Leadership San Antonio’s 45
th Class held their first in-person day since the COVID-19 pandemic began, close to 400 days since their last traditional gathering and focused on how to “Be Healthy”. Class members who could not join the day physically, had the opportunity to join virtually from their home or office.
The LSA 45 team met at
City Education Partners and sought out on a day-long journey to examine the ways in which San Antonio is addressing social determinants of health (SDOH) to emerge from the COVID-19 public health crisis stronger, healthier, and more resilient. LSA 45 discussed SDOH through three pillars of physical, financial, and mental health.
After a nutritious breakfast sponsored by Methodist Hospital Metropolitan and provided by
Powerhouse Bakery and
Tag Coffee, the class participated in a mindfulness activity led by LSA 45’s very own Miranda Puente, CEO of
Puente Plumbing and Certified Yoga instructor in order to release anxiety, reconnect as a class and to be energized to have an open mind for learning.
LSA 45 class member Jeff Wurzburg virtually interviewed surprise guest Representative Diego Bernal about the intersection between Medicaid and Social Determinants of Health. Representative Bernal recognized Leadership San Antonio as a group of “influential people who will themselves determine the future of the city.” Representative Bernal also addressed why he introduced legislation during the Texas’ 87th legislative session to expand Medicaid and the impact expansion would have on the population and business communities of Texas and San Antonio. He recognized Medicaid as “the punctuation mark at the end of all of these social determinants.” In addition to providing vulnerable populations with health care, Representative Bernal discussed the benefit to employers of having a healthier workforce. He stated that increased Medicaid coverage means greater productivity and a more lucrative business environment that isn’t responsible for the cost of employee health care.
Colonel (Retired) Mary Garr, President and CEO of the Family Service Association, provided the class with an overview of SDOH and their impact on health and mortality rates in San Antonio. The CDC defines SDOH as “the conditions in the environments where people are born, live, learn, work, play, worship, and age that affect a wide range of health, functioning, and quality-of-life outcomes and risks.” In particular, Col. Garr informed the class about how SDOH effect economic stability, education, housing, and community engagement. She discussed how investments in social services to address social determinants can mitigate costly adverse health outcomes.
Lauren Geraghty, Chief Strategy Officer for Communities In Schools of San Antonio, followed with an engaging and eye-opening presentation about adverse childhood experiences (ACES) and the critical role they play in shaping one’s outlook and outcomes. Lauren shared the importance of being a trauma informed community by understanding ACES to better understand ourselves, our behaviors, and the relationships we have with others. Communities In Schools of San Antonio offers our community ACE trainings which are great for educators, business leaders and those who want to develop better relationships around mental wellness with their teams and/or youth. The next virtual ACE training will take place on June 23 from 1-3 p.m., and more details may be found by visiting
cissa.org.
After enjoying a healthy lunch sponsored by
Broadway Bank, Rita Espinoza, MPH, DrPH, Chief of Epidemiology at Metro Health shared an update on a safe and healthy return to work. Central to a return to work is prevention which consists of getting the vaccine, wearing a mask, social distancing, and washing hands frequently. Dr. Espinoza also noted that it was important to remind sick employees to stay home and encourage staff to be vaccinated. Lastly, she provided the group with resources through the City of San Antonio, State of Texas, and CDC to aid in COVID-19 preparedness.
Turning to financial health, Celina Pena, the Chief Advancement Officer of Lift Fund spoke to the class about the financial health of small businesses emerging from the pandemic through the lens of SDOH. In Bexar County, small businesses owned by minorities were hardest hit by the COVID-19 pandemic, particularly those Black & Hispanic-owned. Celina also talked about the Helm Program, developed in partnership with USAA and the support of community partners, aimed at helping BIPOC businesses navigate a post-COVID world for success. For more information on Helm, please visit:
HELM.
The LSA 45 team then traveled to
Hanger 9 at Brooks where Paul Rezaei, Founder of Work Out Help Out (WOHO) and certified personal trainer, engaged the class in a fun and challenging high intensity interval training work out. WOHO is a nonprofit organization dedicated to strengthening communities and volunteers and hosts weekend volunteer service events that integrate exercise into community service. Additional information, including opportunities to volunteer, may be found at
https://www.workouthelpout.org/.
At the conclusion of their day, the Be Healthy Team held a Cinco De Mayo themed social hour sponsored by
Brooks,
Deco Pizzeria, and
Viva Beer. LSA 45 was joined by Richard Perez, President & CEO of the San Antonio Chamber of Commerce, and Marina Gonzales, President & CEO of the San Antonio Hispanic Chamber of Commerce. Esperanza “Hope” Andrade, 2021 San Antonio Chamber of Commerce Chair of the Board, shared her experience in LSA and encouraged class members to remain connected with their classmates.
We had a surprise visit by Rey Feo and LSA Class 29 member, Thomas Aguillon, along with members of the Rey Feo LXXII Court, including LSA 45 Steering Committee members Edward Benavides, JR Trevino, and Co-Chair Cristina Bazaldua and class member Dave Sims.
Be Healthy Day was made possible by presenting sponsor Methodist Hospital Metropolitan. For a complete list of sponsors, visit
www.leadershipsa.org.
Support and partnership opportunities for Leadership San Antonio are always available through corporate and individual donations of time, talent, and treasure. For specific sponsorship details, please contact Lori Stinson at
lstinson@sachamber.org.
