Dr. Lyssa Ochoa is a surgeon who founded the San Antonio Vascular and Endovascular (SAVE) Clinic. She wanted to do something nice for Southside ISD students this summer whose lives have changed because of COVID-19. “We cannot forget the amount of unprecedented pressure this pandemic applies to the youth of our community. We, adults, are responsible for leading them through this,” said Dr. Ochoa.
SAVE is sponsoring custom-made t-shirts for about 1,000 students who complete the District’s Cardinal Academy Summer Blast. The t-shirts are the brainchild of Superintendent Rolando Ramirez who wanted to provide students with an incentive to improve academic performance. Dr. Ochoa is a huge advocate for education and stepped in to advance the superintendent’s vision.
“The t-shirts are a fun way for us to help the students feel a sense of unity as they experience new and different ways to participate in their education. The students need to know they don’t have to navigate this crisis alone,” she said.
The front of the cardinal red t-shirts reads, “I soared at Cardinal Academy Summer Blast 2020.” The back of the shirt has the Southside Cardinal and reads, “Proudly sponsored by the SAVE Clinic.”
Dr. Ochoa and SAVE have an established relationship with the Southside ISD. The SAVE Clinic has been a key sponsor of the District’s Wellness Extravaganza which focuses on improving health outcomes. “I want Southside ISD families to know that even if we can’t gather in large groups at this time, SAVE is still here to serve them and help in any way we can to stay healthy or get well during these times.”
Dr. Ochoa is a vascular surgeon and encourages students and their families to live healthy lifestyles.
“SAVE is a vascular disease clinic, which means we take care of all the blood vessels in the body outside of the heart. We help by providing diet and exercise information, medicines if needed, and even procedures or surgery to fix problems with blood vessels, such as blockages or clots,” Dr. Ochoa said.
As a vascular surgeon, Dr. Ochoa sees daily the harmful effects caused by diabetes.
“Diabetic amputations are a major complication that can result from diabetes and vascular disease. Many of us know someone or have a family member who has had a toe, foot, or leg amputation. We need to do everything we can to keep our diabetes under control, which is now harder than ever during a global pandemic.” The surgeon added, “The SAVE Clinic is here to help and will continue seeing patients in person to prevent amputations.”
Dr. Ochoa invites students, parents, and community members to learn more about the SAVE Clinic by visiting the SAVE Clinic website.