By:  Madla                                             S.R. No. 370
    1-1                           SENATE RESOLUTION
    1-2        WHEREAS, The Senate of the State of Texas takes pride in
    1-3  recognizing the Area Health Education Center of South Texas and
    1-4  the Winter Garden Border Area Health Education Center, Del Rio
    1-5  Office which is celebrating its first anniversary; and
    1-6        WHEREAS, The Area Health Education Center program was
    1-7  created by Congress under the Comprehensive Health Manpower
    1-8  Training Act of 1971; the goal was to improve the supply and
    1-9  distribution of health care personnel to outlying districts by
   1-10  providing education and clinical training in local hospitals and
   1-11  medical centers rather than restricting such sites to large
   1-12  metropolitan hospitals; and
   1-13        WHEREAS, South Texas is comprised of 38 counties and is
   1-14  home to three million people; almost all of these counties have
   1-15  been classified as Medically Underserved Areas, regions in which
   1-16  a significant number of people lack access to even basic health
   1-17  care; and
   1-18        WHEREAS, To improve health services in South Texas,
   1-19  The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio
   1-20  applied for and was awarded an Area Health Education Center
   1-21  grant in 1990; since the creation of the center program, over
   1-22  100 regional centers have been established in the country and
   1-23  five of these centers are in South Texas; and
    2-1        WHEREAS, In addition to improving health care services
    2-2  one of the goals of the South Texas Area Health Education Center
    2-3  program is to retain in the training areas more of the graduates
    2-4  of health professional schools; there are now numerous sites
    2-5  throughout South Texas available for clinical training, and each
    2-6  year, the number of students choosing remote sites increases
    2-7  greatly; and
    2-8        WHEREAS, Clinical rotations at these sites provide students,
    2-9  residents, and postgraduates with a positive impression of
   2-10  opportunities available to them outside the major metropolitan
   2-11  areas; an increasing number of medical students and health
   2-12  personnel have taken clinical rotations in Del Rio at Val Verde
   2-13  Memorial Hospital, and it is hoped these students will begin
   2-14  practicing in the Del Rio community and other underserved areas;
   2-15  and
   2-16        WHEREAS, The Area Health Education Center program has been
   2-17  of great benefit to the entire South Texas region; it provides
   2-18  local access to the latest information and resources through
   2-19  continuing education programs and has played a major role in
   2-20  establishing compressed video telecommunication linkages between
   2-21  The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio and
   2-22  remote training sites; now, therefore, be it
   2-23        RESOLVED, That the Senate of the State of Texas,
   2-24  74th Legislature, hereby commend the Area Health Education Center
   2-25  of South Texas for its invaluable services to this region of our
    3-1  state and extend congratulations to the Winter Garden Border Area
    3-2  Health Education Center, Del Rio Office on its first anniversary
    3-3  with best wishes for continued success; and, be it further
    3-4        RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution be prepared for
    3-5  the Del Rio Office as an expression of appreciation from the
    3-6  Texas Senate.
    3-7                               ______________________________________
    3-8                                       President of the Senate
    3-9                                    I hereby certify that the above
   3-10                               Resolution was adopted by the Senate
   3-11                               on March 8, 1995.
   3-12                               ______________________________________
   3-13                                       Secretary of the Senate
   3-14                               ______________________________________
   3-15                                        Member, Texas Senate