SOUTH SAN ANTONIO
LOCAL COMMUNITY NEWS LOCALCOMMUNITYNEWS.COM | VOL. 1, ISSUE 9 | NOV. 3 - DEC. 1, 2020
EQUAL ACCESS
Harlandale’s all-inclusive sport court scores with community
Vertical Farming
HEALTH
GROWS ON THE SOUTH SIDE
by EDMOND ORTIZ
FAMILIES WITH PHYSICALLY challenged children can now look to the South Side for a sport venue especially designed with those youngsters in mind.
by TRAVIS E. POLING
THE OUTBREAK OF THE NOVEL CORONAVIRUS is transforming the nature of health care delivery across both the planet and the greater San Antonio area.
In September, the Harlandale Independent School District and Believe It Foundation provided a sneak preview to Bankshot Basketball, a unique, all-inclusive and adapted court, which enables and encourages play between people of all abilities. “By giving physically challenged
As providers grapple with the current disease and its staggering impact, physicians and other medical professionals are formulating plans to combat future pandemics. Edith Ambrester went through breast-cancer management, chemotherapy, surgery and radiation. Everything not requiring in-person consulting, from treatmentpreparation instructions to follow-up,
SCORES continues on pg. 10
by EDMOND ORTIZ
PG. 08 | LOCAL LOWDOWN
BROOSTER’S
Latest news, updates on where to dine and drink
RESIDENTS ALONG the South Flores Street corridor are spreading the word about vertical farming and how it could someday benefit their neighbors and beyond.
Members of the grassroots South Flores Community group have been initiating small-scale projects where crops are grown in stacked layers in a compact, controlled environment. GARDEN continues on pg. 12
At the height of the pandemic, University Health System personnel such as diabetic retinopathy screener and medical assistant Juanita Banda (above) were reassigned to help screen patients and visitors. Such positions are likely to be a regular staff function. Photo by Mark C. Greenberg/UHS
ADAPTING continues on pg. 16
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ON THE COVER – How does your garden grow? Defranco Sarabia (left) and Ricardo Herrera are South Side residents leading a grassroots initiative exploring vertical farming and how the concept can be scaled and applied for use by individuals, businesses and organizations. See the story on pg. 01. Photo by Edmond Ortiz
TALK LOCAL
Cenotaph saved IT WOULD SEEM THE BATTLE OF THE ALAMO RAGES STILL, but the Texas Historical Commission made the right call denying a permit allowing revisionists to move the Cenotaph. Members of the Alamo Management Committee, the public-private partnership pushing a $450 million plan to renovate Alamo Plaza, said they wanted the Cenotaph relocated to restore the mission’s true historical legacy. The Spanish Empire, in concert with the Catholic Church, built missions just like the Alamo the world over to minister to Indigenous persons. Nothing unique there. What is memorable about the Alamo is its place in history as a battleground symbolizing man’s struggle for freedom against tyranny. The Cenotaph honors the heroes of all ethnicities who fought for independence in March 1836, inspiring those who strive for liberty for generations to come. It belongs front and center on the Alamo grounds, not moved south of the shrine. In addition, the monument could be damaged should it be shifted. The Cenotaph stands as a reminder freedom is purchased through blood and sacrifice. Those who desired relocation say they only wished to tell the “full” story of the 300-year-old mission. Instead, it appears they want to minimize the most important chapter in the Alamo’s history. The LOCAL Community News editorial board includes Jaselle Luna and Thomas Edwards.
d
PROTECT YOUR LUNGS. SKIP THE VAPE. Vaping can damage your lungs and weaken your immune system. sanantonio.gov/health
OPINION
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L O CA L C O M M U N I T Y N E W S NOV. 3 - DEC. 1, 2020
Giving thanks, not COVID by SUSAN YERKES
WHEN THANKSGIVING APPROACHES I make a list of things I’m grateful for. At the top this year: I’m thankful 2020 is almost over. We
may not get back to normal in 2021, but it’s got to be better than the three Cs: coronavirus, closings and chaos. Thanksgiving is the definitive all-American holiday. The Norman Rockwell image of a family sharing a big, beautiful meal doesn’t seem so cozy with masks and gloves. Giving thanks is one thing, but giving COVID-19 is something else entirely. For months, most folks I know have been plotting alternative get-togethers, from Zooming the family feast to moving outside or doing drive-by food deliveries. The good news: According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, food and its packaging are low risk
for viral spread. The bad news: Saliva and breathing both increase exposure. Bummer. It’s one thing to wear a mask at the grocery store, but something else entirely to keep it on in a room full of people having a wonderful time. This year, many time-honored San
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Antonio traditions of giving are canceled or altered. The Raul Jimenez Thanksgiving has morphed into a holiday-meal delivery. Air Force basic trainees at Lackland won’t enjoy turkey dinner with local families, since Operation Home Cooking is called off. Ditto the Army’s Mission Thanksgiving event. On the other hand, a Texas Thanksgiving isn’t necessarily traditional. You may have grown up with the tale of Plymouth Colony’s British pilgrims sharing a love feast with the happy Wampanoag tribe in 1621, but in these days of political correctness it’s hard to keep such a rosy scenario going, especially in light of how Native Americans ended up. In fact, if you want to talk turkey about Thanksgiving, look no further than El Paso, where true-blue Texans claim the first such feast was held in 1598, when Spanish conquistador Juan de Oñate and settlers found water and rest after a punishing trip through the Chihuahuan Desert. The El Paso Mission Trail Association commemorates the event, which has drawn controversy. A lot of things about Thanksgiving have a stormy history in the Lone Star State. In 1777, the Continental Congress declared the first national Thanksgiving, President George Washington affirmed it in 1789, and in 1863, President Abraham Lincoln officially made Thanksgiving the last Thursday in November.
(Thursday was “Lecture Day” for the Plymouth Puritans, and the start of the original, three-day celebration.) Texas went along with the national date, but from 1879 to 1882, Gov. O.M. Roberts refused to declare the holiday at all, calling it a “damn Yankee institution” and a “religious exercise.” In 1939, when President Franklin Roosevelt moved Thanksgiving up a week, to the next-to-last Thursday in November, Gov. W. Lee “Pappy” O’Daniel rebelled against the “New Deal Thanksgiving” and Texans got two celebrations. Some politicians framed the Texas Thanksgiving as a matter of states’ rights. Between 1939 and 1957 Texas observed seven years of double Thanksgivings. (Tough on turkeys, great for turkey breeders.) In 1957, Gov. Price Daniel signed a new set of holidays into law, aligning the state observance with the national one for good. Some staunch Southerners claimed treason; Daniel “went Yankee,” as one newspaper charged. Thanksgiving in 2020 may not be the same, but the spirit of the holiday has weathered plenty of changes over time. Whether you celebrate Thanksgiving or the newer “Friendsgiving” (which still seems weird to me) or both, it’s all about being grateful for what we have, and sharing. That spirit prevails. I find it “hope-giving.” syerkes@localcommunitynews.com
One of the most well-respected and award-winning journalists in South Texas, Susan Yerkes pens a column each month for LOCAL Community News. A veteran of newspapers, television, radio and online, she calls San Antonio home.
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HAPPENING
L O CA L C O M M U N I T Y N E W S NOV. 3 - DEC. 1, 2020
NOVEMBER
PLAN YOUR MONTH WITH OUR CALENDAR OF UPCOMING EVENTS IN THE COMMUNITY.
