South Texas Center Research Highlights

The Texas A&M Health Science Center South Texas Center, located in McAllen, provides comprehensive and accessible public health educational services and programs to residents of rural and underserved areas of South Texas.

Public health programs at HSC-STC focus on offering continuing education to public health professionals, conducting needs assessments, instituting high-quality public health services and health education and outreach programs, and conducting research on critical issues identified by South Texas. The center is participating in a diabetes prevention and control initiative that is a major effort to reduce the incidence and severity of diabetes.

Among its research efforts, the South Texas Community Health Status Assessment conducted community discussion groups, analysis of secondary data, key informant interviews, and a random sample survey of 1,300 households in Hidalgo and Starr Counties and northern Tamaulipas, Mexico. An advisory committee then formed task groups to address the issues identified through the assessment.

In addition, a study investigating Health Insurance Services in Small Factories on the U.S.-Mexico Border seeks to learn how these small firms handle health insurance benefits for employees. This project is jointly funded by the South Texas Center and the City of McAllen, and the results will assist in finding ways to address the growing number of uninsured residents in the border region.

The Childhood Immunization Education Initiative, funded by the Houston Endowment, is assessing childhood immunization status among children living in Hidalgo County colonias. Based on the findings, an intervention plan will be developed to improve childhood immunization coverage.