizons. |
The South Texas AHEC was pleased to have representatives attend the grand opening reception at the New Horizons Clinic in Brownsville, Texas, on September 14, 2006. The clinic, an affiliate of Brownsville Community Health Clinic (BCHC), represents BCHC’s efforts to expand services to the Brownsville community. Dr. Tina T. Fields, Interim Director of the Center for South Texas Programs, and Sherry Snider, Program Director for the South Texas AHEC, extended their thanks to Ms. Paula Gomez, CEO of BCHC, for the partnership the two organizations have had for the past decade. The event was truly a celebration of BCHC’s dedication to the Lower Rio Grande Valley.
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NEWSLETTER
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