NOV. 3, 17 & DEC. 1 ROTARY CLUB
The Rotary Club of San Antonio South meets at noon on the second floor of Stinson Municipal Airport, 8535 Mission Road. However, during the COVID-19 pandemic, sessions could take place via Zoom. For updates or cancellations, visit https://portal.clubrunner.ca/8149.
NOV. 7, 21
YOGA AT THE MISSION Mission San José, 701 E. Pyron Ave., is the site of a free, one-hour community yoga session at 10 a.m. Meet in front of the church or inside the granary during bad weather. For updates or cancellations, call 210-932-1001.
NOV. 7, 14
MISSION RUN The 47th annual “Mission 5K/10K/ Kids Run” begins at 8:30 a.m. at Mission County Park (Pavilion 1), 6030 Padre Drive. For costs, updates or cancellations, visit https://www. athleteguild.com/running/sanantonio-tx/2020-mission-5k10kkidsrun.
NOV. 9
Southtown Arts District First and Second
Southside Independent School District pupils are excused to observe Veterans Day.
NOV. 12
SHARE A LAUGH
Now is the time to be sure your current Medicare plan is still a good fit for you. If your health needs have changed, or your current plan doesn’t offer the benefits and features you’re looking for, it may be time to take advantage of an AARP® Medicare Advantage plan from UnitedHealthcare. Plans may include:
$0 Monthly premium
NOV. 8
ART FANS
Take advantage of benefits that go beyond Original Medicare.
Specialist visits
Saturday Markets is 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at The Artisan, 1103A S. Presa St. For updates or cancellations on the free event with music, email shop@theartisansatx.com or call 210-962-5560.
Yearly limits on out-of-pocket spending Fixed copays for outpatient hospital services
Credits to buy over-thecounter products $0 copay for Tier 1 drugs
It’s time to take advantage. Call me today.
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The Good Kind Southtown, 1127 S. St. Mary’s St., presents standup comedians at 7 p.m. including Christopher Breakell and Aaron Cheatham; host is Tori Pool. For updates or cancellations, visit https://www.facebook.com/ GoodKindSouthtown/photos/gm.3 36440917420958/639550536751 714/.
NOV. 12
GENERAL SPEAKS Retired Maj. Gen. Angie Salinas, CEO of Girl Scouts of Southwest Texas, is the featured speaker during the free webinar series
“Power of a Legacy.” The virtual event is presented by Villa Finale: Museum & Gardens. For advanced registration, links, updates or cancellations, visit https://www. villafinale.org/programs/.
NOV. 12
NETWORKING BREAKFAST The South San Antonio Chamber of Commerce holds a networking breakfast from 7:30-9 a.m. at Don Pedro Mexican Restaurant, 1526 S.W. Military Drive. Cost is $15 for members, $20 for nonmembers. For updates or cancellations, visit https://www.southsachamber.org/ or call Jessica Furdock at 210-5331600.
NOV. 14
‘THE PEOPLE’S CLINIC’ The Estela Avery Education Center inside Confluence Park, 310 W. Mitchell St., is home to traditional healing practices from 1-5 p.m. For updates or cancellations, visit https://sariverfound.org/events/thepeoples-clinic/.
NOV. 16
HARLANDALE ISD Bell Elementary School, 519 W. Harding Blvd., is the site of a trustees’ meeting at 6:15 p.m. If COVID-19 restrictions are in place, the meeting will be virtual. For updates or cancellations, visit www. harlandale.net. HAPPENING continues on pg. 11
p.delagarzainsurance@gmail.com Sí, hablo su idioma. Pl i d through h h UnitedHealthcare U i dH l h I Benefits, features and/or devices vary by plan/area. Limitations and exclusions apply. Plans are insured Insurance Company or one of its affiliated companies, a Medicare Advantage organization with a Medicare contract. Enrollment in the plan depends on the plan’s contract renewal with Medicare. UnitedHealthcare Insurance Company pays royalty fees to AARP for the use of its intellectual property. These fees are used for the general purposes of AARP. AARP and its affiliates are not insurers. You do not need to be an AARP member to enroll. AARP encourages you to consider your needs when selecting products and does not make specific product recommendations for individuals. AARP does not employ or endorse agents, producers or brokers. AARP Medicare Advantage Walgreens (LPPO)’s pharmacy network includes limited lower-cost pharmacies in rural ID and OR. The lower costs advertised in our plan materials for these pharmacies may not be available at the pharmacy you use. For up-to-date information about our network pharmacies, including whether there are any lower-cost preferred pharmacies in your area, please call us or consult the online pharmacy directory using the contact information that appears on the booklet cover. Other pharmacies are available in the UnitedHealthcare network but you may not receive preferred retail pharmacy pricing. ©2020 United HealthCare Services, Inc. All rights reserved. Y0066_200717_100916_M SPRJ55532_002DB35E
EDITOR’S NOTE: THE CALENDAR IS CURRENT AS OF PRESS TIME, BUT SOME EVENTS MAY HAVE BEEN POSTPONED OR CANCELED DUE TO CORONAVIRUS CONCERNS. ACCESS TO PUBLIC MEETINGS MAY BE LIMITED OR STREAMING ONLY. CHECK WITH THE LISTED CONTACTS FOR UPDATES.
Approximately 70% of total hospitalized cases of COVID-19 are indicated to have some type of underlying condition (the other 30% either do not have an underlying condition or their status is unknown). Among these cases, diabetes is the most common, followed by heart disease and obesity.
CHANGE TODAY FOR A HEALTHIER FUTURE. Make Changes • Reduce Risk • Take Control
DID YOU KNOW?
Almost 29 million Americans have diabetes – but that’s just the tip of the iceberg. About 84 million adults in the United States have prediabetes. The YMCA of Greater San Antonio and The City of The San Antonio Metropolitan Health Department have teamed up to fight diabetes from two fronts. Whether you are at risk for type 2 diabetes or if you have already been diagnosed, we have a FREE program for you! We can help you: · Make lifestyle changes to help prevent or delay the disease · Work with family members to reduce your entire family’s risk · Manage the disease if you have already received a diagnosis. We’ll teach you how you can take control of your health safely manage the symptoms of diabetes. Call 210-207-8807 or visit diabeteshelpsa.com for more information.
LOWDOWN
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L O CA L C O M M U N I T Y N E W S NOV. 3 - DEC. 1, 2020
TAKE A QUICK LOOK AT WHAT’S NEW IN THE COMMUNITY FROM OPENINGS AND CLOSINGS TO NEWS TIDBITS.
Open and Opening Soon BROOSTER’S BACKYARD ICEHOUSE, 815 Pleasanton Road, bills itself as an open-air beer joint coming soon to the South Side. It will be pet-friendly and kid-friendly, too. Norman Velez says he’s creating a “laid-back” atmosphere where Lotería nights, yoga classes, chancla-throwing contests and even turtle races might occur. For more, visit www.facebook. com/BroostersBackyard ROCKERDOGZ GOURMET STREET DOGZ, 3014 Roosevelt Ave., marks the first permanent location for chef Kris Martinez and his upscale hot dogs. Visitors may bring their own beer and dine on-site or togo. Hours are 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday, and 1-6 p.m. Sunday. For more, visit https://www.facebook.com/RockerDogz.
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MISSION OUTDOOR THEATER, 8069 Challenger Blvd. at Brooks, is San Antonio’s newest drive-in showing classic movies and double features, plus providing special events. Two screens, both displaying a different film with separate admission, have enough space for 130 vehicles each. For more, visit www. missionoutdoortheater.com. TANDEM, 310 Riverside Drive, is a venture organized by several local business operators set to open in November, serving coffee, wine and beer, along with light foods such as salads and baked goods. It’s next to the South Side Living and Maker Spaces lofts. Primarily an outdoor venue, Tandem, a gathering space for nearby residents, bicyclists and other community members, will accommodate small activities, such as yoga classes, and enforce COVID-19 safety measures. For more, visit https://www.facebook.com/ tandemsatx.
