Recent Successes  Visit the Southwest Border AHEC on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/southwestborder.ahec Nothing to report at this time.  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 through 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.  MRGB AHEC Annual Update in Medicine Goes Virtual: The Area Health Education Center of the Mid Rio Grande Border AHEC (MRGB AHEC) recently hosted the 36th Annual Update in Medicine Conference via virtual format. This annual event is made possible by the MRGB AHEC and the Webb, Zapata, Jim Hogg Counties Medical Society. Over the years, the collaborative efforts between these two entities have made it possible for thousands of health care providers to receive continuing education credits and gain evidence-based knowledge to help enhance best practice methods for prevention, diagnosis, treatment and management of health issues impacting the border region. This year’s program, held on Friday, October 23, 2020, was more significant and impactful for the local health providers. Over 160 practicing providers including primary care physicians, nurses, pharmacists, and other health care professionals received valuable information on topics including Racism & Discrimination in Health Care and the Clinical Learning Environment, COVID-19, Neuroimmunology and other important health topics affe citing our community. This year’s program featured keynote speaker Dr. Ruth Berggren, Director of the UT Health San Antonio School for Medical Humanities & Ethics.  MRGB AHEC Welcomes Monic Compean: The MRGB AHEC Board of Directors and Staff welcome Ms. Monic Compean to the MRGB AHEC Team. Ms. Compean joins the AHEC team as the Outreach Project Coordinator. In her role, she is responsible for enhancing the existing network in the counties served by the MRGB AHEC, generating ideas for promoting educational services and creating new opportunities for resources development. She brings a wealth of experience in event planning and program administration. Ms. Compean is a Laredo native and she graduated from Nixon High School in Laredo Texas. She is currently pursuing a degree in early childhood education. Her goal is to help and guide the youth for a greater future in the community. On her spare time, she enjoys time outdoors with her family, videogames with her Husband, and baking with her Daughter. The “MRGB AHEC team is excited to have recruited Ms. Compean; we welcome her to the family and we look forward to greater days with her creative and inspiring skills” stated Julie Bazan, MRGB AHEC Executive Director.  MRGB AHEC Offering Virtual YMHFA Training: According to the National Council for Behavioral Health, each year one out of five youth and young adults experiences a mental illness. These statistics make it extremely likely that each person may know an individual struggling with a mental health challenge. The media attention of youth suicides, opioid overdoses, and increasing rates of depression have left many in the country wondering and asking, “what can we do to help?” Virtual Youth Mental Health First Aid (YMHFA) is part of the solution. YMHFA is a 7-hour virtual course that teaches how to identify, understand, and respond to signs of mental illnesses and substance use disorders. The course is broken down into two sections. First participants will complete a 2-hour self-paced online class then join in a 5-hour instructor-led videoconference. The course was created to train parents, teachers, school staff, caregivers, health and human services workers, and other community members on methods to assist an adolescent, between the ages of 10 -18, who may be experiencing a mental health or addictions challenge. Topics discussed in the course include depression, anxiety, psychosis, eating disorders, and attention deficit hyperactive disorder (ADHD). The course also covers new expanded content on trauma, addiction, self-care, the impact of social media, and bullying. The course is highly interactive with several virtual hands-on activities that are focused on a variety of learning styles to assist and enhance the participants learning. MRGB Area Health Education Center is part of the national and international movement to promote awareness and education about the importance of YMHFA. With more than 1 million Americans already trained, increasing this number will help our population better understand and respond to people having a mental health or substance use crisis. Anyone anywhere can be the one to make a difference in the life of someone living with substance abuse challenges or mental health illnesses. If you are interested in scheduling a FREE training for you and your staff, please call 956-712-0037 or email at kgarza@mrgbahec.org  MRGB AHEC Links Students Aspiring Higher Education to Resources: The month of November 2020 brought many new opportunities for students from various schools enrolled in 8th grade – 12th grade