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| Elaine Neenan, D.D.S., receives the Spirit of AHEC award. With her are (left to right) Tina T. Fields, Ph.D., M.P.H., interim director of the Center for South Texas Programs, and Georgia Garcia, wife of the late Richard Garcia, whom the award honors. | |
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More than 60 partners and friends of the South Texas Area Health Education Center (AHEC) gathered in San Antonio on April 12 to honor individuals and community partners who helped the network provide health care to underserved communities in South Texas.
Sponsored by The University of Texas Health Science Center in San Antonio, the South Texas AHEC is a network of five centers located in Harlingen, Laredo, Del Rio, Corpus Christi and San Antonio. The centers work with community leaders to develop local initiatives to provide better health care, health training and health education.
Richard A. Garcia Jr. Spirit of AHEC AwardThe highlight of the awards ceremony was the presentation of the Richard A. Garcia Jr. Spirit of AHEC Award. The award was created to honor the late Richard Garcia, who dedicated more than 15 years to ensuring that the South Texas AHEC became an integral component of remote health professions programming in South Texas.
Elaine Neenan honoredThe recipient of this year’s Spirit of AHEC award was Elaine Neenan, D.D.S., associate dean for external affairs in the Dental School. Dr. Neenan has been a proponent of remote education programs across South Texas for more than 10 years. Tina T. Fields, Ph.D., M.P.H., interim director of the Center for South Texas Programs, noted that Dr. Neenan was recognized for “sharing and furthering Mr. Garcia’s vision of health professions education and training in South Texas. Her dedication to the communities of South Texas and to the AHEC truly exemplify the work to which Mr. Garcia’s life was dedicated.”
President Francisco G. Cigarroa, M.D., added, “Dr. Neenan has been tireless in her work across South Texas. She is a true champion for improving health care for all in South Texas counties.”
He also commended Dr. Tina Fields for assuming the leadership of the Center for South Texas Programs.
AHEC Partner AwardsThirteen South Texas AHEC Partner Awards were presented to community and campus partners for their many contributions to the program. The award winners included:
Community partners• South Texas Colonia Initiative, Inc., nonprofit
• Gateway Community Health Center, Laredo, health care
• Alamo WorkSource, other industry/business
• Dilley High School, education
• St. Mary’s University, higher education
UTHSCSA faculty members• Claudia Miller, M.D., professor in the School of Medicine’s department of family and community medicine
• Douglas Murphy, Ph.D., associate dean of the School of Allied Health Sciences
• Sophia Pina, Ph.D., associate dean of the Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences
• Rahma Mungia, B.D.S., M.S., associate professor of research in the Dental School’s department of pediatric dentistry
• Rosalie Tierney-Gumaer, M.S.N., M.P.H., director of continuing nursing education in the School of Nursing
AHEC awards• Alberto Cardenas, Laredo, AHEC board member
• Amy Cantor, UTHSCSA student
• Rafael Villegas, preceptor, Su Clinica Familiar, Harlingen.
Sherry K. Snider, South Texas AHEC program director, added, “These partners are the very core of the AHEC Program. Because of them, our South Texas AHEC Program was able to reach and surpass our goals and objectives for the year, despite the tragic loss of Mr. Garcia. We are continuing his work and, with such partners, we are confident that we will continue to provide students with a quality educational experience when they are in remote communities of the state or working with underserved populations.”
For information on AHEC programs and initiatives in your area, contact the South Texas AHEC Program Office at
southtexas.uthscsa.edu or 210-567-7813.