MADHATTERS TEA HOUSE AND CAFÉ, 320 Beauregard St., has permanently closed, as owners Joey and Gina Cuellar chose retirement. According to reports, Bar Loretta, opening sometime in 2021 in the former Madhatters space, will offer contemporary takes on traditional Texas dishes, and also include a small market.
IN OTHER NEWS:
CONSTRUCTION BEGAN IN SEPTEMBER ON A $1.4 million project to connect an extension of The Greenline linear park at Brooks to the San Antonio River Mission Reach.
Life insurance shouldn’t wait.
BROOKS AND PORT SAN ANTONIO WILL LIKE A GOOD NEIGHBOR
IS THERE®
see a total of $60 million in projects associated with Base Realignment
and Closure-related construction being carried out in support of the Air Force Civil Engineer Center Installations Directorate. New York-based, FPM Remediations Inc., oversees the BRAC endeavors, all set for completion by Sept. 30, 2030.
THE CITY’S PARKS AND RECREATION DEPARTMENT is offering students free access to virtual learning hubs at eight community centers through Dec. 18, including Harlandale Community Center, 7227 Briar Place and Southside Lions Community Center, 3100 Hiawatha St. The sites, open 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. weekdays, provide internet access and free lunch to students in elementary, middle and high school. For more, call 210-2077275 or visit www.saparksandrec. com.
THE UNIVERSITY OF THE INCARNATE WORD recently bought several buildings at Brooks to expand its medical campus serving South Side residents. UIW, which currently operates its School of Osteopathic Medicine there, purchased additional adjacent structures to accommodate growth of its other health-profession programs in various parts of the city.
THE SOUTHSIDE INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT IS HONORING the San Antonio Food Bank and philanthropist Kym Rapier for help in feeding 30,000 people during the past year. SISD and the pantry formed a partnership in April when the COVID-19 pandemic hit locally. Each month, the food bank provides meals to more than 5,000 SISD residents, officials said. “We see carloads of families who show up in the early morning hours to receive quality food at the district’s Kym Rapier Food Pantry,”
NOV. 3 - DEC. 1, 2020
L O CA L C O M M U N I T Y N E W S
Superintendent Rolando Ramirez said in a statement. “There is absolutely no way we could do what we’re doing without their help.”
THE SAN ANTONIO RIVER AUTHORITY spent two weeks in October removing specific trees along the river’s Mission Reach to better maintain proper flood control along the 8-mile stretch of SARA’s river ecosystem restoration project. SAN ANTONIO METROPOLITAN HEALTH AND THE UNIVERSITY OF THE INCARNATE WORD held a free, drive-thru, flu-vaccination clinic Oct. 3. About 200 people got free shots at UIW’s School of Osteopathic Medicine, 7615 Kennedy Hill Drive. Going forward, the partnership will sponsor more inoculation opportunities.
“The UIW Cardinal Clinic’s goal is to improve access to health care for underserved and vulnerable members of the community. We encourage our neighbors to ... get their flu vaccine and to continue practicing social distancing as we navigate through the hurdles of COVID-19,” said Dr. Robyn PhillipsMadson, dean. For more, call 210-6433266.
MARGO GOMEZ, A TEACHER AT CAST Med High School, recently received an innovation grant from the SAISD Foundation. The award to be used for Gomez’s project, “Bike Riding for Life,” will fund 25 bicycles and equipment providing CAST Med students the opportunity to ride during physical-education classes at Brooks’
LOWDOWN
The Greenline. The magnet school in the San Antonio Independent School District, located at Brooks, creates career paths for future doctors and researchers.
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The program is aimed at creating opportunities to enhance social mobility, income growth and career readiness.
TEXAS A&M UNIVERSITY-SAN ANTONIO
NISSEI PLASTIC MACHINERY AMERICA INC. RECENTLY received a 2020 Lone
recently launched the ASPIRE Classroom of the Month Award to recognize exceptional teachers and classroom cultures. Priscilla Ortegon and her fifth graders at Gallardo Elementary School in the Southside Independent School District received the inaugural honor. Launched in 2019, ASPIRE is a collaborative effort between the college and East Central, Edgewood, Harlandale, Somerset, South San Antonio, Southside and Southwest independent school districts.
Star Safety Award, recognizing the company for “exemplary workplace safety,” plus low rates of job-related injuries and illnesses. The program is part of the Texas Department of Insurance, Division of Workers’ Compensation. The 115,000-squarefoot production facility, opened at the Brooks Industrial Park in May 2018, manufactures plastic-injection molding presses. Find Local Lowdown at www. localcommunitynews.com.
LOCALCOMMUNITYNEWS.COM
Exciting News!
Landmark Cancer Center has officially become part of 21st Century Oncology & GenesisCare. We are joining forces to increase access to global expertise and the latest technology, so together we can achieve the best possible outomes for our patients. CANCER CARE CLOSE TO HOME
Dr. Kimberly Stewart, Radiation Oncologist
Dr. Trevor Lim, Radiation Oncologist
Locations: Brooks City Base and Live Oak
Diplomas Open Doors. Considering a home school or distance learning program? Victory Learning Center Can Help! • Upon Graduation, a Diploma and Transcripts will be Awarded • We offer flexible schedules and home based programs • Individualized Attention • Accredited & Experienced Instructors • The Program is offered in English and Spanish *VLC students are considered Non-Traditional Secondary Education students pursuant to the Texas Education Code, Section 51.9241 and has been approved through Texas Legislature House Bill 944 There are two graduation ceremonies a year, Spring and Fall As Required by the State of Texas, the program includes the completion of 24 Credits
Call (210) 981-3051 for more information or visit www.21co.com
Now 2 Locations To Better Serve You 660 S. W. Military Suite: T, San Antonio, TX, 78221 (Inside Shoppers City Mall)
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L O CA L C O M M U N I T Y N E W S
EQUAL ACCESS
NOV. 3 - DEC. 1, 2020
SCORES continues from pg. 01
and typical children and teens the opportunity to play together, it allows for each to discover and to understand the other’s unique skills and gifts,” Andrew McAllister, founder of the foundation, said in the news release. It’s located at Jewel Wietzel Center, 9131 Yett Drive, near Schulze Elementary School and across the walking track from Kingsborough Middle School. Resembling a miniature golf course, Bankshot contains 21 baskets, each with a backboard requiring a different banked shot to score, according to a news release. Players use the basket and backboard together to put the ball
through the hoop. As they proceed, shooters experience increasing degrees of difficulty. The court itself is stationary, so no running, legwork or jumping is required. Participants play alongside, not against, each other. This creates an atmosphere of equality, nondiscrimination, accessibility and nonaggression, according to Believe It Foundation, an Alamo Heights nonprofit that promotes the inclusion of physically challenged children. Concepts of defense, offense and defeat are nonexistent at Bankshot. Neither upclose play nor teams are required. “Learning how to engage, interact and befriend people who are different from you is an invaluable life lesson for everyone,” McAllister said.
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Harlandale Independent School District Superintendent Gerardo Soto (topmost photo) watches as one youngster attempts a shot at Bankshot, an adapted, inclusive basketball court especially designed for physically challenged children (above). Courtesy photo/HISD
Believe It Foundation, The Greehey Family Foundation and Spaulding Family Foundation Trust funded the court’s development in Harlandale. “We are tremendously grateful to The Greehey Family Foundation and Spaudling Family Trust for helping us
to further our mission of inclusion by bringing a fun, active, safe and inclusive activity to the Harlandale community where people of all abilities may come to play and be SCORES continues on pg. 19
NOV. 3 - DEC. 1, 2020
L O CA L C O M M U N I T Y N E W S
HAPPENING continues from pg. 06
p.m. at Southwest General Hospital, Classroom A, 7400 Barlite Blvd. For updates, cancellations or to RSVP, call 1-877-215-9355.
NOV. 16
SAISD BOARD MEETING
HAPPENING
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HAPPENING SPOTLIGHT
MISSION MARQUEE PLAZA
NOV. 21
San Antonio Independent School District trustees meet at 5:30 p.m. at 406 Barrera St. For updates or cancellations, visit www. saisd.net.
CALLING ALL SHOPPERS A farmers’ and artisans’ market is 9 a.m. at Mission Marquee Plaza, 3100 Roosevelt Ave. The San Antonio Food Bank Mobile Mercado will hold healthycooking demonstrations. For updates, visit https://www.missionmarquee.com/ EVENTS/Farmers-Artisan-Markets.
NOV. 19
SOUTHSIDE ISD BOARD MEETING Trustees meet at 6 p.m. at 1460 Martinez Losoya Road. For updates, visit https:// southsideisd.org/.
NOV. 22
NOV. 19
ZUMBA, ANYONE?
STROKE SUPPORT
The Greenline, 2532 Sidney Brooks
A stroke support group for survivors, their families and caregivers meets from 2-3
HAPPENING continues on pg. 13
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L O CA L C O M M U N I T Y N E W S
GRASSROOTS
NOV. 3 - DEC. 1, 2020
Advocates of vertical farming believe it could be an affordable, community-driven way to help meet increasing demands on food supplies. Courtesy photo/U.S. Department of Agriculture/Oasis Biotech
GARDEN continues from pg. 01
The system produces nutritious, affordable food while using less water, they add. Practitioners apply soilless farming techniques such as hydroponics, aquaponics or aeroponics. A range of structures, from buckets to buildings, can house vertical-farming systems. Defranco Sarabia, one of the partnership leaders, said his neighborhood’s production began when the group conducted a GoFundMe campaign. “Our goals were to make a verticalfarming system, learn about it and make it better,” said Sarabia, who is a mass-communications student at Texas A&M University-San Antonio.
“We thought, ‘How can we bring that into communities in need?’” The South Flores association was inspired by local organizations, including LocalSprout Food Hub on the near East Side, billed as “a collaborative environment for small food businesses to make their products, equipped with a large solar array and edible landscaping.” Sarabia also is a board member with Gardopia Gardens, an East Side nonprofit horticultural organization. Sarabia, Ricardo Herrera and fellow group members met their $200 fundraising goal quickly. “There’s a lot of community support; so many people who believe in the concept,” Sarabia said. Coffeecionado matched funds so the organization could develop a verticalfarming system for the South Side beverage shop. Owner Patricia Butler-Aguilar said having the endeavor at Coffeecionado
creates an opportunity to educate community members. “I wanted to have (a vertical-farming system) at the shop because, as we are in the South Side, it would be incredible to educate our Hispanic neighborhood that vertical farming and urban farming was created by their ancestors, the Mayans, and to have another great reason to be proud of their heritage,” said Butler-Aguilar. The South Flores group also spent about $100 to develop a verticalfarming system, made out of foodsafe buckets, for a local pastor who operates a halfway house. Herrera, a Palo Alto College student, said upscaling vertical farming teaches more people to organically grow produce for themselves, especially in areas where affordable, nutritious foods are scarce. “Right now, because you can only grow leafy greens, it’s not at a scale where you can feed people,” he added. “Once we adapt to grow corn and wheat, then we can think about how to face the hunger needs that people have.” Other advantages of vertical farming, advocates said, is that it uses up to 90% less water than traditional farming, and that it only needs a fraction of the space required for traditional farming. Whereas commonplace cultivation means farmers must ship or drive miles to market their produce, with the South Flores group’s process crops go nowhere except to the grower or perhaps distributed to neighbors. It also is healthy for the environment, proponents say. “The goal will be to replace horizontal, traditional farming with vertical farms to allow that land to grow back to its natural state and we’ll be able to even out (carbon dioxide) emissions,” Herrera said.
According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, vertical agriculture “could help increase food production and expand agricultural operations as the world’s population is projected to exceed 9 billion by 2050.” Another goal for the South Flores group is affordability. “If you go online right now, to get a vertical-farming system, it’s over $600,” Herrera said. Some smaller ones cost less, but reducing the size means fewer get fed. “Are we making sure everyone has access to this? That’s something we’re working on,” Sarabia said. District 3 Councilwoman Rebecca Viagran looks forward to working with the South Flores organization to help provide her constituents with greater access to fresh, affordable produce. “This is a great group of people, and it shows not only their entrepreneurial spirit and community activism, but that they’re addressing an immediate need in our community,” she said. Viagran said more neighbors could see this as an efficient urbanfarming option: “We want to have fresh fruits and vegetables close to us, and this is a way to do it.” The South Flores growers aim to partner with others to help build vertical-farming systems and refine techniques. They also want to join with students and host workshops to teach community members how to make their own systems. For more, visit www.facebook. com/thesouthflorescommunity. Find this story and more at www. localcommunitynews.com.
NOV. 3 - DEC. 1, 2020
L O CA L C O M M U N I T Y N E W S
HAPPENING continues from pg. 11
Drive, will host free Zumba classes from 9-9:45 a.m. Bring a water bottle and towel. For updates or cancellations, visit www.livebrooks.com.
NOV. 22
CHARREADA DE LA REVOLUCION Asociación de Charros, San Antonio, 6126 Padre Drive, hosts Charreada de la Revolucion. The rodeo begins at 4 p.m. Food vendors will be available. Cost is $10 for adults, $5 for kids. For updates or cancellations, visit http:// www.sacharros.org/events.html.
NOV. 23-27
SCHOOL’S OUT Students in Southside, Harlandale and San Antonio independent school districts enjoy Thanksgiving Break.
NOVEMBER
COMMUNITY EVENTS AT MISSION MARQUEE PLAZA
in the Garden.” Experience music, yard games and more from 6-10 p.m. For updates or cancellations, visit https://eatgoodkind.com/.
SUNDAYS
YOGA CLASS Confluence Park, 310 W. Mitchell St., hosts free, in-person but socially distanced sessions from 10-11 a.m. Focus on the fundamentals of yoga with a practice designed for all levels. For updates or cancellations, visit https://sariverfound.org/ confluence-park/park-events/.
SUNDAYS
BRUNCH AND MORE The Good Kind Southtown, 1127 S. St. Mary’s St., hosts a meal and music by George Gaytan from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. For updates or cancellations, visit https://www.facebook.com/ GoodKindSouthtown/events/.
Experience culture, art, education and more on the historic grounds of Mission Marquee Plaza, 3100 Roosevelt Ave. Also, the outdoor film series continues with showings of “The Addams Family” (Nov. 7) and a double feature of “Gremlins” and Dr. Suess’ “How the Grinch Stole Christmas” (Nov. 21). Movies begin 15 minutes after sundown. Bring lawn chairs and blankets. For updates or cancellations, visit https://www.missionmarquee. com/Portals/29/Files/2020%20 MMP%20Outdoor%20Movie%20 Series_060820.pdf?ver=2020-0608-174307-957or https://www. missionmarquee.com/EVENTS/ Cultural-Community-Events.
