Recent Successes  Visit the Southwest Border AHEC on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/southwestborder.ahec  Health Career Enrichment Program: Southwest Border AHEC in partnership with Southwest Texas Junior College hosted the 13th Annual Health Career College Enrichment Program. Southwest Border AHEC would like to thank the instructors and all the students who participated in the program.   Congratulations to Our Students!!: Southwest Border would like to congratulate Monya Aticho and Hannah Fuentes for passing their nursing state exam! Congratulations Monya and Hannah on becoming RN's!  Visit the MRGB AHEC on Facebook at www.facebook.com/areahealtheducationcenter The Area Health Education Center of the Mid Rio Grande Border Area is an outreach program under the UT Health San Antonio and is a non-profit 501(c)3 organization with a mission to enhance the quality of life in the communities by increasing the number of well-trained health care workers; enhancing academic resources; and fostering a healthy lifestyle though community education programs. For additional information about AHEC and the menu of programs, visit https://www.facebook.com/AreaHealthEducationCenter or www.mrgbahec.org or call (956)712-0037.  Bazan Recognized by National AHEC Organization: On May 7, 2020, the National AHEC Organization recognized Julie Bazan for her dedicated service as an AHEC leader. Julie joined AHEC in 1993 and has been the Executive Director of the Area Health Education Center of the Mid Rio Grande Border Region (Texas) since 2010. Her commitment and passion for improving the lives of others has contributed to numerous successful projects in her region. She became a NAO board member and treasurer in 2018, and currently serves as chair of the Finance Committee and vice-chair of the Center Directors Constituency Group. Through her vision and leadership, she was instrumental in leading the HPV Immunization Education Efforts in the states of Texas, Oklahoma and New Mexico. Immediately following these efforts, she formed part of a study group and completed research projects revealing the impact of HPV Immunization education on the immunization rates in Texas. A presentation of the findings was delivered at various professional conferences in 2018 and 2019. Her service is exemplary and valuable “her performance on every project leading to making lives better is outstanding” remarked Judge Mercurio Martinez, Jr. AHEC Board Chairman “we are extremely proud of Julie Bazan and her accomplishments”.
The National AHEC Organization represents a network of more than 300 AHEC program offices and centers that serve over 85% of United States counties with more than 45 years of experience. The NAO mission is to help its members achieve the AHEC mission through advocacy, education, and research. The AHEC mission is to enhance access to quality health care, particularly primary and preventive care, by improving the supply and distribution of healthcare professionals via strategic partnerships with academic programs, communities, and professional organizations. AHECs are embedded in the communities they serve, positioning them to respond rapidly to emergent training needs of health professionals, health professions students, and interprofessional teams on issues associated with natural disasters, disease outbreaks (e.g. Zika), and substance use disorders. Approximately 120 medical schools and 600 nursing and allied health schools work collaboratively with AHECs to improve health for underserved and under-represented populations. Read more about Julie here: https://www.nationalahec.org/index.…/about-us/nao-leadership Thank you Julie for your commitment to the AHEC and NAO mission! Area Health Education Center
 Virtual Mental Health Forums Draw Community: In observance of Mental Health Awareness Month, the Area Health Education Center (AHEC) along with the Texas Department of State Health Services Office of Public Health Staff (DSHS) were inspired to rely on the use of technology to continue meeting the need for education and networking amongst providers and community members in support of mental health and substance abuse disorders. Therefore, on May 15th the first virtual mental health forum was offered and the outpouring response from the community revealed the value of the forum. The attendance was extraordinary and registration was filled to capacity with over 100 individuals attending. Dr. Denise Longoria, guest speaker provided a presentation entitled “Staying Mentally Healthy” and she offered numerous tools to consider for practicing self-care. She encouraged participants to take time to monitor their physical and mental health because they are equally important. Her presentation touched on emotions that several individuals are experiencing during this time of social distancing. According to the Centers for Disease Control, mental illness increases the risk for many types of physical health issues including strokes, type 2 diabetes and heart disease. Just the same, chronic conditions can impact the risk for mental health conditions including depression. Identifying the time to seek outside help is also important and it is certainly critical for dealing with everyday life occurrences. The forum was made possible thanks to the strong partnership between AHEC and DSHS. Because mental health is extremely important in our abilities to lead a productive life, “AHEC will continue to provide these forums in hopes of helping everyone in the community” stated Julie Bazan, AHEC Executive Director. “It is good to know that other people are feeling the same way and that there are ways to help reduce stress” shared a forum participant. These forums will be held every two weeks. The next scheduled forum is Friday, June 12 and Friday, June 26 at 1:30 p.m. To register please email hmedellin@mrgbahec.org  AHEC Students Receive Virtual Trainings: The sudden changes in the daily lives of the community resulting from the current public health issues Covid-19 have impacted many individuals in various ways. The idea of being away from social gatherings and being part of the programmed activities that encourage networking and sharing stories about high school life is almost surreal. The Area Health Education Center (AHEC) Staff