STUDENT LIFE - BOHCA

Building Oral Health Care Access (BOHCA) Educational Program

The emphasis of the Building Oral Health Care Access (BOHCA) Educational Program is to implement an extended service-learning experience to educate dental hygiene students on the lack of oral health care, cultural competency, and social responsibility along the Texas-Mexico border region, while providing oral health care.

The program demonstrates positive and effective collaboration and partnership between an academic institution, community health center, and the community in general.  The experiences are joint lessons for both the student participants and the community health center’s staff and patients. The students develop an increased sensitivity to diversity, cultural, and social issues based on the community needs.

BOHCA’s service-learning goal is to implement innovative and continuous learning related to health disparities and access to care.  It offers the opportunity to promote critical thinking and effective communication by connecting coursework with active involvement within the community, including a guided reflective component enabling students to understand the value of a reciprocal relationship among students, patients, community orals health care providers, and oral health advocates.

Contact Information:

Magda A. de la Torre, RDH, MPH
Assistant Professor; Program Director,
Building Oral Health Care Access (BOHCA) Educational Program
Department of Dental Hygiene, MC 6244
The University of Texas Health Science Center
7703 Floyd Curl Drive
San Antonio, TX  78229-3900
210-567-8822 (WP)
210-567-8843 (Fax)
delatorrem@uthscsa.edu

The Role of Magda A. de la Torre, RDH, MPH, BOHCA Program Director

As Program Director, Ms. de la Torre…

1. Provides a service-learning experience that enhances Dental Hygiene students by instilling community and social responsibility.
2. Oversees Dental Hygiene students’ provision of oral health care education to patients in the Texas-Mexico border region of Webb County.
3. Oversees Dental Hygiene students’ provision of much needed preventive oral health care to the Gateway Community Health Center.
4. Collaborates with Gateway Community Health Center’s Central & South Clinics in Laredo, TX.
5. Collaborates with Mercy Ministries of Laredo in Laredo, TX.
6. Writes, submits, and presents abstracts and presentations at local and national conferences.
7. Meets and travels with participating Dental Hygiene students on their initial visit to Laredo.
8. Collaborates with the South Texas Environmental Education and Research (STEER) Program.
9. Visits sites in Laredo to follow-up on student progress and clinical education.
10. Compiles and calculates the fiscal year budget for the BOHCA program and oversees accounting expenditures.
11. Reviews BOHCA applications and supervises selection committee of BOHCA participants.
12. Conducts weekly/monthly BOHCA meetings.
13. Provides appropriate housing for participants through collaboration with Mid Rio Grande Border Area Health Education Center.
    
    
    

© 2007 UTHSCSA · webmaster@uthscsa.edu · Updated 8/29/07