SENATE RESOLUTION NO. 399 WHEREAS, The Senate of the State of Texas is pleased to recognize all associated with the Healthy South Texas program for their outstanding work during the COVID-19 pandemic; and WHEREAS, The Healthy South Texas program is a partnership between the Texas A&M Health Science Center and Texas A&M AgriLife; created in 2019 under the auspices of the Healthy Texas Institute, the organization was the first to respond to Governor Greg Abbott's call for agencies to assist the Texas Department of State Health Services in contact tracing to help stem the tide of the COVID-19 pandemic; and WHEREAS, Beginning in June of 2020, Healthy South Texas staff members, along with the staffs of other programs in The Texas A&M University System, contacted more than 30,000 individuals who had been diagnosed with COVID-19 or exposed to the virus; the staff traced potential transmission and ensured those individuals were aware of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines on COVID-19 prevention and recovery; and WHEREAS, The staff of Healthy South Texas also recognized that many people still needed education on preventing and managing chronic diseases and help with obtaining medication and supplies; the organization quickly adopted virtual platforms and online learning systems to educate the public; and WHEREAS, The Healthy South Texas program is truly deserving of special recognition for its resilience and commitment during an unprecedented public health crisis; now, therefore, be it RESOLVED, That the Senate of the State of Texas, 87th Legislature, hereby commend the Healthy South Texas program on its outstanding contributions to the state during the COVID-19 pandemic and extend to the program's management and staff best wishes for continued success; and, be it further RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution be prepared for this exemplary program as an expression of esteem from the Texas Senate. Hinojosa ________________________________ President of the Senate I hereby certify that the above Resolution was adopted by the Senate on May 12, 2021. ________________________________ Secretary of the Senate ________________________________ Member, Texas Senate