Our Staff
Raudel Bobadilla, MPH, CHW-I
Senior Research Coordinator
Raudel Bobadilla is a Senior Research Coordinator and Community Health Worker Instructor (CHW-I) who serves as the Program Manager for the UT Health San Antonio South Central AIDS Education and Training Center (AETC). He has built a vital skill set for engaging and partnering with communities, care providers, and clinics to improve the population’s health. He has collaborated with community members, leaders, and organizations to connect the public to services and research opportunities in multiple projects. Mr. Bobadilla brings considerable experience as the Program Coordinator and Case Manager for the STOP HCC-HCV program, a CPRIT-funded grant to implement HCV screening and linkage to treatment in rural FQHCs. He helped create innovative treatment pathways within 18 clinics across 14 counties in South Texas. Mr. Bobadilla also serves as the CHW Manager for the TACKLE HIV/HCV Co-infection project. He manages a team CHWs throughout South Texas to improve patient navigation and ensure movement through the HCV and HIV care continuum. Through close collaboration with each clinic, Mr. Bobadilla trains staff in program protocols, adapts the care model to each site’s context, and serves as lead contact between clinic partners and the research team.
Michelle Garza, MS
Research Area Specialist
Michelle Garza, MS graduated from the University of Texas at San Antonio with a Master of Science in Sociology. She obtained her Bachelor of Arts in Sociology with a minor in Spanish at the University of Texas at San Antonio. Her research includes a qualitative background on topics that involve immigration, religion, health disparities and juvenile justice. Mostly focusing on the populations of immigrant women, children and adolescents in the countries of Mexico, Nicaragua, Honduras and Guatemala. Her passion is serving the most vulnerable populations and has partnered with organizations such as Mobile Loaves and Fishes, Haven for Hope and Meals on Wheels.
Ludivina Hernandez, CHW-I
Community Outreach Coordinator
Ludivina Hernandez is a Community Health Worker/ Promotora, working with underserved communities in San Antonio and South Texas. In this role, Ludy uses her extensive background in outreach and engagement to serve as a liaison between community groups and the ReACH Center as well as the South-Central Area Health Education Center (AHEC). She serves as a Case Manager for several UT Health San Antonio initiatives in San Antonio, South Texas, and the Rio Grande Valley to screen, manage, and treat hepatitis C virus (HCV) within primary care. In addition to her role as an HCV Case Manager, Ludy is currently collaborating with UT San Antonio (UTSA) on a project to promote food as medicine and offer simple, realistic strategies for improving health in her community.
Keito Kawasaki, MPH
Research Associate
Keito Kawasaki is a research associate/ epidemiology assistant for the Targeted Access to Community Knowledge, Linkage to treatment and Education (TACKLE) HIV/HCV co-infection in people of color program and assists with ECHO session planning and coordination at Center for Research to Advance Community Health (ReACH). Keito earned her Master of Public Health degree from Tulane University and Bachelor of Science degree in biology from University of California in Los Angeles. Prior to coming to the United States, she lived in Japan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Nepal, and Pakistan. She embraces diversity and is eager to contribute to improving access to quality health care for all regardless of their race, ethnicity, age, gender, and socio-economic status.
Erick Reynero, BS
Study Coordinator
Erick Reynero is a research area specialist. He served his community as a Firefighter/EMT and utilized his skills in the emergency room, prior to joining the ReACH Center. Through his public service, he gained valuable experience treating diverse populations.
Erick graduated Summa Cum Laude from Texas A&M University-San Antonio with a BS in Biology. He is experienced in biomedical research techniques and examination of gene expression. His current research interests are focused on transgender and gender nonconforming populations: individuals requiring improved health service delivery.
Erick’s commitment to public service has given him the purposeful stride of improving health outcomes of LGBTQIA+ individuals.
Andrea Rochat, MFA
Senior Research Coordinator
Andrea Rochat serves as a Senior Research Coordinator for the Center for Research to Advance Community Health (ReACH) at UT Health San Antonio. After completing dual majors in English and Classics at Washington University in St. Louis, Andrea went to Pennsylvania State University, where she earned a Masters of Fine Arts in Creative Writing. Her work in communications and content development led her to ReACH, where she has served as a coordinator and writer for over five years on projects involving telementoring, hepatitis C management in primary care, specialist teleconsultation, non-pharmacologic chronic pain management, and community engagement. She serves as a facilitator and coordinator for the UT Health San Antonio ECHO Service Center. Her background makes her passionate about improving the patient and provider experience through innovative forms of communication. As a health communicator, Andrea is eager to help write a newer narrative of healthcare, in which individuals are empowered through access, technology, and education to improve their own health and the health of their community.
Raquel Romero, MD, MPH, CDCES
Clinical Information Analyst, Intermediate
Dr, Romero is a bilingual foreign medical graduate physician with a Master of Public Heath from The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston. She is certified by the National Certification Board for Diabetes Educators as a Diabetes Educator as well as a Texas State Community Health Worker Instructor. For the past 20 years, she has been working for UT Health San Antonio as a primary care practice facilitator in the 38 counties of South Texas. Her projects focus on improving health outcomes for underserved and rural communities clinical quality improvement strategies. Dr. Romero has devoted her professional career to helping develop strategic plans to increase the capacity of primary care physicians in community-based settings to work towards health improvement in their patient populations. She focuses on optimizing provider-patient relationships. As a trained physician, she works closely with primary care practices and facilitates projects within daily practice to improve the quality of service delivery . Additionally, she works with community stakeholders on health initiatives that are high priority in the community. In 2019, she joined the TACKLE HIV/HCV and ECHO teams as the ECHO Outreach Coordinator to help built awareness among health professionals about the ECHO initiative.
Carly Liu Smith
Senior Administrative Associate
Carly Liu Smith currently serves the Reach Center as the Senior Administrative Associate. She is responsible for assisting researchers and center personnel in logistical matters related to administrative functions. Previous to her joining the Reach Center team, Carly completed her graduate work in Exercise Physiology at Beijing Sport University, PR China and served in a similar capacity to her current position at the University of Texas at San Antonio.
Kesi Williams, MPH
Senior Research Coordinator
Kesi Williams serves as a Senior Research Coordinator for the Center for Research to Advance Community Health (ReACH) at UT Health San Antonio. Mrs. Williams is a program coordinator for the ECHO (Extension for Community Healthcare Outcomes) Program and an AHRQ R21 grant focused on a shared-decision model between provider and patient for total knee replacement.
Before joining ReACH, Ms. Williams was a program analyst for the National Institutes of Health for 12yrs. Ms. Williams earned her Master’s in Public Health with a concentration in Community Health from the University of North Texas Health Science Center and a Bachelor of Science in Biology from Tuskegee University.