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