Meet Our New Team Members
Meet Becky – Administrative Assistant 
Hello, my name is Becky Garcia and I have been employed with UT Health San Antonio in a variety of positions since 2006. I recently joined the Caring for the Caregiver team in December 2021.
My role with the program is the administrative assistant, I handle supplies, set up virtual meetings, answer calls and help caregivers with information regarding different programs available for caregivers and persons living with Dementia and Alzheimer’s. I’ve always considered myself a people person, so this role fits me because I get to talk with different people and try and help them with information. I have an amazing team!
I’m originally from Chicago and have been in San Antonio since 2005, I do miss my pizza and walk on Lake Michigan, but we do have a real nice Riverwalk here and some good breakfast tacos. 😊
Meet Ari – Research Assistant
My name is Ari Chinea, and I recently earned my BSN from UT Health San Antonio this past December. Over the past year and a half, I have been actively engaged with the Caring for the Caregiver program as a volunteer and student researcher. During this time, I’ve had the opportunity to help with several projects, including developing content for the Learning Skills Together workshops and leading a study looking at the impact of caregiving on diet and health in dementia family caregivers. Post-graduation, I am so fortunate to be continuing on with the Caring for the Caregiver team in my new role as a research assistant. In this role, I am assisting Sara Masoud with implementing a training program for community health workers to improve their efficacy in handling issues related to aging, brain health, and dementia. I am also helping Sara to strengthen our Caregiver Reassurance Calls program by looking at how our volunteers and staff can better address the many uncertainties caregivers face. I feel so blessed to be a member of the Caring for the Caregiver team because I get to interact with and learn from so many amazing people with different backgrounds and areas of expertise who all have a common goal to make a difference in the lives of caregivers and their families. I am so glad to have stumbled upon this career path because I am finally able to bring together all of my passions and skills to lead a life full of meaning.
Outside of work, I have a number of hobbies. I enjoy spending my free time being active outdoors. I particularly love hiking and biking, and I can’t wait to go on more outdoor adventures now that I’m out of school. I am also somewhat of a mad food scientist. It is my life’s mission to use my excessive number of kitchen gadgets to explore new ways to make healthy food taste delicious. I’ve also recently become interested in trying out different self-care strategies, like meditation, yoga, breathwork, and self-massage. As you can see, I am kind of a health and wellness geek so I think I may have chosen the right career path as a nurse. Other than that, I am happily married, and my husband and I have two pets: a fluffy white cat and a Ball python (but let’s be honest, the snake is more his pet than mine).
P.S. I’m hoping to get back into reading fiction so please feel free to share book recommendations if we happen to chat in the near future!