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Operation Border Health Preparedness (OBHP)

A Full-Scale Emergency Preparedness Exercise in South Texas

Operation Border Health and Preparedness (OBHP) (formerly Operation Lonestar-OLS), July 24-28, 2023

Do you want to impact the health of underserved Texans?  Practice clinical, non-clinical, and interprofessional skills?  Work with federal, state, and local health providers?  TAMU Health students in medicine, nursing, pharmacy, and public health can participate in this opportunity for free!   Students from nutrition, clinical psychology, and veterinary medicine will participate as well.  

Faculty & Students:  Register Here by Sunday, April 16, 11:59PM

Register early as participation is limited!

Operation Border Health and Preparedness (formerly OLS) is a full-scale emergency training exercise led by the Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS).  OBHP has taken place annually for the past two decades in various cities along the South Texas border.  OBHP volunteers - including TAMU Health students, staff, and faculty - have in recent years provided nearly 37,000 free services to over 8,500 underserved and uninsured individuals.  Services include immunizations, blood pressure checks, diabetes screening, hearing and vision exams, medical evaluations, sports physicals, dental services, veteran services, mental health services, nutrition education, and smoking cessation.  Other patient education, disease surveillance, and targeted prevention efforts are available as well as veterinary services at some locations.

OLS1

Important Dates for OBHP23

  • Registration Closes - Sunday, April 16, 11:59PM
  • Last Day to Cancel Participation - Wednesday, May 31, 11:59PM
  • Mandatory Orientation - Wednesday, July 12, 4PM-6PM 
  • Departure to Assigned Locations - Saturday, July 22 (Times vary)
  • On-Site Training - Sunday, July 23 (Times vary by site) 
  • Exercise Dates - Monday-Friday, July 24-28
  • Return - Friday or Saturday, July 28-29 (Times vary) 

 (Partial participation is possible, though not encouraged.  See Registration Form for more information.) 

 Volunteers will be assigned to one of the cities below: 

  • Laredo
  • Rio Grande City
  • San Juan
  • Raymondville
  • Brownsville

All travel expenses are paid by participating schools/units and the TAMU Health Office of Interprofessional Education & Research (IPER). This includes transportation, hotel, and meals. (Participants can expect to pay some expenses out-of-pocket that will later be reimbursed, such as meals.)  More information is provided on the Registration Form.

OBHP23 will have COVID-19 precautions in place to mitigate the spread of the virus. TAMU volunteers are strongly encouraged to receive COVID-19 vaccinations to ensure their immunity prior to attending OBHP23.

E-mail iper@tamu.edu with questions. To learn more about OBHP, read the stories below.

Texas A&M Entities Practice Emergency Response, Provide Medical Services at Operation Lone Star
Operation Lone Star: Emergency Preparedness Exercise in South Texas
Health profession students prepare for emergencies while serving South Texas

State OBHP Website