STEER earns national award from Association of Physician Assistant Programs

Contact: Will Sansom
Phone: 210-567-2570
E-mail: sansom@uthscsa.edu

APAP_BODY
Dr. J. Dennis Blessing (second from left) presents the APAP Partnership Award to STEER team members (L-R) Roger Perales, Dr. Claudia Miller and Joan Engelhardt. clear graphic Dr. J. Dennis Blessing (second from left) presents the APAP Partnership Award to STEER team members (L-R) Roger Perales, Dr. Claudia Miller and Joan Engelhardt.

San Antonio (Nov. 25, 2003) – The Association of Physician Assistant Programs (APAP) has  awarded the South Texas Environmental Education and Research (STEER) program with its  distinguished Partnership Award. The APAP bestows the award yearly on outstanding  educational programs whose efforts advance the APAP’s mission and physician assistant (PA)  education. The mission of the APAP is: 1. to foster faculty development; 2. to promote  excellence within PA programs; 3. to facilitate research and scholarly activities; 4. to advocate  for PA education; and 5. to maintain and advance the organization.

J. Dennis Blessing, Ph.D., P.A.C, associate professor and chair of the department of physician  assistant studies at The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio (UTHSC), n   nominated STEER for the award.

“I have been involved with a number of educational projects over the years and none are as good  as STEER in helping educate our students in gaining an understanding of the public health  issues in a medically underserved geographic area,” Dr. Blessing said. “STEER is a valuable  partner in our efforts to meet the physical, social and mental needs of the Texas/Mexico border  region.”

Dr. Blessing said the STEER experience has opened students’ eyes to the realities of difficult health situations in the border region brought on by poverty, inadequate water supplies, poor waste management, inadequate medical insurance, poor air quality and a population with limited access to education and public support.

STEER was established in 1996 in Laredo as a part of the Health Science Center’s department of family and community medicine to provide residents, medical, nursing and public health students with a four-week elective on border health. Students from universities across the country can enroll in the course. Roger Perales, B.S., R.S, and Joan Engelhardt, B.S.N., R.N., M.S.Ed., are the environmental health coordinators for STEER. Claudia Miller, M.D., M.S., is the director.

 



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