understand the importance of students connecting with others and the need for continued motivation through training activities. Ms. Karla Garza, AHEC Youth Mental Health First Aid Instructor, has created a series of training opportunities for high school and college students. The virtual trainings are held once a week, are focused and are extremely useful for learning to cope with the changes in the students’ family, school and social environments. In addition, students participate in team activities and can earn community service hours. Ms. Garza has trained students on Time Management Hacks, How to Manage Anxiety, The Wonders of Meditation, Debunking Self-Care Myths: Separating Fact from Fiction as well as other topics. “Her skills in connecting with the youth and sparking their interest in self-improvement is epic. We are blessed to have Ms. Garza on our AHEC Team” remarked Julie Bazan, AHEC Executive Director. There are numerous opportunities for students to participate in all future trainings. As the community begins to take steps towards continued face-to-face service, the AHEC Staff continues to develop programs and trainings for the benefit of students, providers and community members. Students interested in participating must email bazanj@mrgbahec.org or hmedelling@mrgbahec.org  AHEC 2020 Census Activities in South Texas: In spite of the COVID-19 and the limited face-to-face access to community members, the Area Health Education Centers, strategically located in South Texas, continue to promote the importance of the 2020 Census in the 35 counties served by the AHECs. Numerous community leaders, social services providers, parents, students and volunteers have joined the group to achieve a 100% count of all community members for the 2020 Census. The AHEC 2020 Census Project is sponsored by Methodist Healthcare Ministries and their support has enabled the AHECs to deliver the message utilizing social media platforms, flyers, presentations, radio/television interviews and taking every opportunity to remind members of the communities in South Texas that everyone counts! AHECs proudly announce some of the accomplishments include over 50,000 individuals have been reached and have received educational materials; over 60 community outreach events have been scheduled via live and virtual settings; over 40 trainings sessions have been provided throughout the region and thousands more have been reached via social media. The Mid Rio Grand Border AHEC is proud to lead this endeavor acknowledges the efforts of the AHECs. “Although the count in our region is ongoing, we are making strides and I am extremely grateful to everyone and I am motivated to meet our goal” remarked Julie Bazan, MRGBAHEC Executive Director.  Visit the South Central AHEC on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/SouthCentralTexasAHEC/   Welcome Interns: South Central AHEC would like to welcome their two new summer interns from UTSA. Roxanne Garcia (left) is a San Antonio native while Whitney Williams (right) is from a small town known as Shiner. Both are one internship away from receiving their Bachelor’s degree in Community Health and we are very excited to have them join us for the summer.  Census 2020: The U.S. Census Bureau has extended the 2020 census deadline, originally set for the end of July, has been extended to October 31 in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. Completing the Census is very important because the 2020 Census determines congressional representation, inform hundreds of billions in federal funding every year, and provide data that will impact communities for the next decade.
To improve the Census response rate within Bexar County, Ludy Hernandez with South Central AHEC and her son Raul Sandoval have been raising awareness around San Antonio’s Westside community by sharing Census brochures. If you haven’t completed your Census, please visit www.2020census.gov today! It takes no more than 10 minutes to complete and all of your answers are kept safe and confidential. #EveryoneCounts
 Visit the South Coastal AHEC on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/South-Coastal-AHEC-164097279738/  Food Distribution & 2020 Census Promotion: In partnership with the Food Bank of Corpus Christi, South Coastal AHEC successfully held its May food distribution for the residents of Orange Grove and surrounding rural areas. We were able to provide over 200 families and individuals with healthy food and various educational resources.
We are grateful to all of our community partners and volunteers in helping us to make this event a success. As always, we remain diligent in ensuring that all of the necessary safety precautions are taken to protect all volunteers, staff, and the community members.
In addition to our regular food distribution services, South Coastal AHEC provided valuable information to community members on the importance of completing the 2020 Census. Our goal is to help community members realize and understand the huge beneficial impacts that completing the Census will have on the overall health of South Texas communities  Salud en Mis Manos: South Coastal AHEC promotoras are currently working on launching Salud En Mis Manos/Health in My Hands education via zoom. This education will target Hispanic or Latina women regarding prevention and early detection of breast and cervical cancer. We will be able to offer these women free or low-cost mammogram, pap smears and HPV vaccines. Our community health care workers are ready and eager to provide education for all surrounding communities.  Diabetes DigiCare: In partnership with UT Health San Antonio Center on Smart & Connected Health, South Coastal AHEC will assist in conducting a pilot study designed to improve diabetes outcomes and enhance participant self-monitoring through digital technology. The South Coastal AHEC CHWs will work closely with study participants to provide them with support in using technology to track and monitor their eating and exercise habits. Additionally, this activity provides an opportunity for participants to learn and develop long-term healthy habits and make necessary lifestyle changes.  Visit the LRGV AHEC on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/lrgv.ahec No News to report at this time. | 
