Valley AIDS Council

Expertise/Specialty of LPS

Valley AIDS Council (VAC) faculty provide training in the primary care of persons living with HIV/AIDS, including adults, adolescents, and children with HIV.  As a primary provider of HIV clinical and support care in the valley (Brownsville, McAllen and Corpus Christi), VAC staff specializes in addressing HIV/AIDS clinical and support service issues affecting persons residing along the U.S./Mexico border. VAC also specializes in substance abuse prevention services for HIV infected individuals.

Training

Customized training events for clinicians serving persons with HIV are provided to fit an agency or individual's specific needs. Training events include workshops, preceptorships and conferences. For more information on how we can create a custom solution for you, call Monica Ruiz at 956–428–2653.

Clinical Consultation

Clinical consultations are provided to physicians, nurse practitioners and physician assistants on a variety of topics, including antiretroviral therapy, drug interactions and resistance, HIV/AIDS clinical updates and HIV/AIDS treatment management and post–exposure prophylaxis.

• Consultants:
  • Fernando Garcia, MD
    956–428–2653 or 800–840–3629
    Monday, Wednesday, Friday 8 a.m. – 5 p.m.
    
    Tuesday & Thursday 11 a.m. – 8 p.m.
    
  
  
  • Guillermo Ramirez, MD
    316–904–0616 or 866–907–0616
    Monday – Friday 8 a.m. – 5 p.m.

Staff/Faculty/Adjunct Faculty

	Mr. Smith serves as the Executive Director of the Valley AIDS Council.  He received his BSSW from the University of Texas at Arlington in 1985.  He brings twenty two years of experience as a licensed social worker and a licensed chemical dependency counselor to the field of HIV.  He has served on several review committees for Ryan White Title III and HRSA Special Projects of National Significance. Mr. Smith has presented at conferences nationally and internationally, including the Border Health Collaboration in Tampico Mexico and the First African Annual HIV/AIDS Update in Nairobi, Kenya.
Charles R. Smith, LSW, LCDC LPS Administrator
	Ms. Valenzuela is responsible for human resources and training for the Valley AIDS council.  Ms. Valenzuela is experienced in business management.  Prior to joining the Council, she was managing a bilingual call center and was responsible for developing and managing the agent sales channel.  She grew the company’s customer base from zero to over 2,000 in less than 8 months.  Ms. Valenzuela is active in the community.  She volunteers in running events held both in the Rio Grande Valley and in other areas of Texas.  Ms. Valenzuela attended Texas Southmost College in Brownsville, Texas.
Diane Valenzuela LPS Coordinator
	Dr. Garcia serves as the Medical Director/ physician for the Valley AIDS Council. He has also served as the Principal Investigator for 20 HIV/AIDS clinical trials since 2004.  Dr. Garcia sits on the Texas HIV Medication Advisory Committee and the CDC/HRSA AIDS Advisory Committee.  He serves as the Medical Director/physician for the Acute Drug Detoxification at Dolly Vinsant Memorial Hospital.  Dr. Garcia is a clinical instructor and a faculty member at San Antonio/Regional Academy Health Center.  He has received the "Excellence in Teaching" Award by the University of Texas Regional Academic Health Center, Internal Medicine Residency Program.
Fernando Garcia, MD Clinical Director
	Dr. Ramirez serves as the Staff Physician for the Valley AIDS Council–Corpus Christi Branch.  He works as a primary care provider in our HIV Clinic and shares his expertise by lecturing extensively.  Dr. Ramirez functions as a Medical Consultant for the Christus Sphon Memorial Hospital and the Coastal Bend AIDS Foundation (CBAF).  He also serves on the CBAF Quality Assurance Committee.
Guillermo Ramirez, MD Clinical AETC Faculty