July - August 2009
Newsletter Name from Steps Team Member Selected
Everybody loves a contest. At least that was the discovery during the preparation process for the department's first electronic newsletter. Team members submitted their entries for the name of the newsletter and then the choices were whittled down to a selection from Erica Haller Stevenson - Health e-News.
Erica chose the name to combine the department's mission of health and to relay that this publication would provide news that was health oriented.
And, Erica knows health. The Emory University (Atlanta) graduate has a master's in public health with a specialty in health education. The Tucson, Arizona native is a former emergency medical technician (EMT) and physical therapy tech. Having worked her way through school in both the emergency medicine and rehabilitation arenas of health, she decided to enter public health in order to "prevent things from happening to people rather than trying to take care of them after the fact."
A relative newcomer to Metro Health with one-and-a-half years tenure, Erica is a senior management analyst with the Steps to a Healthier San Antonio (Steps-SA) program, which encourages good nutrition, increased physical activity, and smoking prevention or cessation to help reduce diabetes, obesity, and asthma in San Antonio. She is a valued member of the public health team, serving as a community and media liaison for Steps-SA.
Erica is married to a law school student, Chris. The couple has been married for seven years.
Special note from the editor: the template for this electronic newsletter was created by a former Metro Health intern. UTSA grad Laura Carmina Reyes was a great asset to the Public Relations Division by developing a campaign for WIC, writing news releases, creating PowerPoints, and assisting with the contest to name Health e-News among other contributions. She successfully applied for her first professional, field-related position and is now using her skills and bilingual speaking abilities at Market Vision, a Hispanic Marketing agency, as a PR assistant. Congratulations, Carmina!
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.