Katherine Velasquez, PhD, RN 
Community Health Improvement Manager
7430 Louis Pasteur
San Antonio, TX 78229
210-949-2091
Katherine.velasquez@dshs.texas.gov

Mission

To improve the health and well-being of Texas families by focusing on prevention and increasing access to health care through community collaboration.

Purpose

Community Health Improvement (CHI) services include many programs addressing the health and well-being of women and children. We often work together with the members and leaders of our communities on their well-being. Region8 CHI has workers in 12 field offices, which are located in Bandera, Boerne, Del Rio, Floresville, Goliad, Hallettsville, Karnes, Kerrville, Pearsall, Port Lavaca, Seguin, and Uvalde. 

Our services include:

• Programs for communities and groups:
  • Wellness
  • Prevention and health promotion 
  • Health education
  • Community collaboration and partnerships 
  • Related technical assistance
• Child and adolescent injury prevention
• Child passenger safety—checking and putting in child car seats
• Immunizations—shots for babies, children, and adults
• Healthy eating across the lifespan
• Breastfeeding
• Healthy life choices
• Human trafficking prevention, information, and referral
• Safe Sleep (Sudden Infant Death prevention)
• Spinal screening and training for school staff
• Perinatal hepatitis B training in hospitals
• Seeing and hearing testing (Vision and Hearing Screening)
• Suicide prevention training
• Help finding services, such as:
  • Family planning, including birth control
  • Health care and screening for children 
  • Social services, such as food, housing, job training, etc.
  • Tobacco cessation 
  • Case management 

Additional Resources

Maternal Child Health (MCH) Topics and DSHS

• Maternal & Child Health (MCH) 
• Maternal Child Health Title V Federal Grant (US Health & Human Services)
• Adolescent Health Program 
• Breastfeeding Help & Information for parents, healthcare providers, & employers 
• Breastmilk Counts
• Health Promotion and Chronic Disease Prevention Program 
• Newborn Screening Program  
• Safe Riders Child Passenger Safety
• Spinal Screening Program 

Texas Health Human Services (HHS) 

• Health Services
• Healthy Texas Women – Women’s Health, Family Planning, Breast & Cervical Cancer Services
• County Indigent Health Care Program Indigent Health Care Program
• Mental Health and Substance Use
• Women, Infants, and Children Nutrition Program (WIC) 

To search all services, go to the Texas Health and Human Services Website and use the “Services” tab.  

For Direct Care Services, call 211. 

For Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, call or text 988.