South Texas Health System

Providing Important Workplace Safety Education: Last week, South Texas Health System employees practiced their emergency preparedness with an automated external defibrillator (AED) demonstration at the STHS Regional Operations Center on the STHS Edinburg campus. Led by nurse educator Ryan Alfonso BSN RN, who oversees staff development education, more than 60 STHS employees were trained on how to use the AED in the case a fellow employee or visitor suffers a heart-related event. Because the average response time for first responders once 911 is called is 8-12 minutes, and for each minute defibrillation is delayed, the odds of survival are reduced by approximately 10%, per the American Red Cross, having access to an AED and knowing how to use one, is critical. By hosting this annual training exercise, STHS staff members stand at the ready to handle a heart event should one arise.

Celebrating a Behind-the-Scenes All-Star! South Texas Health System McAllen telephone operator Ruben Flores, who has worked at the facility for nearly two years, was recognized as an Employee of the Month earlier this year for always going above and beyond. Telephone operators play a vital role in hospital settings. Not only is their work important from a customer satisfaction standpoint; it's also essential to a facility's day-to-day operations. Beyond greeting and connecting internal and external callers, operators like Ruben perform a wide array of functions that support medical responses and community relations, including hospital alarms and issuing hospital emergency codes. Congratulations, Ruben, for your impact on patients, family members, doctors and employees!

Providing Quality Resident Education in the Rio Grande Valley: South Texas Health System GME Consortium Family Medicine residents recently ventured to the Texas A&M University Higher Education Center at McAllen campus as part of their two-week orientation program. Residents participated in a professional workshop – led by Dr. Heidi Pareja, Program Director for the consortium's Family Medicine Residency Program – that offered an overview of the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) requirements for Family Medicine graduates. Through accreditation, innovations and initiatives, the ACGME strives to ensure that residents and fellows train in educational environments that support patient safety, resident and fellow education and physician well-being. In partnership with the Texas A&M University School of Medicine, the STHS GME Consortium will offer residents the opportunity to rotate through various specialties to gain exposure to diverse patient populations and medical conditions. Thank you, Texas A&M McAllen, for hosting our first-ever cohort of STHS GME Consortium Family Medicine residents.

Helping Improve Patient Lives Through Therapeutic Recreation: This National Therapeutic Recreation Week, South Texas Health System is shining a spotlight on the hard-working activity therapists at STHS Behavioral. Each day, the team helps improve the health and well-being of patients with mental and emotional disabilities through the power of therapeutic recreation. While most people think of sports and exercise, recreational therapy include creative activities like art therapy. STHS Behavioral's recreation therapy programs incorporate structured group activities to help improve the physical, cognitive, emotional and social needs of patients, helping them develop skills and behaviors that they can use for daily living in their communities. A special thank you to the activity therapists and activity aides at STHS Behavioral for the difference you make in patients' lives.

Cementing a Special Bond One Step at a Time! It's National Father Daughter Take a Walk Day, which was created to promote the benefits of family bonding time between fathers and daughters, as well as the benefits of physical activity. So, South Texas Health System encourages you to go on a father-daughter stroll today at one of the many incredible places to walk and enjoy nature. While taking your stroll, cherish the time spent together. Your child will value the gift of the time you give no matter how old they are. And the memories made during your time together will stay with you forever.

Ready to Scrub In? If you like working in a fast-paced environment where critical thinking is essential, don’t miss out on the opportunity to join the only Valley facility named a Best Regional Hospital by U.S. News & World Report. South Texas Health System Edinburg is currently hiring registered nurses and surgical technicians for its operating room. Learn more about working in our operating rooms at STHS Edinburg at our upcoming hiring event on Thursday, July 11, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., near the gift shop at STHS Edinburg. http://spklr.io/6043SPqt For more information, including a list of open positions, visit the STHS Facebook events page. To apply now, visit http://spklr.io/6044SPqQ.

Here's Your Chance to Get Fit as a Family! In one week, South Texas Health System will host its fourth annual #TransformYourLife Health & Wellness Fair, a morning of fitness and fun for the entire family! Taking place on Saturday, July 13th at City of McAllen, TX's historic Quinta Mazatlan World Birding Center, the event will feature health & wellness activities for all ages, including: 💃 Zumba, yoga, Tai Chi, Pilates, boxing, jiu jitsu, senior exercises and more 🍳 Healthy cooking demonstrations & healthy food sampling 🚶♂️ Guided hikes along the nature trails at Quinta Mazatlan 👩🎨 Meditative activities, including rock painting ✅ And more! To learn more about our STHS Transform Your Life Health & Wellness Fair, visit STHSActive.com.

Recognizing the Signs of Hernia in Children: Hernias may be more common in adults, but they can affect youngsters, with inguinal and umbilical hernias the most common among children and babies. Between 10-25% of babies are born with an umbilical hernia, per the Journal of Pediatric Surgery, and they’re most common found in babies who are born prematurely or with a low birth weight. Inguinal hernias occur in about 1 - 5% of infants and children, according to the National Center for Health Statistics, appearing more frequently in infants born premature and more commonly in boys. Children are sometimes too young to describe hernia symptoms, so it’s important for parents to know how to signs which include: ⚕️ A lump or swelling near the groin or belly button ⚕️ Pain or tenderness around the groin or belly button ⚕️ Unexplained crying of fussiness ⚕️ A visible bulge that gets bigger during straining, crying or coughing For more information hernias in kids, check out our latest South Texas Health Minute on ValleyCentral.com. bit.ly/3VwvKzH

Bracing for Beryl: As Beryl barrels across the Gulf of Mexico, the National Hurricane Center (NHC) is predicting the storm will intensify to hurricane strength by the time it hits the Texas coast on Monday morning. “Everyone along the coast should be paying attention to this storm,” Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick said at a news conference in Austin. With that in mind, South Texas Health System encourages Valley residents, especially those along the coast in Cameron and Willacy counties, to pay attention to the latest forecast to learn more about the potential threat of heavy rain and flooding.

Recognizing a Cardiac Care Champion. When it comes to demonstrating quality, compassionate care, Jesse Alvarez, a cardiac CT technologist, doesn't only concentrate on his patients, he ensures that their patient records are the most accurate. For that reason, South Texas Health System Heart recently recognized Jesse as the facility's latest ACE-IT Award winner. Jesse was nominated by one of his peers for going above and beyond to provide quality, compassionate care to all patients he interacts with in the facility’s radiology department. "Jesse performed CT on a patient after hours and sent exam to vRad for reading/report. He noticed a discrepancy in the report and immediately informed vRad for review," reads his nomination. "Jesse was persistent in ensuring the report was accurate. Jesse’s dedication to his role ensured the patient received the proper care. His attention to detail is valued and respected." Congratulations, Jesse, for your well-deserved award.