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MCALLEN – Plans were announced for Driscoll Children’s Hospital to open and independently operate a freestanding pediatric hospital in the Rio Grande Valley. The name of the hospital will be Driscoll Children’s Hospital Rio Grande Valley. The new eight-level hospital will be located on the campus of DHR Health, making it the only designated, freestanding children’s hospital in the Rio Grande Valley. Driscoll Children’s Hospital Rio Grande Valley will further the mission of Driscoll Children’s Hospital founder Clara Driscoll to provide medical care to all the children of South Texas. In early 2019, Driscoll began discussions with DHR Health to expand pediatric services to the Rio Grande Valley to include inpatient acute care. From there, plans developed in which DHR Health would build a hospital on its campus to be leased to and operated independently by Driscoll Children’s Hospital. Driscoll Children’s Hospital Rio Grande Valley will provide the following pediatric…

South Texas Buick GMC earns two 2020 Dealer of the Year awards

June 16, 2021

General Motors recognizes South Texas Buick GMC with both the 2020 Buick Dealer of the Year and 2020 GMC Dealer of the Year awards for outstanding performance in the last calendar year. The program annually honors the top 1% of Buick and GMC dealers across the country for their performance in sales and their ability to provide their customers with an exceptional ownership experience. With nearly 2,000 Buick and 1,700 GMC dealerships nationwide, being among the class of only 44 Buick and GMC retailers to achieve Dealer of the Year is a demanding and highly respected accomplishment. “Last year brought many new challenges to auto dealers across the country,” said Duncan Aldred, GM vice president, Global Buick GMC. “Every dealer faced uncertainty and difficult decisions as they worked their way through the multiple stages of the pandemic. Today, we honor those who navigated the challenges best and helped to move our company…

UTRGV celebrates a momentous day in the history.

June 16, 2021

UTRGV is happy to announce it has received a transformative $40 million gift from philanthropists MacKenzie Scott and Dan Jewett to enhance its mission of student success and expanded educational opportunities. The grant will provide much-needed scholarship money for students not just as they enter college, but throughout their educational journey. Ms. Scott and Mr. Jewett chose UTRGV based on UTRGV’s success as the second-largest Hispanic Serving Institution in the country and its proven ability to transform the lives of underserved students through higher education. Recently, UTRGV ranked first in Texas and fifth nationally in the performance of Pell-eligible students; first in Texas and 11th nationally in the performance of first-generation students; and second in Texas and 29th nationally in the social mobility of its students. UTRGV is also the first among national public universities with the lowest student debt. To read more about the donors and their gifts, click…

Kemper Insurance is hiring for an AVP, Customer Service Field Operations

June 2, 2021

Kemper Insurance is hiring for an AVP, Customer Service Field Operations – Location in McAllen, Texas Category – Customer Service / Operations Job IDR-21-0013071 POSITION SUMMARY: Assistant Vice President of Customer Service/Field Operations will regionally oversee Kemper Auto Customer and Agent Service as well as Direct to Consumer Sales. This position is responsible for leading and delivering policies and procedures for the effective operation of the Kemper Auto call centers to ensure operational efficiency and compliance with Kemper standards. Responsible for planning and directing regional operations at the field level, including development and maintenance of staffing plans, KPI’s, goals and objectives, and overall agent and customer interaction. The position will work closely with the head of Operational Effectiveness to drive adherence standards. This role will have responsibility for all Operational professionals in the regional field office as well as site responsibilities including safety, business resumption, leadership communication, agent engagement, and…

Biden administration changes PPP rules to help reach the smallest businesses

February 22, 2021

By Katie Lobosco, CNN Updated 12:55 PM ET, Mon February 22, 2021 (CNN)The Biden administration announced several changes Monday to the Paycheck Protection Program in an effort to reach minority-owned and very small businesses that may have previously missed out on accessing loans to help weather the coronavirus pandemic. Starting Wednesday, small businesses with fewer than 20 employees will have a two-week exclusive window to apply for the funding. Bigger businesses will be blocked during that time period. MORE ON COVID-19 RELIEF Here’s what’s in the House Democrats’ stimulus relief plan Congress already approved $4 trillion in Covid relief. What happened to it? Here’s what budget reconciliation is (and why it matters for Biden’s stimulus) Here are the executive actions Biden has signed so far The administration will also change some eligibility rules, effective the first week in March. The self-employed, sole proprietors, and independent contractors can now qualify for more money. They previously were…

The Monitor offers great advertising deals for small businesses!

February 19, 2021

The Monitor is helping small and locally-owned businesses with some great advertising solutions for the month of March. Stevan with The Monitor is offering some great advertising deals. These “post-it” notes are great for getting your promotion out to the public and great visibility being right on the front page of The Monitor newspaper. These will be $250.00 for 10k “post-it” notes – that’s 70% off! Myrgv.com (formally Themonitor.com) receives millions of visits per month to their site, and Steven has great ideas for getting in front of this audience. You can call him directly or email him: 956-601-6390 or Stevanp@rgvmedianetwork.com.

