Border Bytes by Dan

 
 
 
PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE
LIC. MARGAIN, DOCTOR TAPIA, DOCTOR ZACARIAS, HONORED GUESTS, ASSOCIATION MEMBERS, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN.

IT IS INDEED AN HONOR TO HAVE THIS OPPORTUNITY AS PRESIDENT OF THE U. S. – MEXICO BORDER HEALTH ASSOCIATION TO PRESIDE OVER THIS 56TH ANNUAL MEETING.I WISH TO THANK YOU NOW, DURING THIS INAUGURATION, FOR YOUR ATTENDANCE AND OBVIOUS COMMITMENT TO THE GOALS OF THIS CONFERENCE AND THE LONG-TERM BETTERMENT OF OUR BORDER REGION.

I KNOW THAT WE WILL ALL ENJOY THE TREMENDOUS HOSPITALITY, ALREADY EXPRESSED SO WELL OF OUR HOSTS, THE CONFERENCE CO-SPONSORS, THE STATE OF NUEVO LEÓN AND THE CITY OF MONTERREY.

AS YOU WILL NOTE FROM THE PROGRAM, THE THEME FOR THIS YEAR’S MEETING IS, QUALITY FOR THE BORDER.WITH THIS THEME, WE ARE SEEKING TO PROMOTE THE DEVELOPMENT OF PLANS, POLICIES AND STANDARDS THAT WILL ENSURE THE DESIGN AND IMPLEMENTATION OF QUALITY HEALTH AND ENVIRONMENTAL PROGRAMS THROUGHOUT OUR BORDER REGION.

BUT, QUALITY FOR THE BORDER GOES BEYOND HOW WE DEVELOP, IMPLEMENT AND EVALUATE PROGRAMS; IT GOES BEYOND HOW WE CONDUCT OUR RESEARCH OR MEASURE PROJECT OUTCOMES; AND, IT ALSO GOES BEYOND HOW WE OBTAIN RESOURCES AND DISTRIBUTE THOSE RESOURCES.I BELIEVE THAT THE MOST IMPORTANT ISSUE OF QUALITY FOR THE BORDER IS HOW WE AS MEMBERS OF THE ASSOCIATION-- RESPOND TO THE CHALLENGES --CONFRONTING THE BORDER, THAT NEIGHBORHOOD, AS I REFER TO IT, WHICH IS THE FOCUS OF THIS MEETING.
 

THESE ARE NOT THE CHALLENGES OF THE BORDER OF THE 1940s, OR OF THE ‘60s, OR EVEN OF THE 1980s.THEY ARE THE CHALLENGES OF NEED, CAPACITY, RESOURCES, AND ACTIONS OF A UNIQUE AND DYNAMIC BORDER IN THE LATE 1990s.
 
 
 
FOR THAT REASON THIS MEETING REPRESENTS THE OPPORTUNITY FOR THE ASSOCIATION TO MAKE ADJUSTMENTS SUCH THAT IT WILL IMPROVE THE QUALITY OF ITS RESPONSEABILITY SUFFICIENT TO FULFILL ITS MISSION AND ACHIEVE ITS OBJECTIVES.
ON A BASIC PLANNING LEVEL, WE HAVE MADE SOME ADJUSTMENTS THAT WE HOPE WILL POSITIVELY IMPACT ON THE OUTCOME OF THIS CONFERENCE.

WE HAVE INTEGRATED THE MEETING OF THE EPIDEMIOLOGY WORKGROUP INTO THIS ANNUAL MEETING IN AN EFFORT TO SAVE TIME AND RESOURCES.WE ARE FOR THE FIRST TIME USING A FOUR-TRACK STRUCTURE THAT HAS PERMITTED BROADER INVOLVEMENT OF THE COMMUNITY.ADDITIONALLY, WE HAVE WORKED TO ENSURE THAT ALL CONFERENCE ATTENDEES, MEMBERS AND NON-MEMBERS ALIKE, HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO BE INVOLVED IN THE BUSINESS MEETINGS OF THE ASSOCIATION, THAT FUNCTION OF THE CONFERENCE WHERE THE WORK OF THE ASSOCIATION AND ITS FUTURE IS DETERMINED.

ONLY BY MAKING CONSTANT AND SIGNIFICANT ADJUSTMENTS, SUCH AS IN THE REENGINEERING OF THE ASSOCIATION’S ORGANIZATION AND GOVERNING STRUCTURES CAN WE WORK FOR REAL CHANGE.IT WILL TAKE SOME RISKS.

I DO BELIEVE THOUGH THAT TAKING RISKS IS IN THE NATURE OF A CHANGING AND IMPROVING ORGANIZATION.SUCH IS THAT NATURE THAT WE ARE NOW EXPECTING OF THE ASSOCIATION.PART OF THAT RISK TAKING IS THE ORGANIZATIONAL INTROSPECTION NECESSARY TO ADDRESS THOSE BASIC QUESTIONS OF WHY AN ORGANIZATION EXISTS, ITS PURPOSE AND ITS MISSION.

FOR THIS ASSOCIATION THE TIME HAS COME, THE TIME IS NOW.NOT ONLY SHOULD QUALITY FOR THE BORDER BE THE FOCUS OF THIS CONFERENCE, IT SHOULD ALWAYS BE OUR BUSINESS.

I ASK YOU TO ENGAGE THE ISSUES, DEBATE THE FINDINGS AND QUESTION THE OBVIOUS.IN EVERY ASPECT OF THE AFFAIRS OF THE U.S. – MEXICO BORDER, I STRONGLY ENCOURAGE YOU TO STAY INVOLVED.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH.