Speaker Biographies Chief Robert Arvizu Barbara Adams

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1 Speaker Biographies Chief Robert Arvizu serves as the Deputy Chief of Fire and Medical Research with the El Paso Fire Department. He holds an Associate s degree in Fire Science, along with a Bachelor s degree in Criminal Justice. He has 26 years combined education and experience as a Fire Investigator, Master Firefighter, Fire Inspector, Fire Instructor, Airport Rescue Firefighter, HazMat Technician and Peace Officer. Barbara Adams, BS, MPH, CPH, PMP is the Response and Recovery Operations Manager for the Texas Department of State Health Services. She is a 2003 graduate of Texas A&M University with a Bachelor s of Science degree in Molecular and Cell Biology and continued her education at Texas A&M University Health Science Center School of Rural Public Health where she earned her Masters of Public Health degree in Epidemiology in She started her career as the District Epidemiologist for the Virginia Department of Health in Danville, Virginia and then returned to Texas to be the Regional Epidemiologist for the DSHS Health Service Region 11, a 19 county Region bordering Mexico and the Gulf of Mexico. She was promoted to the Public Health Emergency Preparedness Program Manager and was responsible for the coordination of the public health and medical emergency preparedness and response for the region before accepting the position as Response and Recovery Operations Manager in the agency s central office. In 2009 she became certified in public health (CPH) and in 2013 she earned her Project Management Professional (PMP) certification. Barbara has 10 years of experience in public health and medical preparedness and response including leading major activities such as the largest public health and medical full-scale exercise in Texas - Operation Lone Star, the public health and

2 medical response to Hurricane Dolly, and the development and implementation of the Regional Health and Medical Operation Center (RHMOC) in Health Service Region 11. Sue Beatty is currently the Texas Rio Grande Region Director and the lead Disaster Coordinator for our Information and Referral Call Center which covers the six counties in far West Texas. Mrs. Beatty is also the Health Education and Training Manager for the City of El Paso Department of Public Health. Kristal Gallardo is the Clinical Service Manager with City of El Paso Department of Public Health. She earned her Bachelor of Science in Nursing from the University of El Paso. Kristal has ten years of experience as a Registered Nurse working in home health and in the hospital setting. She is certified in chronic disease education and motivational interviewing and has an expertise in wound care. Diana Kirk has served as the 311 Program Manager for the 311 Call Center since She has 27 years of experience with the El Paso Police Department; retired in 2013 as the Chief of Staff/Assistant Chief. She has also earned a Bachelor s degree in Management of Computer Information Systems and Master s Degree in Management and Leadership. Erica Guerrero received her Master of Science in Biohazardous Threat Agents and Emerging Infectious Diseases from Georgetown University. She is the Program Specialist with Border RAC for three years now and also serves the role of Coordinator for the West Texas Medical Reserve Corps.

3 Wanda Helgesen, RN, MSN is the Executive Director of BorderRAC, a Regional Advisory Council that brings together pre-hospital and hospital partners to discuss emergency healthcare and disaster preparedness issues in Far West Texas and Southern New Mexico. The Council addresses emergency healthcare issues in the areas of trauma, pediatrics, cardiac and stroke. Wanda earned her Master s degree in Nursing from the University of Texas at El Paso. She practiced clinically and administratively in critical care and emergency departments. Her administrative duties led to her involvement with hospital emergency plans as well as the local MMRS steering committee. For the past several years her focus has been on the development of regional emergency preparedness plans to include the full continuum of healthcare form EMS to home health. Wanda serves on the Texas GETAC Disaster and Emergency Preparedness Committee and the Texas Disaster Medical System Steering Committee. Paula Mitchel, Ed.D., MSN serves as Dean for Health Career & Technical Education, Math and Science and Campus Dean, Rio Grande Campus, El Paso Community College. Dr. Paula Mitchell supervises more than 16 allied health programs as well as academic math and science courses. She has completed 35 years at EPCC. She has taught various courses in the nursing program as well as introductory health courses such as Introduction to Health Occupations and Pharmacology. Dr. Mitchell holds a BS in Nursing from Graceland University (Lamoni, Iowa), MS in Nursing from the University of Texas at Austin, and an Ed. D. in Educational Administration with a minor in Management from New Mexico State University (Las Cruces, NM). Paula also served in a volunteer position as the Coordinator of the West Texas Medical Reserve Corps which was approved by the Office of the Surgeon General in