102-year-old happy to be vaccinated by Driscoll at ABC site

February 11, 2021

Mary Yager, a 102-year-old from Padre Island, was thankful to be receiving her COVID-19 vaccination Thursday morning from a Driscoll nurse at the City of Corpus Christi and Driscoll Children’s Hospital COVID-19 Vaccination Site at the American Bank Center. She and her two daughters, Patty Albright and Janet Whitehead, got their shot together. Patty said they had been trying to get the shot for a long time. And her mother? “Oh, she had a wonderful experience. She hasn’t stopped talking about it. The shot didn’t hurt and she was so excited about how friendly everyone was,” Patty said. About Driscoll Children’s Hospital … “Devoted to expert care, education, outreach, and advocacy.” Driscoll Children’s Hospital is a 191-bed pediatric tertiary care center with more than 30 medical and surgical specialties offering care throughout South Texas, including Corpus Christi, the Rio Grande Valley, Victoria, and Laredo. Through the vision and generosity of…

Living Intentionally

February 11, 2021

Stephanie Hawk

Are you living life intentionally or just coasting? It can be a hard question to answer, especially during a pandemic that has turned our daily lives and connections and relationships upside down. These eleven months have forced me to examine how I live and what I think. What I have learned and thought about these last 11 months is that “stuff” doesn’t happen all of a sudden. It happens little by little, and then the wheels come off. Think about your health, your relationships, your work. You don’t walk into your job one day and find out you are fired. You don’t one day wake up and suddenly have a heart attack. It is little things that have been happening day after day. You are missing deadlines, not being a team player at work, difficult to deal with, or eating large amounts of fats, sugars, and not exercising, and then…

The Story Behind “I Have a Dream” Speech

February 5, 2021

Stephanie Hawk

This past Monday, our nation celebrated Martin Luther King, Jr. (MLK) Day. The day is a moment to recall how far we have come as a country and to reflect on how far we still have to go in dealing with racism. If the United States has a legacy sin – it is racism. The greatest speech Dr. King was known for giving is the “I Have a Dream” speech. Surprisingly, it did not become a defining speech of his legacy until after his death. With time, the “I Have A Dream” speech has grown in significance and impact. Many people don’t know that the “I Have a Dream” part of the speech was not originally included in the prepared text for his speech at The Freedom March on Washington in 1963. It would be the first time the nation would hear a full speech given by Dr. King. The…

So You Want A Bachelor Degree? STC will conduct a Bachelor Programs Live Event

January 14, 2021

STC will be conducting a virtual live event on January 26, 2021, at 7:00 p.m. Event link: Click here! Bachelor of Applied Science in Organizational Leadership – The Bachelor of Applied Science in Organizational Leadership (BAS-OL) program is a competency-based program where students can advance based on their ability to master a competency (knowledge, skills, and abilities) at their own pace. A program that prepares students to be leaders and teaches students leadership and management theory and its practical application in organizations. It is an excellent pathway to any leadership or management position in business or public organizations. The program is also available in a traditional format if the student prefers the more structured, deadline-based format. Your employees might be thinking about obtaining their Bachelor’s degree but cannot find the time or the funds to get it done. Well, this program, the Bachelor of Applied Science in Organizational Leadership (BAS-OL),…

TRAVEL TIPS BEFORE YOU “TAKE-OFF” THIS HOLIDAY SEASON

November 23, 2020

McAllen International Airport shares tips and reminders when traveling by air this holiday season Prior to arriving at McAllen International Airport (MFE), be sure to check the safety guidelines for the destination that will be visited, including hotel of choice or accommodations. If traveling to an international destination, visit the United States Department of State website: https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/international-travel.html for the most up-to-date information. For domestic travel, be sure to visit the official website of the State you will be traveling to for the latest health and safety guidelines in that community. For travel during this pandemic, airline partners have implemented increased opportunities for contactless service including self-check-in kiosks and free downloadable apps to connect travelers directly with the airline in real-time while providing airline and flight information at one’s fingertips. Some examples of airline app tools include booking flights, completing the pre-boarding registration process, access to flight status, and current airline…

Keep McAllen Beautiful Announces Holiday Home Lights Contest 2020

November 18, 2020

The Holiday Home Lights contest, sponsored by Keep McAllen Beautiful, is an opportunity for residents to show off their holiday spirit and decorating skills to help beautify and illuminate the McAllen landscape by lighting up their McAllen home. “I really love Christmas and one of my favorite traditions is driving around town and looking at all the beautiful holiday lights and decorations,” said McAllen Mayor Jim Darling. “Whether those decorations are religious or traditional, whether homes use white lights or multi-colored lights, or even if they use a simple wreath, this is a beautiful way to celebrate the most wonderful time of the year. And this is a dazzling way to keep McAllen beautiful!” Residents interested in competing in this year’s KMB’s Holiday Home Lights Contest should follow four simple steps to register to become a contestant – and possible winner. Go all out on holiday home decorations; Snap a…

532nd Article (2)

August 11, 2020

Stephanie Hawk

The retail landscape is changing because of COVID-19. The future has arrived sooner than scheduled. As businesses move forward, there are going to be opportunities and challenges to finding the right business model. The fundamental truth is that things have changed in the last six months. The hope of returning to “the way things used to be” is not going to happen. Understanding what is happening and where the shifts are occurring are the first steps to help position your business for success. Here are six things that will be impacting businesses in the next 12-18 months. Spending. As jobs are lost and unemployment grows (McAllen’s unemployment is 10.4% for June), discretionary spending is going to be reduced. With economic uncertainty, people tend to hang on to their money longer. The impulse purchases that happened last year will be fewer. For businesses, there is an opportunity to begin analyzing what…

RGV Census Ambassador Scholarship

August 6, 2020