History
The Southwest Border Area Health Education Center (AHEC), formerly known as the Winter Garden Border AHEC, was established in 1993 under the auspices of United Medical Centers, a Federally Qualified Community Health Center. In 2006, the AHEC moved its offices to Del Rio, Texas but returned to Eagle Pass in 2007 under the sponsorship of Maverick County Hospital District. On September 01, 2009 it became its own 501(c) 3 non-profit corporation. So as to mirror its location and target population, the AHEC changed its name to Southwest Border AHEC. The Southwest Border AHEC focuses on providing clinical and educational opportunities for health professionals and students, establishing community health education programs and promoting health careers.
Mission
To improve the quality of health care by addressing the shortage of health care professionals through the recruitment and retention of health care professionals and the promotion of healthy lifestyle practices based on the needs of the communities.
Region
The Southwest Border area lies in the Southwest region of Texas along the Rio Grande River which separates Texas from Mexico. Southwest Border AHEC serves seven counties:
| On The Texas Mexico |
In The Texas Hill Country |
In The “Winter Garden" |
| Maverick |
Edwards |
Uvalde |
| Kinney |
Real |
Zavala |
| Val Verde |
|
|
The Kickapoo Traditional Tribe of Texas is also included in the catchment area. All counties are medically underserved communities. Six of the seven counties are designated as Health Professional Shortage Areas. Southwest Border AHEC has its office in Eagle Pass, the county seat of Maverick County, one of the poorest counties in the state. There are three acute care regional medical centers in the Southwest Border area. Residents of the remaining four counties have to travel 15-40 miles to receive acute care/emergency services. Primary care services are available to all the counties from three major federally qualified community health centers within these areas. Health care issues specific to the Texas-Mexico border include poverty, high diabetes mortality, high incidence of tuberculosis and cancer to name a few.
Mailing Address:
- Southwest Border AHEC
- UT Health Science Center at San Antonio
- 1000 Crown Ridge Blvd. Suite G
- Eagle Pass, Texas 78852
Phone Numbers:
- Phone: (830) 758-11114
- Fax: (830) 758-7646
Rebecca, Rios, RN, BSN
riosr3@uthscsa.edu
Center Director
Rosa Elvira Martínez, BBA
martinezr23@uthscsa.edu
Administrative Assistant I/Housing Coordinator
Community Health Education
Southwest Border AHEC is committed to improving the health status of the communities along the border and in remote rural areas where access to health care is limited. SWB AHEC recognizes the importance of promotores in the promotion of healthy lifestyle practices in the Hispanic population.
Henry the Hand is a hand awareness program endorsed by the American Medical Association and was founded by Dr. William Sawyer in 1999. The purpose of the program is to demonstrate to children that hands carry germs and are the number one cause of transmission of disease like the common cold or the flu. The program makes everyone aware of the importance of hand washing.
On Thursday November 10th, 2011 12 students from the Eagle Pass High School HOSA Program visited 4 elementary schools and taught approximately 600 children about Henry the Hand. The students were trained on the Henry’s principles of hand washing by Southwest Border AHEC. This event was a success and we are looking forward to visit the schools this spring 2012!
PEACHes (Professional-trained Environmental Ambassadors for Community Health) is another outreach educational program created to decrease the incidence of asthma attacks in children. It trains community health workers, or promotores, on asthma and their indoor household triggers. The trained promotores provide counseling and education to patients and their families on asthma in their homes using the special tools that were provided to them during the training.
