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Posted: 7/01/19

Sí Texas Program Shares Results, Thanks Webb County for Leadership in Health Initiative

 

celebration cake
A cake helped celebrate the collaborative effort.  

An appreciation luncheon at the Fernando A. Salinas Community Center recently recognized Webb County leadership for its partnership in a targeted effort to improve the health outcomes of County residents.

Webb County Judge Tano Tijerina and Webb County Commissioners Jesse González (Precinct 1), Rosaura “Wawi” Tijerina (Precinct 2), John Galo (Precinct 3) and Cindy Liendo (Precinct 4) were recognized for their support of the Sí Texas – Juntos for Better Health Traveling Healthcare Teams by Dr. Glenda Walker, Sí Texas - Juntos for Better Health grant principal investigator and Dean of the Texas A&M International University (TAMIU) College of Nursing and Health Sciences. TAMIU led the services delivery cohort.

“We wanted to share the good news made possible by the visionary and strong collaboration and commitment of Webb County leadership, and to assure all that while the main program is ending, we are planning to keep the Traveling Healthcare Teams  (THCT) component going through a transition plan to a community agency,” explained Dr. Walker.

“Over 1000 free screenings were conducted by THCT at Webb County community centers.  A  total of 9000 screenings were performed Project-wide from July 2017 to June 2019.  These screenings offered acritical community outreach initiative emphasizing primary screening and linkage to a medical home or mental health services. Primary screening is medical care assessment that includes glucose test, blood pressure, height, weight, BMI and behavioral health pre-screening. 

“Together, with other THCT visits in the grant area here in Webb County, Jim Hogg and Zapata counties, we served 26,131 unduplicated clients with 52,567 encounters. These services were completely free of charge and linked clients who needed services and resources. We were especially focused on depression, diabetes and obesity and reaching those affected in a personal, face-to-face communication,” Dr. Walker noted.

In the Webb County area, services were offered at El Cenizo Community Center, Larga Vista Community Center, Rio Bravo Community Center, Bruni Community Center, Ernesto J. Salinas (formerly Quad City C.C.), Las Presas Community Center, Santa Teresita Community Center, Fernando Salinas Community Center,  the Fred & Anita Bruni Community Center and the Ladrillitos Community Center, among other community organizations which combined totaled over 205 unique sites. 

Funding partners for Sí Texas - Juntos for Better Healthwere Methodist Healthcare Ministries of South Texas, the Corporation for National and Community Service, and the Meadows Foundation. TAMIU was a primary part of the inaugural cohort of the Sí Texas: Social Innovation for a Healthy South Texas Project. 

Project partners were the Border Region Behavioral Health Center (local Mental Health Authority), City of Laredo Health Department (local Health Authority), Gateway Community Health Center (local Federally Qualified Health Center), and SCAN (local Substance Abuse Agency). 

The five-year program was launched in 2015 with a $13 million investment in South Texas’ health care delivery system. According to the 2001-2003 National Comorbidity Survey Replication, 68 percent of adults with mental disorders also had at least one general medical disorder, and 29 percent of adults with medical disorders had a comorbid mental health condition. Similarly, in 2008 an article published in The Journal of the American Board of Family Medicinereported the depression rate in South Texas among Hispanic patients with Type 2 diabetes was at 39 percent. 

The Sí Texas Project, through its sub-grantees, targeted building an intricate network of cross-sector partnerships to lead region-wide improvements in those conditions.

For more information, contact  Sí Texas - Juntos for Better Health TAMIU director, Viviana Martínez, TAMIU College of Nursing and Health Sciences, Dr. F. M. Canseco School of Nursing, at 956.326.3276, email viviana.martinez@tamiu.edu or visit offices in the Canseco School of Nursing.

For more on the University’s story, visit tamiu.edu or TAMIU’s designated social media channels on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Twitter and YouTube.

Group celebrates Si Texas accomplishments

An appreciation luncheon at the Fernando A. Salinas Community Center recently recognized Webb County leadership for its partnership in Sí Texas - Juntos for Better Health, a targeted effort to improve the health outcomes of County residents.