ONGOING
WEDNESDAYS
GOODWILL PICKUPS
GOOD VIBES
The Good Kind Southtown, 1127 S. St. Mary’s St., holds “Wednesday Vibes
HAPPENING
and furniture. For updates or cancellations, call 210-271-8881 or fill out pickup forms at https:// www.goodwillsa.org/donate/homepickup.
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or https://www.niosa.org/p/ getconnected/fall-fest.
NOV. 7 DIWALI
ELSEWHERE IN SAN ANTONIO
NOV. 6
FALL HERITAGE FESTIVAL The Conservation Society of San Antonio is planning a scaleddown, rain or shine “Fall Heritage Festival” outdoors at La Villita, 418 Villita St., from 6-9 p.m. There will be food, drinks, bands and more. Cost is a flat fee of $125 per person. Adults only. Social-distancing rules will be enforced. For updates or cancellations, visit www. saconservation.org/news-events/
This year, the Hindu festival of lights celebrating Indian culture will be conducted virtually. The 12th annual “Diwali SA” is an all-day free event with food, music art and more beginning at 9 a.m. For updates or cancellations, visit www.DiwaliSA.com or call 833426-8527.
SUBMITTING EVENTS: Email all the details along with your contact information two months in advance to tips@ localcommunitynews.com.
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FREE SCHOOL MEALS The Harlandale Independent School District is offering free school meals to students during the 2020-2021 academic year. For updates or cancellations, call Marcos Rodriguez at 210-989-4252 or email Marcos.rodriguez@harlandale.net. Also, qualifying campuses in the San Antonio Independent School District serve breakfast and lunch to all children at no charge and eliminate the collection of meal applications for free, reduced-price and paid student meals. For updates or cancellations, call 210-554-2290.
ONGOING
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L O CA L C O M M U N I T Y N E W S
EDUCATION
NOV. 3 - DEC. 1, 2020
COVID-19: Education now and ahead by LEA THOMPSON
THE GLOBAL PANDEMIC has changed the way San Antonioarea schools conduct learning now and for the foreseeable future.
From public to private institutions, local communities face serious challenges including keeping students healthy, bringing learners back to campuses or instructing remotely, handling teacher brain drain and preparing for more shutdowns.
EDITOR'S NOTE
The coach at (Advanced Learning Academy) in (San Antonio Independent School District) has done a phenomenal job with creating ageappropriate activities for the remote kids. The school gave us some resources during a driveby school pickup. Each kid got a special bucket with a tennis ball, scarves, a pool noodle cut into rings and a set of drumsticks. I didn’t know what to expect. They use the drumsticks and
SPRING BREAK AND GOODBYES In Cibolo, when Watts Elementary School teacher Wendy Dylla said farewell to her second graders for Spring Break, she didn’t realize last March would be the final time she’d see them in person. “Before we left for break, (officials) told us, ‘Take your things with you because a COVID closure is a possibility,’ but we never thought that this would happen,” Dylla said. But, within days, it did. Gov. Greg Abbott eventually ordered the shuttering of statewide campuses. Summertime saw the greater San Antonio area school systems —
public and private and their corresponding new online classrooms — navigate constantly changing educational and safety guidelines, struggling to ensure a safe fall reopening. The COVID-19 crisis created new obstacles for schools. Suddenly, teacherstudent communication needed reinvention, requiring campuses to launch online classes for the first time, as officials looked to maintain pupil safety, follow state directives or risk losing essential funding. In reality, the pandemic didn’t create disparities in local educational systems. It magnified them. “I think we’ll be learning to live with the virus until there is a widely accessible, safe and effective vaccine. In the short term, the vaccine could take months,” said Dr. Junda Woo, medical director of the San Antonio Metropolitan Health District. The outbreak has inordinately affected
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beat the bucket as a drum, and the pool noodle to catch and work on hand-eye coordination; they use scarves to practice catching and the tennis ball to practice bouncing on the ground and try to land in the bucket. It’s a cool way to use super simple things and learn good motor skills. One day they’ll ball up a piece of paper and practice throwing, another day they’ll practice balancing in PE with yoga poses. Their teachers create innovative things to do at home with things they already have.”
NIKI BURNHAM, former elementary school teacher and stay-at-home mother to kindergarten students
The (North East Independent School) district still has all the same rules and expectations for our schools, and we wear masks every day, at all times. At Stone Oak, we have masks and sanitizing stations around the school. (There are) single-use cups next to the water fountain now, that can be disposed after. The students are very mature about following the new rules; they knew changes were coming. They still run around on the playground, except now we have stations so not everyone is playing on monkey bars or the slides all at once. Their imagination is amazing.”
ANA RAMONES, fourth grade dual-language teacher, Stone Oak Elementary School, San Antonio
area minorities. According to Rogelio Sáenz, a professor of demography at the University of Texas at San Antonio, local Latinos are more likely to be frontline workers, live with preexisting conditions, share homes with older family members, and less inclined to have health care access. They’re also more susceptible to contract or die from COVID-19. “Children across the U.S. have shown relatively low COVID case numbers and mortality rates, but nationwide, the death rates for Latino children are nearly seven times that of their white or Black counterparts,” Sáenz said. “These are long-term health qualities and inequalities that have been here for years.”
PRIVATE SCHOOLS Private schools were also affected by state-mandated closures in March, with most pivoting to offer students a choice between in-person or remote education in the new grading period, semester or school year. For Jaime Len Cooke, a mother of two
I currently teach my classes remotely, but at the end of every Zoom I tell them to take a break from the screen. ‘Don’t sit in front of the Xbox or PlayStation.’ We are in stressful times, so it’s important for them to hydrate themselves and their brains. I tell them to get outside. ‘Please, just jump outside and be kids.’ Back at school, I know they’ve created mask-free zones so students (can) step into a space, one at a time, and get in some deep breaths before recess ends.”
HEATHER THORNBLOM, third grade English language arts and reading teacher, Watts Elementary School, Cibolo
NOV. 3 - DEC. 1, 2020
L O CA L C O M M U N I T Y N E W S
who owns a local event-planning company, face-to-face education was best for her family. Her sons — Deacon, 5, and Aden, 12 — attend Cornerstone Christian Schools and Keystone School, respectively. The boys were ready to return to the classroom, she said. Cornerstone initiated two critical lawsuits this past summer. In one, the institution sought to dismiss a local ordinance banning public and private schools from holding in-person classes before Labor Day, citing a violation of the campuses’ “religious freedom.” In the second, Cornerstone deemed a Metro Health directive for both public and private schools to post COVID-19 case numbers on their website as “unconstitutional.” Cornerstone won both suits, effectively allowing all private, faith-based Texas institutions to resume in-person classes on their own timetables. While both private and public school administrators must still report all coronavirus case data to Metro Health, the agency dropped its order requiring the figures to appear on school websites. “Deacon went back, in person, on Aug. 17, and it felt almost like any other first day of school. I still cried as he walked away,” Cooke said. “The only difference is I couldn’t walk him into the classroom. All the students were wearing little masks and looked like little zombies with their arms out, walking and making sure they were 6-feet apart.” She credits her boys’ smooth campus transition with their administrations’ daily communication updates, resources to build and create new COVID-19-friendly learner spaces, and access to student advisers and medical professionals within the parent population. “My heart breaks for the parents who can’t afford to stay home or keep up with school meetings and changes. There’s definitely a gap between the parents who can and those who can’t.”
