Marcie De La Cruz.

Marcie De La Cruz, a South Texas College sociology instructor, has been awarded a grant to participate in a project with the Texas Consortium Geriatric Education Center (TCGEC) of the Baylor College of Medicine. The project, which has been in existence since 1985, promotes the training of health professionals, including college faculty, students, and practitioners, in geriatric issues.

“This is an exciting program because we will receive funds to deliver presentations to groups across the Rio Grande Valley about issues facing older Latino’s and the disparities in their health and treatment,” explained De La Cruz. “The presentations will be given by STC students trained through the grant funds and will also benefit the college’s premier nursing and allied health program students, who will learn how to break through obstacles in geriatric care.”

The presentations given by the grant team will highlight behavioral difficulties, coping strategies that characterize the aging experience in general, as well as cultural practices that mediate the ethnic aging experience. In addition to presentations to interested groups through the Valley, De La Cruz plans to work with The University of Texas-Pan American to hold a regional conference in spring 2010 on the ethnographic aspects of older Latinos’ health disparities.

“This grant is a great way to bring together both our institutions of higher learning, giving students exposure to a variety of resume-building research and opportunities,” added De La Cruz. We are also very optimistic that our work will help healthcare providers deliver a better quality of care to the elderly in our community.”

For additional information contact De La Cruz at mdelacru@southtexascollege.edu.