July - August 2009
Dedication onDisplay: Metro Health says goodbye to one 30-plus year team member and celebrates others
Yolanda Alvarado began working for the City of San Antonio at the San Antonio Police Department in June of 1978 as a data clerk. After six months with SAPD, she decided to join the public health team.
In December of 1978, Yolanda transferred to the San Antonio Metropolitan Health District and began serving the community through the Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) program as a clerk. Her tenure with the program began at about the same time that WIC launched operations and started serving local residents.
Over the years, Yolanda proved to be invaluable and advanced at WIC to the position of Assistant Social Services Manager. She also served as interim director for the program many times in her 31-year tenure and has been a stable guiding force over the years.
Yolanda officially retired on May 29. Her hard work and dedication to Metro Health for 30-plus years is greatly appreciated and she truly will be missed by all of her former WIC team members and the department overall.
As the Metro Health team says goodbye to Yolanda, it celebrates other team members with three decades or more of service to the department and the City of San Antonio. A hearty thanks goes to Yolanda and the following:Michele (Mickey) Maxwell (31 years), Senior Public Health Nurse
Population-based Services
Lee Lopez (31 years), Public Health Nursing Supervisor
Public Health Emergency Preparedness
Hermenegildo Martinez (31 years), Vector Control Technician
Food and Environmental Health Division
Margaret Rayos (31 years), Administrative Associate
Vital Statistics Division
Leonard Mechler (32 years), Senior Sanitarian
Food and Environmental Health Division
Armando Garcia (32 years), Custodial Services Supervisor
Health Facilities Division
Esperanza (Hope) Garza (33 years), Public Service Associate
Fiscal Operations Division
Charles Pruski (35 years), Assistant Public Health Director
Director's Office
Rosalinda Revelez (36 years), Dental Assistant
Dental Division
Gilbert Garza (36 years), Sanitarian II
Food and Environmental Health Division
Arthur Lozano (42 years), Sanitarian II
Food and Environmental Health Division
Sarah Buchanan (42 years), Administrative Associate
Food and Environmental Health Division
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In the Community
Metro Health team members joined other members of the City Volunteer Corp for the 2nd Annual Pet Spa Day at Animal Care Services this spring. The volunteers bathed dogs and prepared pets for adoption. They also planted trees, painted, and performed other 'home improvement' tasks for ACS' one-year old facility. Thanks team for your
time and concern for our
four-legged friends!
Featured Employee
Erica Haller Stevenson is a
Senior Management Analyst with the Steps to a Healthier San Antonio program and the braintrust behind our new newsletter name. Meet Erica...
Did you know...?
Metro Health produced its inaugural annual report for fiscal year
2007-2008. The publication highlights the department's programs, services and accomplishments.
Metro Health has an Advisory Board of Health which advises and makes recommendations on the health functions of the department to the Director of Health and the governing bodies of the City and County.
Current ABOH members include...
Metro Health routinely hosts medical students for public health clinical rotations. Meet the current visitors from the Netherlands.
In the News
New food handler rules take effect in January 2010.
Read more or watch the KENS 5 video
New weight gain guidelines for pregnant women. Read more...
Snapshot of Health
Congratulations to
Executive
Secretary Theresa (Tessie) Medina, a role model for a healthy pregnancy and weight gain. Tessie gave birth to her second child, Madeleine Nicole, on June 9.
20-inch long Madeleine weighed
8 lbs. and 4 oz.
Healthy Link
Join Metro Health for a two-day comprehensive conference.
The Changing Face of STIs, HIV & TB:
Issues from a Clinical, Behavioral and Partner Services viewpoint.
September 17-18
8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Holiday Inn, 318 W. Durango
More info here...
The Health Collaborative, in
partnership with the San Antonio Zoo, will host a Fitness Safari on
Friday, July 17 from
9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
All children visiting the zoo during the safari can participate in nine fitness activities that relate to fitness attributes of certain animals.
Children receive a token after completing each activity. Youngsters with five or more tokens can redeem them for a fitness-related toy.
Dedication on Display
Assistant Social Services Manager Yolanda Alvarado retired after three decades of service to the WIC program. She and several of Metro Health's team members are living proof that public health is
not just a job, it's a commitment.
Read more...
The Artwork
In 2007, the Steps to a Healthier San Antonio Program (Steps-SA), in collaboration with San Antonio ISD and the Southwest School of Art and Craft, presented "A Healthy Community Through the Eyes of a Child" in which children from local schools expressed their creative vision of health
concerns and issues affecting their community through the use of art.