WHO’S LEFT BEHIND? Most San Antonio-area schools began remote learning in August prior to reopening classrooms in early September. Some offered a choice of distance or face-to-face learning, following Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and Metro Health guidelines as they continue populating campuses incrementally. Following the initial school shutdown in March, districts struggled to reconnect with thousands of pupils citywide. “There’s a myriad of reasons that certainly attribute for the loss of those kids, certainly there are some who are not engaged,” said Barry Perez, a Northside Independent School District spokesman. “Early on, our fear was loss of connectivity and technology so the district has provided Wi-Fi hot spots, Chromebooks and laptops to those students that request them.” For Heriberto Castro, a science teacher for seventh and eighth graders at Bernal Middle School in NISD, the key to connecting with those missing students is a mix of persistence, engagement and understanding. Instructing more than 150 students this year, Castro uses apps such as Zoom, Google and Bernal’s learning management system to adapt lessons for the 78 he sees in person, and the remainder online. “I’m trying to make it as engaging as possible, and I try to keep them motivated to keep them coming back,” he said. “I have a few kids that I’ve never seen who are still turning in work, and a few that have not. We reach out to students and parents, and they know we want to see them. But, we know that every home situation is different. I want them to know that we are here to help if they need assistance with internet, a hot spot or anything.”
SAN ANTONIO’S BRAIN DRAIN WORRIES Texas school districts have long struggled to retain experienced and
EDUCATION
engaged educators, even before the crisis. According to state records, one in 10 Texas teachers quits after the first year. More alarming, as the pandemic continues, the problem could deepen. Last July, the Trump administration mandated campuses to reopen nationwide. Abbott soon followed the president’s lead, urging school officials to begin plans to bring Texas’ teachers and students back to the classroom safely. Educators, health experts and parents responded with concerns. Zeph Capo, union president to the Texas chapter of the American Federation of Teachers, warned of inevitable mass resignations and strikes unless safety conditions and instructor access to personal protection equipment improved. “We’ve heard from a significant number of (Texas teachers) who say they’re just not going back, or they’re taking leave for the rest of the year, or will return to teaching once it’s safe again,” Capo said. Capo also noted an uptick in state educators ordering retirement packages — nearly 4,000 more than same time last year — ahead of the fall semester. “They haven’t all necessarily acted on them yet, but it is worrying because each teacher that’s eligible to retire is another teacher that we could lose any day now,” Capo said. While definitively determining why one leaves a profession is difficult, local records indicate that more than 40 San Antonio-area district teachers resigned between August and September 2020. Citing issues such as a lack of readily available personal protection equipment, longer workdays and increased workload, the Northside AFT union is trying to improve communications between district personnel and instructors, plus demand the district allow more members to work remotely when dealing with preexisting health conditions or issues regarding family safety. “Things are not looking good for
15
local education,” said Northside AFT President Wanda Longoria. “We are already seeing the loss of incredible longtime teachers in the district. COVID-19 will go away eventually, but good luck filling those positions. The thing is that these problems didn’t start with COVID; teachers haven’t been funded adequately for over a decade.”
STAYING REMOTE While NISD began welcoming students back to campuses Sept. 7, parents such as Drue Placette opted then to continue remote instruction for his kids. Placette, a venerable San Antonio tech titan, shares custody of his four children with his ex-wife. He credits their teamwork, along with his mother, a former teacher, and his wife, Debra, with making the children’s school year successful. However, he realizes living, working and learning during these times is daunting. “On the first day of remote learning, the NISD systems were crashing from an overload of students trying to log in at one time,” he said. “It’s not the teachers’ fault that this is what the school year looks like, but the constant changes and inconsistencies that happen every day make school super hard for the kids. These teachers are trying to do everything virtually, even PE, and it doesn’t always work.” Each weekday, the children undergo remote learning from Placette’s offices at CANopener Labs, a startup-friendly development space opened on the North Side in 2019. Though the district offered 10-inch tablets for students to access Zoom classes and homework, Placette’s connections allowed him to create a custom, multiple-monitor workspace for each kid. Ella, 4, has since begun attending local day care, while Liam, 9, Sean, 12, and Payton, 15, log in to their respective remote classes at Aue Elementary School, Rawlinson Middle School and Clark High School. Placette knows distance learning LEARNING continues on pg. 18 LOCALCOMMUNITYNEWS.COM
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HEALTH
NOV. 3 - DEC. 1, 2020
ADAPTING continues from pg. 01
was done by talking to doctors and nurses using a computer from the comfort of her Stone Oak home. “It was actually kind of fun,” said the 58-year-old survivor, recalling her telemedicine visits over the last few months. “I see people doing more of this in the future. It was no different than sitting in front of Dr. (oncologist Sylvia) Zubyk in an office.” Dr. Lynnette Watkins, Baptist Health System’s chief medical officer, has seen
by TRAVIS E. POLING
ALL IS QUIET IN THE ROOM where walls of screens stacked at six workstations monitor 26 vital signs of 96 intensive-care patients in a kind of mission control for the critically ill located in various hospitals. At the Baptist Health System, this electronic intensive-care unit could be the model for future remote monitoring, with software helping specially trained medics keep a constant finger on the pulse of the sickest patients. Silent alarms are triggered at the eICU, housed in an office building next to Northeast Baptist Hospital, when a troublesome trend in vital signs emerges in an ICU bed at one of five Baptist hospitals in San Antonio. Cameras can zoom in on instrument panels inside the room and staff can interact with the patient by screen or voice and notify on-site personnel quickly if something is
admission questions at hospitals and clinics change from: “Have you traveled anywhere recently?” to “Are you sick?” Routine temperature checks, triage to send people to different waiting rooms depending on possible diagnosis and masks for all could be the order of the day for a long time to come, she added. Dr. Robert Leverence at UT Health San Antonio and chief medical officer of UT Health Physicians no longer wears a tie at University Hospital or the Medical Arts & Research Center. They’re not washed like scrubs and other clothing and are
amiss. The computer prompts workers’ next moves from conversations with patients to summoning physicians, eICU registered nurse Richard Jaroszewski said. While Baptist’s eICU has been around for 10 years, bulky computer monitors have given way to 40 large flat-screens and improved monitoring capabilities, both predictive and preventive. With hospital staff at times stretched to the limit during the summer, the darkest point of the COVID-19 crisis in Bexar County, the reliance on remote technology and all its promise makes the eICU look more like the future of health care. Texas only sports a handful of eICUs, and a small percentage of hospital systems nationwide have taken the leap to centralized monitoring, said Jill Scott, a Baptist RN who is the program’s supervisor. The computer network shows staffers a list of the 20 most-ill patients across all of the ICUs so they already know where to focus attention between the personal visits of ICU personnel. If something goes wrong, RNs in the eICU core can give advice and protocols to health care workers in the room. Most eICU registered nurses possess at least a decade of intensivecare experience or advanced training, and encountered more situations than most of in-hospital staff, Scott said. In overnight hours, three RNs,
now considered repositories for harmful microbes. Gone also are the handshakes among colleagues. These are all signs of the times thanks to COVID-19. By mid-October, the outbreak contributed to more than 1,200 Bexar County residents’ deaths and 60,000-plus positive cases, which hospitalized thousands and put hundreds in intensive care. “The pandemic has touched just about everything that we do,” Watkins said. Many precautionary measures from screening to conferring with patients over the internet
a patient-support specialist and a physician known for dealing with critical patients – an intensivist – man the core. San Antonio, home of many military medical missions, is pioneering similar programs for armed-services hospitals from a nerve center at Brooke Army Medical Center. “The Military Health System is investing in the expansion of telecritical care and Brooke Army Medical Center is at the center of the expansion with the installation of monitoring systems for 66 beds,” said Army Col. Sean Hipp, director of the Virtual Medical Center. “BAMC will have the most monitored beds in a military hospital, but is also using the subject matter expertise of critical-care nurses and physicians to support other military hospitals without the same critical-care capabilities,” he said. “The goal is to give high quality and consistent critical-care oversight throughout the Military Health System.” Scott said she foresees the technology and the concept of monitoring from a core location extending into non-ICU patient rooms with the use of a mobile unit with cameras in cases where a closer eye is needed. Plus, Scott believes mobile monitoring technology might one day be in homes. “I can see it being used more and more for prevention,” she said.
