Remembering our health care heroes on this first COVID-19 Heroes and Memorial Day
Today University Health joins hospitals across the state in observing the first COVID-19 Heroes and Memorial Day, created by the Texas Legislature in 2023.
Since the beginning of the pandemic in 2020, nearly 100,000 Texans have lost their lives to COVID-19. However, many others who became ill with the virus recovered because of dedicated health care workers and first responders who went above and beyond to save lives.
At University Health, our team met the pandemic head on. They searched the globe for PPE and invented a process for sterilizing N95 masks so they could be safely reused. We became an important participant in the search for treatments, making University Hospital the world’s largest research site for studying the effectiveness of remdesivir.
We opened South Texas’ largest mass COVID-19 vaccination site at Wonderland of the Americas, and delivered hope and protection with more than 600,000 doses of the vaccine at our many locations. In the hospital, our medical teams worked long hours, saving many lives.
Sadly the virus claimed the lives of four dedicated University Health employees:
- Herman Munoz, safety analyst
- Raul Lara Vasquez, engineering tech II
- Francisco Pesina III, registration access specialist
- Simon Fonseca, Jr., staff nurse III
Today we pause to remember them, and to thank our many University Health team members who used their training and skills to treat the sick and protect the community.
We are providing this link to a five-minute video University Health created to recognize the contributions of our steadfast employees on this first COVID-19 Heroes and Memorial Day. Please feel free to use all or portions of the video as you honor our many COVID-19 health care workers.
As time passes, some memories fade. The sacrifices of our health care team during the worst pandemic of our time is something we will never forget.
ABOUT UNIVERSITY HEALTH
University Health is the only locally-owned health system in San Antonio. For more than 100 years, University Health has been here to heal, improve health, train the next generation of medical professionals and ensure the people of San Antonio, Bexar County and South Texas have access to primary and advanced specialty care close to home. Specialized services include the region’s only Level I trauma center for both adults and children, and maternal and neonatal intensive care centers designated at the highest levels by the State of Texas. As the region’s only academic health system, University Health is a hub of innovation and discovery, committed to delivering patient-centered, culturally competent, high-quality and compassionate care, based on a strong foundation of outcomes‐based research and innovative teaching. Learn more at UniversityHealth.com.
