Contact Us

Belinda “Bel” Flores, RN, BS, CHW-I

South Coastal AHEC Director

E-mail: floresb3@uthscsa.edu | Phone: 361-881-8133

Bel is a Hispanic, bilingual/bicultural registered nurse who has an extensive background working with the underserved communities of South Texas as well as in the recruitment of health professionals to our area. AHEC has facilitated partnerships with the local commissioner’s office, schools, colleges, clinics, hospitals, and other nonprofits to provide health fairs, medical screenings, immunizations, and health promotion and education to the underserved, rural areas, including the colonias of South Texas. She has lived in South Texas all her life and has deep roots in the community with her family and professional colleagues. She takes her work very seriously due to the great need in her community with the hope that someday everyone will have the care and resources necessary for a healthy life.

Melissa Flores, CHWI

Program Manager

E-mail: floresm26@uthscsa.edu | Phone: 361-881-8133

Melissa is a Certified Medical Assistant and a Community Health Worker Instructor. Her role is to promote health prevention by coordinating health fairs, health screenings, and health education for rural and underserved areas in my community. Before AHEC, she was an office manager for a successful family practice office and has worked in the medical community for 18 years. She comes from a very small South Texas town of less than 4,000 people near the US-Mexico Border. She understands firsthand the struggles of accessing health care and the educational disadvantages that many of our community members face. So, for her, being a part of this team and doing something about it is the best feeling in the world! She finds herself feeling blessed to be a part of the South Coastal AHEC.

Veronica “Roni” Vela, MA, CHW-I

Scholars Coordinator

E-mail: velav4@uthscsa.edu | Phone: 361-881-8133

Veronica Vela is a Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi graduate, earning a Master of Arts degree in Psychology. She is a Community Health Worker as well as a Community Health Worker Instructor. She worked for several years serving her local community with the South Coastal AHEC office prior to transitioning to her current role as Program Coordinator with South Texas AHEC. She has worked with several grassroots and national organizations to address environmental justice, reproductive justice, social equality, health equity, and other social justice issues. Her previous work has focused on improved outcomes for individuals with substance use disorders, underserved and rural communities, and marginalized populations.

Brittany Colunga, BS, CHW

Projects Coordinator

Email: colungab@uthscsa.edu | Phone: 361-881-8133

Brittany Colunga is a graduate of Texas A&M University- Corpus Christi, earning a Bachelor’s degree in Healthcare Administration. She is also a Community Health Worker. Brittany oversees various projects at South Coastal AHEC, including Salud En Mis Manos. This project educates women of South Texas on the importance of breast and cervical cancer prevention/early detection. Through this project, eligible women can receive free to low-cost pap smears, mammograms, and HPV vaccines. Brittany has a great passion for working with the underserved community and strives to improve their overall access to health through each project she coordinates.

Dr. Scott Krall, MD

Continuing Medical Education (CME) Coordinator

Email: Krall@uthscsa.edu | Phone: (361) 881-8133