Community Health Education
Southwest Border AHEC recognizes the limited academic resources and support to healthcare professionals who work along the border and remote rural sites. It collaborates with non local training organizations to offer the following continuing education programs for health care professionals:
- ACLS (Advanced Cardiovascular Life Support)
- PALS (Pediatric Advanced Life Support)
- HIV/AIDS
- Infant Adoption
Community Based Training for Health Care Professional Students
Southwest Border AHEC gives health care professional students the opportunity to work in rural areas and understand the challenges faced by health care professionals due to limited resources. Clinical rotations for minority and economically disadvantaged students are provided in Maverick and Val Verde Counties. These rotations serve as a recruitment tool for the community as well. Housing is provided to the students during their stay to maximize learning and ease their transition to rural areas. The majority of the students are from the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio. Students include physician assistant students, medical students, dental students and pharmacy students. For more information contact Rebecca Rios, RN, BSN at Riosr3@uthscsa.edu.
Health Career Summer Camps
Southwest Border AHEC recognizes that the youth will be the next generation of health care professionals; therefore, we hope to inspire elementary, secondary and college level students to choose a career in the health professions. Choosing a career in health will help improve access to health care for many people who do not have it. Southwest Border AHEC implemented a health career summer camp for the first time in Maverick County to high school students interested in the health professions. Plans are underway to create these camps for other area high schools in the region.
LLANO (Learn, Lead and Advance to New Opportunity) is a health career exposure program for high school students who serve as junior counselors for elementary children who participated in a special program called Camp GET FIT. The goal of the summer camp is to decrease the incidence of childhood obesity with proper nutrition and physical activity. The nutritional classes, arts and crafts and physical activities were taught by selected high school students (junior counselors) who later attended a week of health career promotion activities at the University of Texas Health Science Center in San Antonio. At the end of the program, the high school students must conduct a community service project. It is truly a learning experience for all ages.
Health Career Presentations/Career Fairs
To support the program of recruitment of future health care professionals within the area, Southwest Border AHEC promotes health career programs to secondary and elementary students from the various independent school districts. It offers health career presentations, participates in health/career fairs and distributes HOT JOBS to students, teachers, counselors and principals. For more information contact Rebecca Rios, RN, BSN at Riosr3@uthscsa.edu.
HENRY THE HAND
Henry the Hand is a hand awareness program endorsed by the American Medical Association and was founded by Dr. William Sawyer in 1999. The purpose of the program is to demonstrate to children that hands carry germs and are the number one cause of transmission of disease like the common cold or the flu. The program makes everyone aware of the importance of hand washing.
On Thursday November 10th, 2011 12 students from the Eagle Pass High School HOSA Program visited 4 elementary schools and taught approximately 600 children about Henry the Hand. The students were trained on the Henry’s principles of hand washing by Southwest Border AHEC. This event was a success and we are looking forward to visit the schools this spring 2012!
Job Shadowing
Twenty Certified Nursing Assistance (CAN) High School Students participated in this semester’s Job Shadowing Program. The students shadowed different departments at Fort Duncan Regional Medical Center. The Job Shadowing Program lasted from October 24-December 14, 2011 for a total of 657 rotation hours. Their graduation ceremony was a success! The student’s parents came to the ceremony to learn a little bit more about Southwest Border AHEC and their child’s job shadowing experience.
|
January - April 2012 |
| Date |
Events |
| January 28 |
“Teen Academy for Health Professions” 9am-1pm @ Fort Duncan Regional Medical Center Conference Room |
| February 4 |
21th Annual Title I Parent Conference, C.C. WINN High School |
| February 11 |
“Teen Academy for Health Professions” 9am-1pm @ Fort Duncan Regional Medical Center Conf Room |
| February 25 |
“Teen Academy for Health Professions” 9-1pm @ Fort Duncan Regional Medical Center |
| March 10 |
“Teen Academy for Health Professions” 9-1pm @ Fort Duncan Regional Medical Center |
| March 24 |
“Teen Academy for Health Professions” 9-1pm @ Fort Duncan Regional Medical Center |
| April 14 |
“Teen Academy for Health Professions” 9-1pm @ Fort Duncan Regional Medical Center |
| April 21 |
“Teen Academy for Health Professions” 9-1pm @ Fort Duncan Regional Medical Center |