In 2019, America’s Essential Hospitals, a national organization representing 300 hospitals, awarded its prestigious Gage Award to University Health’s Adolescent Health program for its work to address the teen birth rate, repeat births among teens and other teen health care needs in San Antonio.
The Gage Award for Population Health recognizes activities that improve delivery, access or value for specific populations in the recipient’s community, and, as a result, have improved health outcomes. University Health’s Adolescent Health program provides medically accurate sexual health information to adolescents and their families and encourages strategies that promote healthy life choices.
“Teen pregnancy is closely linked to social risk factors, such as poverty, lack of education and interpersonal violence,” said George B. Hernández, Jr., president and CEO of University Health. “Our Adolescent Health program’s significant reduction in the teen pregnancy rates makes a huge difference in countless young lives today and helps build a stronger San Antonio for tomorrow.”
University Health’s network of clinics and community partnerships played a critical role in achieving these award-winning results. They include Texas Can Academies, San Antonio Independent School District and UT Health San Antonio’s UT Teen Health Project. Together, they offer adolescent vaccines, home visits for first-time teen mothers, STD testing and family planning services.