Fighting Disease Across Borders

Barbara Jimenez (in yellow) and Justine Kozo (fifth from right) in Monterrey, Mexico.

Infectious disease knows no boundaries or borders.

That is why the United States-Mexico Border Health Commission established Leaders Across Borders, an advanced leadership development program for people working to improve public and community health and health care in the border region.

Since Leaders Across Borders began, five County Health and Human Services Agency (HHSA) employees have participated. Patrick Loose, chief of HHSA’s HIV, STD and Hepatitis Branch, is currently going through the 160-hour program.

“We live in a region with the busiest border crossing in the world. Addressing HIV and STDs successfully requires the input and perspectives of representatives from both sides of our shared border,” said Loose, who completed the first phase of the program in late April in Monterrey, Mexico. The next session will be in Tijuana this summer and that will be followed by a graduation in Phoenix in early October.

“Leaders Across Borders focuses on understanding health diplomacy, building important relationships with others who are working in the border region, and providing practical experience in this kind of work,” Loose added.

Chuck Matthews, HHSA director for North Regions; Barbara Jimenez, HHSA director for Central and South Regions; Paulina Bobenrieth, Public Health Nurse manager for South Region and Justine Kozo, HHSA chief of the Office of Border Health have also participated and completed the program.

“Working in public health, we saw there was such a great need for a collaborative approach to meet the many health needs along the border,” said Matthews. “This program offered specific training on how to work across borders successfully and it provided hands-on opportunities to build those skills with our partners in Mexico.” 

Jimenez not only improved her leadership skills, but also her español.

“This program is one of the best leadership programs that I have ever participated in. I continue to learn new skills in cultural competency and have increased professional relationships with local and binational partners,” said Jimenez, who is now a Leader Across Borders facilitator. “In addition to the learning group program, I was able to complete and receive a diplomado (certificate) from the Instituto Technólogico de Monterrey which was focused on health diplomacy and done completely in Spanish, which really helped me learn even more critical skills.”