Miguel C. Fernández, MD
Medical Director, South Texas Poison Center
Associate Professor of Surgery in Emergency Medicine and Medical Toxicology
Department of Surgery
UT Health Science Center San Antonio
Dr. Miguel Fernández is responsible for the operation of the South Texas
Poison Center and serves as liaison between the University Hospital and
the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio. Dr.
Fernández completed his postgraduate training in medical toxicology at
Arizona Health Sciences Center, University of Arizona College of
Medicine in Tucson, Arizona and his emergency medicine training in the
Department of Emergency Medicine, Drew Medical Center, Martin Luther
King, Jr., General Hospital, University of California at Los Angeles in
California.
In addition to his extensive medical training, Dr. Fernández has
received numerous honors and awards which include the following: Fellow
of the American College of Medical Toxicology, Fellowship in Health Care
Policy, NYU School of Public Policy/National Hispanic Medical
Association, New York and Washington DC, Fellow of the American College
of Emergency Physicians, the National Health Service Corps Scholarship
Award and the appointment by U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services
Tommy G. Thompson to serve on the Board of Scientific Counselors for the
Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry at the CDC in Atlanta.
As a medical expert in toxicology and poison control, Dr. Fernández has
been involved both nationally and internationally in the development of
poison centers. Current projects include poisoning prevention education,
telemedicine video-conferencing for emergency medicine/medical
toxicology, herbal medication toxicology, acetaminophen toxicity,
snakebite envenomizations, hyperbaric medicine, plant toxins, and US-Mexico border toxicology.
Douglas Cobb, MS, RPh, CSPHI
Specialist in Poison Information III
Operations Manager
South Texas Poison Center
Leslie DeHart, RN, BSN, SPI
Specialist in Poison Information
South Texas Poison Center
Leslie has been an employee at the Poison Center for over 6 years.
She teaches pharmacy students who are rotating through the Poison Center, as well as answering
emergency calls. Leslie and another colleague
compiled information on Carburetor cleaner inhalation on real cases
presenting to the Poison Center that had chronic complications as far as
pathology. This abstract was presented at the North American Congress of
Clinical Toxicology. The abstract showed the
epidemiology of intentional inhalation of carburetor cleaners & the
development of blindness and the six fold increase of incidence in the
Texas US Mexican border.
Alfredo Gonzalez, RN, BSN, CSPI
Specialist in Poison Information II
South Texas Poison Center
Ricardo Hernandez, MD
Specialist in Poison Information I
South Texas Poison Center
Darelle Hinson, RN, BSN, CSPI
Specialist in Poison Information II
South Texas Poison Center
George Layton, MD
Specialist in Poison Information I
South Texas Poison Center
Vivian Rivera, RN, BSN, CSPI
Specialist in Poison Information I
South Texas Poison Center
Cynthia Teter, PharmD, CSPI
Specialist in Poison Information II
South Texas Poison Center
Penny Williams, RN, CSPI
Specialist in Poison Information II
South Texas Poison Center
Juan Arias, MD
Postdoctoral Fellow
South Texas Poison Center
Carmen L. Jimenez
Community Education Assistant
South Texas Poison Center
Carmen has years of superior knowledge and invaluable experience in the
implementation of education programs for school age children, adults and
the elderly. She has the ability to organize information and communicate
fluently both in English and Spanish to appeal to a variety of
audiences. Carmen has great knowledge of communities of the San Antonio
area, and the people they serve. She provides administrative support to
the Community Education Specialist and the entire South Texas Poison
Center. Carmen attends Health Fairs to educate the community all over the city
and she has been known on several occasions to give up her weekends and
holidays in order to attend health fairs.
Virginia Barrera-Garcia
Community Education Specialist
South Texas Poison Center
Virginia is an Educator dedicated to assisting some 19 counties with
poison prevention awareness programs, in an effort to reduce morbidity
and mortality due to poisoning. She coordinates presentations with
public health and non-profit agencies, public and private schools and
day care centers in both Spanish and English. Her monthly activity
calendar is always fully booked with presentations, health fairs and
trainings. When she's not teaching you can find her at her office
taking care of duties as part of the Texas Poison Center Network
Education Committee. Virginia has formalized in agreement to provide a
training experience at the STPC Education Department for the UTHSCSA
RAHC 3rd year medical students as part of a public health/community
service experience during their clerkship.
Mary Bogardus
Administrative Secretary
South Texas Poison Center
Mary has been an Administrative Secretary at the South Texas Poison Center for the past three years
and is known for her diligence and excellent performance of her duties.
Mary demonstrates an abundance of knowledge and skills of the procedures
and activities of her position.
