TAMIU, Partnered
with Sí Texas-Juntos
for Better Health,
Works to Improve
Community Access
to Health Care
A new recurring
clinic lead by TAMIU is
dedicated to improving
community access to
health care as part
of the first Juntos for
Texas Better Health
Traveling Health Care Team, Sí Texas – Juntos for Better Health.
The clinic service will be offered at Laredo’s Holding Institute
campus.
Funding for the clinic is part of funding for the inaugural
cohort of the Sí Texas: Social Innovation for a Healthy South
Texas Project, funded by Methodist Healthcare Ministries of
South Texas, the largest, private, faith-based funding source
for healthcare services in South Texas, and a program of the
Social Innovation Fund of the Corporation for National and
Community Service.
The overarching Sí Texas Project is designed to improve
rates of depression and diabetes over five years and build
the capacity of organizations working in this arena. Using a
Collective Impact framework, Sí Texas will build an intricate
network of cross-sector partnerships that will lead region-wide
improvements in behavioral health and chronic disease.TAMIU
joins seven organizations from the Rio Grande Valley and
Coastal Bend in the inaugural cohort.
Dr. GlendaWalker, Dean of TAMIU’s College of Nursing
and Health Sciences’ Dr. F. M. Canseco School of Nursing, said
this clinic outreach effort is crucial to advancing community
health, with federal funding focused on three target areas.
“These areas: depression, diabetes and obesity, can be
responsible for a constellation of health problems in our
community. Our clinic services will help us to study these
problems locally and provide targeted healthcare responses.
This will also provide our nursing students with a dynamic
clinical rotation experience that is crucial to successful nursing
education,” Dr.Walker explained.
Living Up to Its Name Annually
While every day at TAMIU is significant, one Saturday
in Spring is fast becoming an outreach tradition helping
underscore how the University opens doors, hearts and
minds.
“Discover TAMIU,” now in its third year, is a family-
friendly event focused on highlighting the importance of
higher education to Go Beyond. The 2016 event was
made possible with generous funding byWells Fargo Bank,
and over 2000 attended.
The daylong event is big on experience opportunities
for students of all ages, their families and friends. President
Pablo Arenaz noted that Discover TAMIU really lives up to
its name.
“We offer over 100 experience opportunities, each
underscoring the excitement about what this campus
does every day to brighten futures, lift hearts and open
minds. From kids to retirees, to anything in between,
TAMIU can share with you the importance of education
15
