In the Community

Happy Birthday! Let’s wish our colleagues a great day

November
Matthew Whitson, 3;  Michele Maxwell, Alicia Imelda Rodriguez, 4;  Terry Ricks, 5;  Lynn Corona, 6; Richard Condra, 11; Lee Lopez, Maria Acuna, 12;  Javier Salazar, Sonya Marquez, 14;  Markel Zatarain, 15;  Meghan Reilley, Naimah Epps, 20;  Graciela Gonzalez, Maricela Torres, 21;  Rafael Valdovinos, Diana Soto, Rhonda Ramirez, 22;  Raul Torralva, Diana Garcia, 23;  Andrew Burger, 24;  Kathy Bondoc, Renee Seraile, 25;  Erica Haller-Stevenson, 26;  Harry Wilson, 27; 

December
Marco Page, Janie Wetsel-McGuire, 1;  Mary Montano, John Nava, 2;  Dora Hemmila, Dina Guillen, 7;  Claudia Garcia, 8;  Leroy Valdez, Genevieve Castillo, Amber Ortiz, 9;  Elisa Campos-Soto, 10;  Gloria Salazar, 13;  Valdemar Gonzalez, 14;  Corine Clutter, Beatrice Manti, Joel Lara, 16;  Walter Widish, 17;  Maria Mata, 18; Mary Alice McCraney, Scott Simmons, Martha Martinez, Damon Miller, Lori Sandoval, 19;  Clarissa Guajardo, Joann Staples, 20;  Tomas Rodriguez, Tamatha Pruett, 21;  Lucy Salazar, Elizabeth Gonzalez, Nicolette Portales, 22;  Carol McKee, Graciela Ferrel, 24;  Elaine Mendiola, 26;  Miguel Montemayor, 27;  Capri Berain, 30;  Cecilia McDougle, 31.

Featured Employee

Raul Torralva

Raul Torralva with his kids

Joined SAMHD on: July 1996

Title and Division: Sanitarian II, Public Center for Environmental Health

Best aspect of your job: This job and all its challenges has helped strengthen my faith in Jesus; for that I am grateful

Best aspect of working in public health: Coming out of the Food & Sanitation division and now on my 5th year in an Air Quality Program has really showed me that Public Health is much broader than I thought. Public Health in so many ways helps the wellness of people, from making sure the air is safe to breathe, or finding ways to help our bodies handle environmental stresses, I am glad to be part of a team that is so broad.

Favorite holiday tradition: I enjoy sharing my faith with others, time with my beautiful gift and best friend my wife of 15 years,  and the bonuses God has given us in our three boys.

Something your co-workers don’t know about you: from the mid 70s until 1999 I used to be a musician and went on to be a band manager.  I performed in several states to include Hawaii, and also in Mexico City (Raul Velasco show).  In those years, I had been in front of audiences to include, Governor Reagan (President Reagan), Prince Charles, Prince of Morocco, and also opened up for or accompanied such artist as Anna Gabriel, Lucero, Texas Tornadoes, Beach Boys, Los Lobos, etc

Did you know...?

Did you know our bio-containment lab suite at Brooks is a state-of-the-art facility requiring highly-specialized training to operate and maintain? These laboratories are a group of laboratory spaces that maintain cascading air pressures in a direction so that each space is negatively pressured from outside spaces. The careful balance of this differential pressure is established and maintained using an automation system that controls valves, fan speeds and vents on the supply and exhaust of air, depending on lab conditions.  In the event a of a biological release in a given lab space, the engineering control system contains it in the space and safely exhausts it through HEPA filtration thus, preventing it from spreading to other lab spaces.  In the event an exhaust fan fails, the system will automatically will take over exhaust control such that the lab spaces remain negative pressured through the entire process.

Snapshot of Health

Metro Health, along with more than a dozen agencies, participated at the event organized annually on October 15, to reach Latino communities, promote HIV testing, provide HIV prevention information and access to care. The event, deemed a success by Metro Health volunteers, reached all age groups and ethnicities. Metro staff present included Juanita DeLeon, Valdemar Gonzales, Crystal Garza, Samuel Goings, Cara Hausler, Capri Berain, Yvette Castro and Dr. Schlenker, who spoke during the event.