VA Texas Valley Coastal Bend Health Care System invites veterans, their families, and caregivers to the Whole Health and Caregiver Summit on May 17 at Tropical Texas Behavioral Health Conference Center. Attendees will gain insights into VA’s whole health and wellness delivery system and the caregiver program, both of which support health and well-being. The summit takes place from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the back of the building…
DHR Health is one of the nation’s 100 Top Hospitals, according to an independent quality analysis provided by Premier Inc. The primary purpose of Premier’s 100 Top Hospitals program is to inspire hospital and health system leaders to pursue higher performance and deliver added value to patients and communities. Participation in the study is not application-based, and award winners do not pay to market their honor. “As a teaching hospital,…
The 11th annual South Texas All Hazards Conference takes place March 26-27 at the McAllen Performing Arts Center and McAllen Convention Center. As the second-largest emergency response training event in Texas — and the only one of its kind offered at no cost — the conference expects to host over 3,000 professionals from public health, public safety, law enforcement, emergency management, public works and educational institutions. STAHC follows the National…
McAllen resident Rachel Tauli Batallang works as a patient sitter, a health-care worker with specialized training to intently monitor and assist patients requiring close supervision. When she started in this position, Batallang earned $9.30 an hour; however, her pay has increased to $12.07 per hour. Batallang enjoys this job but longed to be a nurse. Former classmates of Battalang told her about the Valley Initiative for Development and Advancement. This…
DHR Health has been awarded a $85-million grant from the Texas Health and Human Services Commission to construct 100 beds at a new behavioral health hospital in Pharr. The new facility will help address the need for additional inpatient mental health beds. DHR Health currently operates an 87-bed inpatient behavioral hospital. The new campus at 4800 North Jackson Road will include a new 161,000-square-foot facility. It will have a total…
Dr. Lisa Chapa wholeheartedly encourages women in the Rio Grande Valley to enroll in a groundbreaking national study that measures the risk of women getting breast cancer. The WISDOM Study (Women Informed to Screen Depending on Measures of risk) can “revolutionize the way breast cancer is detected and risk is reduced,” Chapa said. This multi-institutional trial includes the DHR Health Institute for Research and Development, which serves as the primary…
The UTRGV School of Medicine has opened of its new, state-of-the-art Center for Human Genetics, headquartered on the Brownsville Campus. The new facility is dedicated to cutting-edge research that addresses major public health concerns in the Rio Grande Valley, including diabetes, obesity, cardiovascular disease, liver cancer, Alzheimer’s disease and depression. The 17,246-square-foot facility, funded by a Valley Baptist Legacy Foundation grant and support from the UT System Permanent University Fund, will…
DHR Health will host its 14th annual International Behavioral Medicine Conference on Nov. 8 and Nov. 9, focusing on various mental health issues while providing informational access to leading authorities in the field of behavioral medicine. The conference will take place at the Edinburg Conference Center at Renaissance and is open to all medical professionals. This includes physicians, advanced practice providers, nurses, social workers, licensed professional counselors, psychologists and mental…
Lisa Chapa graduated from McAllen Memorial High School in 2003 and headed to Texas A&M University in College Station. Chapa did not have a clear vision of her career path but she knew it would lead her back to the Rio Grande Valley. “Coming back home was always the plan,” she said. “We’re very close, as a family. I love this community. I love the culture. It’s the place I…
When friends of Weslaco resident Clarissa Magaña told her about the Valley Initiative for Development and Advancement, her goal suddenly seemed more viable. Acceptance into VIDA would allow her to obtain the degree she always wanted. Earning an associate degree in nursing would also be an important lesson for this single mother’s six children. Already a licensed vocational nurse, Magaña longed to return to school to become a registered nurse. …