manny vela

MCALLEN, Texas - Texas A&M University System Chancellor John Sharp and Texas A&M University President M. Katherine Banks visited the Rio Grande Valley on Monday, April 10, to announce updates for the Texas A&M University Higher Education Center at McAllen. 

The top update announced was the appointment of Manny Vela as COO of Texas A&M University Higher Education Center at McAllen. He will start his new post in mid-May. Vela is currently CEO of Valley Baptist Health System.

Elected officials, community leaders, faculty and staff were in attendance for the news conference, which was held at the center.

The address of the Texas A&M University Higher Education Center at McAllen is 6200 Tres Lagos Blvd., McAllen.

Here is an audio highlights package from the news conference. It features Banks, Sharp, Vela, Texas A&M University System Regent Mike Hernandez, and state Sen. Juan Hinojosa of McAllen. 

To read the new stories and watch the news videos of the Rio Grande Guardian International News Service go to www.riograndeguardian.com.

HARLINGEN, TEXAS - Valley Baptist Health System CEO Manny Vela said he was brought up with the mantra that one always gave credit where credit was due.

He said he wanted to give credit to the leadership of Cameron County during the COVID-19 pandemic because, led by County Judge Eddie Treviño, the county leadership had made an “incredible effort.”

Vela said the public-private partnership the county created in response to the pandemic was the best in Texas. He said that partnership has saved countless lives.

Vela asked the Harlingen Area Chamber of Commerce if it would co-host a Leadership Appreciation event with Valley Baptist. He said the chamber jumped right on board. The result was a mixer held at the chamber on Monday, Feb. 28.

This podcast features the remarks of Manny Vela and Judge Treviño from the Leadership Appreciation event.

To read the new stories and watch the news videos of the Rio Grande Guardian International News Service go to www.riograndeguardian.com.

HARLINGEN, Texas -  A news conference was recently to discuss the ongoing hospital capacity overload and staffing shortage in Cameron County.

Other topics discussed included testing, vaccines, and the Regional Infusion Center. 

Harlingen Mayor Chris Boswell hosted the news conference. 

Other speakers included Cameron County Judge Eddie Treviño, Jr., Manny Vela, CEO of Valley Baptist Health System and Valley Baptist Medical Center, Matt Wolthoff, CEO of Harlingen Medical Center, Dr. Michael Mohun, City of Harlingen Health Authority, Rene Perez, RN, BSN, paramedic director of Patient Transport Services at South Texas Emergency Care Foundation, Inc., and Esmeralda Guajardo, Cameron County Health Administrator. 

The news conference took place at  Harlingen City Hall.

The attached podcast includes the remarks of all the speakers at the event. 

To read the new stories and watch the news videos of the Rio Grande Guardian International News Service go to www.riograndeguardian.com.

BROWNSVILLE, Texas - Cameron County Judge Eddie Treviño, Jr., held a press conference on Friday with the heads of four local hospitals to speak about the “dire” situation surrounding the county’s exponential uptick in COVID-19 cases. 

Manny Vela, president and CEO of Valley Baptist Health System; Art Garza, CEO of Valley Regional Medical Center; Matt Wolthoff, CEO of Harlingen Medical Center; and Leslie Bingham, senior vice president and hospital CEO of Valley Baptist Health System, all joined Cameron County Health Authority Dr. James Castillo to discuss their concerns. 

Like Pharr Mayor Dr. Ambrosio Hernandez, the leaders says their biggest fear is not having enough health care workers to treat the influx of COVID-19 patients. 

“Our hospitals expand and contract based on the demand that we are experiencing,” said Garza.  “And, at the moment, our hospitals are expanding. And, I’m very concerned that if our rates continue the way they are, then we will find ourselves in situations like we saw on the news – cities like New York and other hotspots. And, unfortunately – I hate to say this, and this is simply my opinion – I don’t think we’re far from that.”

Treviño said he holds the news conferences to keep local residents on the latest developments on the coronavirus.

“We are doing this to inform you. We want to inform the public so they understand the demands and the current existing conditions at the hospitals. We need your help in order to make sure that things don’t get worse, going forward,” Treviño said.

“That is why we are asking all of you to do your part because the hospitals need to be able to have the resources and the staffing to save lives and if we are overrun it is going to multiply the problems we are going to be facing.”

For the full story by reporter Patricia Martinez go to www.riograndeguardian.com.

To read the new stories and watch the news videos of the Rio Grande Guardian International News Service go to www.riograndeguardian.com.