4 November She served in this position until September She now serves on the Steering Committee. This volunteer program was established with the recognition that this region may need to respond to emergency situations such as localized flooding, hurricane evacuees, pandemic flu, or bioterrorist attacks. She also served as Chair of the El Paso VOAD, Voluntary Organizations Assisting in Disaster, , and was on the Board prior. Paula also served in the U.S. Army Nurse Corps, serving as an OB-GYN Nurse Practitioner. She was stationed in Fort Leonard Wood, Fort Bragg, William Beaumont Army Medical Center, and at the 121 Evacuation Hospital in Seoul, Korea. She held the rank of Captain. She is an active member of the El Paso Chapter of the Military Order of the World Wars. She currently serves as Commander for the El Paso Chapter as well as Immediate Past Commander for the Department of the Rio Grande. She also serves as the Junior Vice Commander for Region 13. She has received the Chapter Merit Award, Outstanding Chapter Companion, Silver Patrick Henry Award, Outstanding Service Award, National Citation for Distinguished & Exceptional Service. She also serves as the Chair of the Phoenician Selection Committee for the Patriotic Education Committee at the National Level (2010-present). Dr. Mitchell has been active in other community activities, including: Treasurer, El Paso Commission for Women, 2007-present Military Programs Evaluator, American Council on Education Past Commissioner, El Paso County Civil Service Commission Past President, Texas Society of Allied Health Professionals (TSAHP) Inducted into the El Paso Commission for Women s Hall of Fame in March 1999 Recipient of the TSAHP Distinguished Services Award, 2013 Recipient of the NISOD Excellence Award, 2014

5 Angela Mora is Deputy Director for the City of El Paso Department of Public Health. She is native of the Borderland and a graduate of the University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP) where she received her Bachelor s and Master s Degrees. After graduating, Ms. Mora relocated to Houston Texas where she dedicated 17 years of her career in the HIV/AIDS area, co-founded and administered a not-for-profit agency and served a national leader for people with HIV/AIDS. During this period she served as a mentor to emerging Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) throughout Central American and the West Indies. She relocated to California after her appointment by Governor Gray Davis as the founding director of California s Office of the Patient Advocate (OPA) where she was in charge of the establishment and administration of the OPA, creating a Health Managed Organization (HMO) Report Card to evaluate consumer services delivered by HMOs, oversight of HMO HELP Call Center, and advocating at the legislative level for the rights of over 22 million Californians under an HMO. After 20 years, Ms. Mora returned to the Borderland to serve as the University of Arizona s (UA) Border Office Director in charge of the UA s border-wide children s health advocacy program. She joined the City of El Paso in 2006, and the Department of Public Health in 2008 as Deputy Director. Her portfolio currently includes, Public Health Emergency Preparedness, Workforce Development, Compliance, Quality Improvement, Privacy, Workforce Development, and special projects, including El Paso Radiation Volunteer Professionals Project. Ms. Mora has over 30 years experience in the healthcare sector at the management and executive levels. In addition of health care administration, she served as expert grant reviewer for approximately 20 years for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Substance Abuse Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), Office of Minority Health, the Health and Human Resource and Services Administration (HRSA), other grant funding sources and organizations such as the Public Health Accreditation Board (PHAB). Ms. Mora is currently a member of the National Association of Radiation Response (NARR) Executive Board, National Association of County and City Health Officials (NACCHO), and the University of

6 Texas at El Paso (UTEP) Master of Public Health (MPH) Advisory Board and temporary faculty member. Ronnie Stout, DNP, MBA, RN, Director of Center for Stimulation, University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP) Nursing School recently received his Doctor of Nursing Practice from the University of Nevada at Las Vegas. Ronnie has been the Director of the Center for Simulation at the University of Texas at El Paso since During his tenure, his team has developed multiple innovative programs to assist the students to become true professionals in their career fields. A few of these programs include the Simulated Hospital Day, the Alternative Clinical Experience, and Academic Coaching with a social media twist, and the Mine Shaft. Ronnie s interprofessional background has allowed his team to developed interprofessional collaborations with multiple schools on campus, in the community and across the state. The Simulated Hospital Day has broken down barriers to allow interprofessional students to perform to their potential in today s healthcare environment treating the patients in a holistic team approach. The business background that Ronnie brings is seen in each of his programs. He ensures that each program is economically sound and operationally efficient. Ronnie always challenges his team how can we make this better.