levels. The virtual gatherings occurred every Tuesday and Thursday of each week without hesitation. During the gatherings, students received valuable information pertaining to higher education learning, scholarship information, health careers, careers in law enforcement, education and public service. This is an exciting opportunity for students to obtain academic information, to exchange ideas, and to meet fellow AHEC students. This is not only a valuable chance for students to gain community service hours, but an opportunity for the students to develop philanthropic projects. The MRGB AHEC is proud to continue to find innovative ways to promote the advancements of our youth. If you have any questions, please contact us at vgutierrez@mrgbahec.org or (956) 712-0037. In November 200 students attended the session.  MRGB AHEC HPV Immunization Education Initiative: The Mid Rio Grande Border Area Health Education Center (MRGB AHEC) in collaboration with the National AHEC Organization, Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and Prevention, the South Coastal Area Health Education Center and the City of Laredo Health Department, joined forces to provide free education on the importance of the Human Papillomavirus Virus (HPV) Immunization to the Laredo community and the surrounding communities. Through these efforts, several presentations have been scheduled and have served many in the communities. On November 18th and November 19th Dr. Oda Garcia presented to an audience of 103 providers; on December 2nd Ms. Bel Flores presented to over 45 providers. The goal of these presentations is to bring awareness to the community about HPV Immunization and to encourage health professionals to continue educating patients on the importance of the HPV vaccine. The upcoming training is scheduled for Thursday, December 17th at 1:30pm presented by Belinda Flores, RN, Director for the South Coastal AHEC, Corpus Christi, Texas. Continuing Education credits are made available for licensed professionals were at no cost. According to the CDC, statistics reveal that each year from 2013 to 2017 approximately 45,300 HPV-associated cancers occurred in the United States. Of these, 25,400 cases are among women, and about 19,900 among men. Cervical cancer is the most common HPV associated cancer among women, and oropharyngeal cancers (cancers of the back of the throat, including the base of the tongue and tonsils) are the most common among men. As per the CDC getting vaccinated with the HPV immunization can prevent up to six types of cancers caused by the human papillomavirus.  MRGB AHEC Student Leadership Adopt Project: Tooth decay is one of the most common chronic untreated diseases in America. One reason for the prevalence of tooth decay is the lack of basic oral health care. In some homes, oral health products are lacking and in some low-income households, resources for these items is not present. In an effort to raise awareness about the importance of oral health and to help meet the need for these items, students in the Mid Rio Grande Border Area Health Education Center (MRGB AHEC) Leadership Program adopted a community project to make a difference. Students decided to host a Smile Drive for the purpose of collecting oral care products to donate the supplies to those in need. The idea came about following a presentation offered by Ms. Anel Torres from Dentaquest. The information she shared made an impact on many students who voiced their wishes to make a difference for others. The students became excited about the possibility of assisting the community through oral care product donations. The Smile Drive takes place from November 9, 2020 to December 18, 2020. Students have invited representatives from various agencies that serve the community to make a presentation at the student virtual meetings. These presentations will help identify agencies who will receive the donation of items collected and help to serve those in need. A special thanks to Ms. Anel Torres from Dentaquest for assisting in jumpstarting the student project with a donation of 500 toothbrushes. If you are a student, 8th grade and higher, and are interested in helping the community and earning community service hours please contact us at (956)712-0037 or email vgutierrez@mrgbahec.org  Visit the South Central AHEC on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/SouthCentralTexasAHEC/  Cover 4 COVID Campaign: South Central AHEC has recently launched the “Cover 4 COVID” (C4C) campaign focusing on educating the community to follow the guidelines for the prevention of COVID. Through the tireless efforts of AHEC partners and AHEC board member, Rick Carrillo, C4C has already produced two videos that have garnered over 1k engagements on social media. We encourage everyone to not only view the videos but to also share it across your social media! Together, we can slow down the spread of COVID-19. Let's all Cover 4 COVID. |