are likely here to stay. While this infection is considered a once-in-several-lifetimes event, increasing population density and new pathogens mean humanity could see similar emergencies stretching the health care system to crisis levels more often. “You can’t predict any of this. We have to rely on science to drive policy” and stay prepared, said Dr. Ian Thompson, president of Christus Santa Rosa Medical Center. “As humans, we are incredibly resilient and adaptive. A lot of this will be short and intermediate impacts.” Without ongoing vigilance, however, “we will have to learn all over again in 10, 20 or 100 years,” he said. Fifteen San Antonio doctors, nurses and health care executives surveyed by LOCAL Community News outlined what things could look like for the next few years. The consensus was health screenings upon entry, wearing masks – especially at flu season– and employing telemedicine, are here to stay.
98.6 DEGREES AND 6-FEET APART Screenings with instant-read thermometers have been used since March to detect fevers, which could
EDITOR'S NOTE FOR ADDITIONAL STORIES AND OTHER MATERIALS ON THIS SUBJECT, VISIT LOCALCOMMUNITYNEWS.COM.
NOV. 3 - DEC. 1, 2020
L O CA L C O M M U N I T Y N E W S
be a telltale coronavirus symptom. Such measures are likely to remain even past the pandemic, especially during flu season, medical professionals said. “The hospital is a safe place,” Watkins said. “That vigilance won’t let up. Besides controlling spread of infections, screenings and preadmission or visit questions need to persist so patients can trust the care.” Because those with other ailments postponed doctor appointments or treatment, due to fears of contracting COVID-19, “we’ve seen a rising severity of patients with heart attack or other issues,” she said. Dr. Katherine Whiteley, who practices at University Health System’s Family Health Center-Southwest, said folks should know they could safely tend to preventive procedures such as mammograms, bonedensity tests and colonoscopies. After arriving at a clinic or hospital, patients and visitors are often directed to one of several waiting rooms, depending on the condition. These spaces are no longer a sea of chairs separated by an occasional end table filled with magazines, but appropriately distanced seating with those symptomatic sent to another area. In some clinics, guests fill out paperwork on computer tablets and stay in cars until called. While screenings won’t stop, and forms will more often be done beforehand over the internet, Whiteley hopes parkinglot waiting disappears as the pandemic dissipates. At University Health System’s ExpressMed clinic at the downtown Robert B. Green campus, front-door analysis determined if the visitor was a candidate for a telephone conversation where prescriptions could be made, or whether future tests needed scheduling. Maintaining two separate lobbies allowed staff to put those with COVID-19 symptoms into immediate isolation to be seen by a doctor in full protective gear, while non-COVIDrelated patients went to another area. “This is going to leave a footprint
for a long time,” said Dr. Bhoja Katipally, ExpressMed medical director. Plus, wiping chairs, counters and exam-room surfaces likely will linger for some time. To limit exposure with one another, physicians call patients after tests to discuss results and next steps, even if the patient is still on the grounds, Katipally said. “I think this (protocol) may continue. I can’t tell you how long,” the physician added. The clinic now employs an online app check-in process, which lets providers know when patients are en route, how long until arrival and assigns them a time to minimize waits. An atrium kiosk has been installed for registration without staff contact. Implementation of electronic medical records and providing a seamless transition from clinic to hospital emergency room, and then, if necessary, to an inpatient bed, was already envisioned as a streamlined UHS service. “We had to close all the gaps to make all the parts move more quickly and efficiently,” Katipally said. “The patient experience is the heart and soul of all of this. It didn’t happen overnight and we didn’t plan it for the pandemic,” but it was put to the test to relieve the extreme stress on the system from as many as 250 patients a day, just coming through the downtown clinic. When hospitals were pushed to the brink with most beds full, the governor ordered all elective surgeries halted. Christus Santa Rosa-Alamo Heights, a 36-bed surgical hospital, took on the role of performing necessary surgeries that couldn’t be put off while COVID-19 patients went to Christus Santa Rosa Hospitals in the South Texas Medical Center and Westover Hills, said administrator Sherry Fraser. “This hospital is growing, and we remain a safe-services site,” Fraser added. While hospital systems with multiple locations were able to establish some facilities as sites without COVID, developing freestanding contingency infirmaries to keep elective surgeries going in future epidemics is unlikely.
HEALTH
Thompson said staffing such a facility would be a stretch. More likely is a continued effort to build patient rooms to quickly transform into intensive-care unit beds as his hospital did, expanding from 14 ICU patients to 52 over the summer.
DOCTORS GO DIGITAL Military medicine has long been on the cutting edge when it comes to adapting technology fully, often after being tested in battlefield conditions and training a massive medical staff across many countries. Telehealth was no exception when it came time to put it to use on a larger scale for more patients at Brooke Army Medical Center. “Like many other facilities, we expect to be able to translate lessons learned around the use of telehealth to stay in place for the foreseeable future,” said Air Force Col. Dr. Heather Yun, deputy commander for medical services at BAMC. “While we were using telehealth before the pandemic, this has greatly accelerated utilization across the disciplines and has enabled us to reach patients in ways that are efficient, convenient and effective for them.” Air Force Col. Dr. Patrick Osborn, deputy commander for surgical services at BAMC, said they’ve increased virtual health visits 50-fold since the pandemic’s start “and it is not going to go away.” Yun said after the crisis, the use of telehealth will continue to evolve and become even more convenient for patients so they don’t have to travel to the hospital or clinic and take time from work, school or family. “As we continue to refine our use of telehealth, we expect it will translate into an increasingly patient-centered experience,” she said. The Methodist Healthcare System, with hospitals and clinics throughout the city, saw doctors use telehealth methods sparingly in January. However, by April, they conducted 10,000 remote visits, and year-to-date through September, the number swelled to 55,000.
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While online scheduling to mitigate waitingroom crowds and interactive registration for an ER visit has helped, virtual conferences have been an important part of the mix for medical personnel and patients, said Brandon Webb, senior vice president of strategy and business development for Methodist. Fields employing online visits the most were cardiology and primary care, which combined accounted for 96% of telehealth utilization, Webb said. Most of those were existing scheduled patients or follow-ups after discharge. For in-person guests, Methodist is adding more access points to the system, which will make for distanced isolation from potentially sick patients and shorten waiting-room downtime. That includes the acquisition earlier this year of five freestanding ERs. After remodeling, each will have seven to nine treatment rooms with on-site pharmacy and lab rooms. “These are a little bit smaller, so we’re spending a lot of time on workflow and patient flow through the clinic,” Webb said. UT Health’s Leverence said that while telehealth has been around in some form since the 1980s, the technology has only been good enough to make it work well for the last decade. Access to a good online connection and a video device such as a smart phone, tablet or laptop also has grown by leaps and bounds across the city. “The next step is to add more tools,” such as inexpensive stethoscopes with connectivity to computers for patients to transmit heartbeats or breathing to doctors, Leverence said. The same could be done with at-home otoscopes to let physicians see inside a baby’s ear via computers. For medical professionals meeting with online clients, the process is better if there’s an existing relationship, said Dr. Hilda Draeger, a rheumatologist at University Family Health Center behind North Star Mall. “Once they know each other from a personality standpoint, then they prefer telehealth,” she said. “Patients are more relaxed and they’re more talkative.” Also, the doctor ADAPTING continues on pg. 19 LOCALCOMMUNITYNEWS.COM
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inhibits his children’s social interaction with their contemporaries, but he’s also seen how families have been devastated by COVID-19. There are still many unemployed San Antonians, and in other families, many pupils may navigate remote learning alone while parents work. “We are lucky because we have the ability to take care of the kids, and we’d rather keep them home and keep some consistency,” he said. “If they were to start in-person classes and a week later, the school closed again because of an outbreak, it would just stir up everyone’s schedules.”
