Operation Border Health Preparedness (OBHP)

Do you want to impact the health of underserved Texans?  Practice clinical, non-clinical, and interprofessional skills?  Work with federal, state, and local health agencies and providers?  Then don’t miss out on this free opportunity!  Students and faculty from medicine, nursing, nutrition, pharmacy, psychology, public health, and veterinary medicine are invited to participate! 

Faculty & Students:  Register   Here  by Wednesday, April 17, 11:59PM

Register early as participation is limited!

What is OBHP?   Operation Border Health Preparedness (OBHP) 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 students, staff, and faculty - have in recent years contributed to the provision of 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 veterinary services as some locations.

Where is OBHP?   Volunteers will be assigned to one of these south Texas border cities:  Brownsville, Laredo, Raymondville, Rio Grande City, San Juan .

What did TAMU students have to say about participating last year?

• “I learned with the behavioral health team, the medical team, and the pharmacology team the importance of an inter[professional] approach to individual health care.” 
• “What I liked most about participating was being able to help my community and see more clearly how much healthcare is lacking within it.”
• “We learned about the Texas State Guard and the [medical] services that they provide. We learned how to work together in a medical setting to utilize all of our disciplines as a team.”
• “What I liked most about participating was the experience of working in a different/unique healthcare setting. It definitely broadened my perspectives on what it means to work with other [healthcare providers] and members of a new community."