MISSION, Texas – An in-depth discussion on healthcare in the Rio Grande Valley took place at a recent conference hosted jointly by Western Governors University and AltaCair.
The WGU/AltaCair event was titled “Accelerator 2023 RGV Health Equity Conference.” It was held at Mission Event Center.
In their program notes, WGU/AltaCair explained why they hosted the conference.
“The RGV region has 24.7 percent of familiars living below the poverty level, nearly triple the percentage for the United States, according to the RGV Health Connect Organization. The population struggle with diabetes, obesity, and cervical cancer among other health issues.
“The Rio Grande Regional Hospital states that an estimated 76,000 people in the region have diabetes. The COVID-19 pandemic further augmented the challenges of RGV with economic depressions and heightened inequities. The four RGV counties – Starr, Hidalgo, Willacy, and Cameron counties – are among the poorest counties in the nation and access to healthcare is unaffordable for many residents.”
One of the panel discussions involved three Valley leaders: Hidalgo County Judge Richard Cortez, UT-Rio Grande Valley Vice President Veronica Gonzales, and Texas A&M University Vice President Manny Vela. They were joined by Dr. Kimberly Kelly-Cortez, senior associate dean and director of programs at WGU’s Levitt School of Health.
Here is a video recording of the four panelists answering one of the questions, posed by Eric Weaver, executive director at the Institute for Advancing Health Value:
https://youtu.be/KRKHRMyscLc