SPECIAL-NEEDS STUDENTS ADJUST As youngsters began returning to
campuses this fall, most schools brought back struggling and special-needs students first, giving teachers more time for one-onone questions and attention. But for some, remote learning means more opportunities to ask questions and practice skills, even if it’s outside regular school hours. Amber, 14, a freshman at Founders Classical Academy of Schertz, usually wrestles with her schoolwork. As a pupil with learning disabilities, she follows a detailed 504 plan. Federal section 504 requires that children who do not quality for special-education services still receive accommodations for an education equal to non-disabled students. Though more than 60% of those enrolled at Founders are once again on-campus students, Crystal Moubray, Amber’s mother, wasn’t ready for her schoolchildren to go back yet.
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“Our family has taken nearly every possible precaution, but we still tested positive for COVID. All of us — myself, my 6-year-old son and my significant other — except for Amber,” Moubray said. “She had to get tested for the virus, and I don’t think she wants to go through that again. She would rather be home.” As the family recovers, Moubray is able to oversee the remote-learning process. She was surprised how drastically Amber’s grades improved via distance learning. “At home, Amber doesn’t have the anxiety of worrying about what everyone around her is doing. She doesn’t have to read out loud; she isn’t wondering, ‘Am I the last one done?’ She can take breaks throughout the day,” Moubray said. “It works for her; she’s getting A’s in subjects that she’s never gotten before.”
THE NEW NORMAL At San Antonio Independent School District’s Schenck Elementary School, teachers are supplied with sanitizing sprays, personal protection equipment and face shields for students who need them. “Still, I was nervous to come back,” said Danielle Elizondo, a kindergarten teacher at Schenck. “My mother, who’s also a teacher in SAISD, has underlying health conditions. I worried I might spread COVID to her or my family. The district and our superintendent have made this process manageable for us.” Only six of her 25 students have returned for in-person instruction, the others are remote. The district wanted to bring back more in early October, but a coronavirus surge squelched those plans. For the pupils who do return, kindergarten is a very different place. Gone from Elizondo’s classroom is the colorful clutter and carpeting, now replaced by taped X’s on the floor
alerting pupils to stay apart. Students share no materials; instead, each has a personal supply bin. A plastic divider surrounds every table. “They’re 5 years old, and they want to know when (the virus) will be gone,” she said. “Still, the kids are resilient. They’re really making me proud, reminding each other and working together to wash their hands, keep at a distance. This is the new normal at school. We’re just trying to figure out different ways to keep the kids safe.”
WHAT COMES NEXT There’s no end in sight for the pandemic. In fact, a Texas Education Agency recent public-health notice stated, “there will almost certainly be situations that necessitate temporary school closure due to positive COVID-19 cases in schools.” The warning urges parents, teachers and administrators to continue enforcing strict health and safety actions to mitigate and prevent the spread, but those recommendations could change in the months ahead. “It’s hard for the (Schertz-CiboloUniversal City Independent School) district to anticipate what’s going to happen next, but we’ve worked hard to create a plan for any event,” Dylla said. “My hope is that we can keep the kids on campus here and keep remote learning available for others through the end of the year.” Dylla realizes San Antonioarea teachers must be flexible if a coronavirus spike forces another round of closings. She believes the district and schools are prepared, and students have everything they need to succeed remotely. “Still, they tell us to take our laptops home with us every day just in case that happens,” she added.
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active together,” McAllister said. Believe It Foundation has worked closely with HISD since 2018 when they partnered to launch an adaptive bicycles-in-schools program, Believe It Bikes, which will be in 10 Bexar County school districts by the end of the 20202021 academic year. “We are thrilled to have such a unique and inclusive sports system available to our community that will encourage people of all abilities to get out and be active together,” Della Taylor, HISD special-education director, said in the release. District 3 Councilwoman Rebecca Viagran noted the venue “gives me so much energy because it’s something that’s needed, not just on the South Side, but all parts of San Antonio — these inclusive playgrounds and courts — for all of our community.” Viagran praised HISD and Believe It Foundation for collaborating to bring the site to the South Side. She hopes this will spur similar partnerships creating inclusive, adapted courts and playgrounds elsewhere. “I am so proud of Harlandale ISD stepping up and saying, ‘Yes, we’re ready, we know we can do this. We know people need this,’” she added. Because of public-health guidelines prompted by the COVID-19 pandemic, the court currently isn’t available for use, but the district hopes to open it soon during school hours. When restrictions are eased, it will be accessible to the public on weekends and after school, district officials said. Find this story and more at www. localcommunitynews.com.
can see the patient’s in-home environment and know if it could have had an impact on the client’s condition. Telehealth is less successful if there are a lot of complicated issues and possible causes need to be individually eliminated, Draeger said. In-person visits also are key if folks are downplaying chronic diseases, such as arthritis. Lorri Dinkins, a registered nurse who is an oncology nurse navigator for the Baptist Network for Cancer Care, assists breast-cancer patients to maintain treatment plans, connect with community resources, provide emotional support during the caring process, and act as liaison between patients, family, doctors and other providers.
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FROM A LOCAL UNION: “We’re seeing many old ventilation systems in many of SAISD’s school buildings, and knowing that COVID is spread through airborne transmission is worrisome. … Our priority for this year is to work together to ensure that working conditions are the absolute safest possible, to create a situation that humanizes our workers, our students and our parents. We as educators are committed to giving our students the absolute best education that they can. But in the middle of a pandemic, there are just so many other factors to consider. We have to consider the situations of our families and the families that we serve.”
ALEJANDRA LOPEZ, union president, San Antonio Alliance of Teachers and Support Personnel (San Antonio Independent School District)
FROM A LOCAL TEACHER: “This is my 23rd year of teaching. For the rest of the (2020-2021) school year, we want to make sure that we have interactive, critical lessons that will keep the ‘littles’ excited about school and doing things. In the past, every school would have busy work at certain points in the year. But now we’re looking to teach them big things, make sure that it’s always a highleverage item.”
AGATHA RYAN, first grade teacher, Watts Elementary School (SchertzCibolo-Universal City Independent School District)
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In the last six months, all this has been done mostly online. “The technology has proven itself, but people have been reluctant,” Dinkins said. “COVID changed a lot of things, though. I don’t know why it took a pandemic.” While some of the visits are over the telephone, she prefers to do them in a virtual face-to-face online meeting, such as Zoom, so she can see if the patient is upset or pensive about something. Telehealth won’t completely replace in-person connections for those who need physical reassurances, but the tradeoff is a more efficient system for patient and provider. “Not being able to give that big hug to a woman in my office crying just breaks my heart,” Dinkins said, “but we’re able to help so many more people now.”
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