Program team
Kristen Plastino, MD, Program Director
Dr. Kristen Plastino is a board-certified Ob/Gyn physician whose special interests include adolescent gynecology and reproductive health. Dr. Plastino has led the way in adolescent health since 2003, providing education and curriculum to adolescents and adults on the benefits of delaying sex. Dr. Plastino is a Professor at UT Health San Antonio, Long School of Medicine and is the Director of the UT Teen Health Program. Her collaborative approach includes community mobilization, stakeholder education, evidence-based sex education and best clinical practices. She has successfully led a community-wide initiative that has contributed to a 24% decrease in the teen birth rate and a 43% reduction in repeat teen births in South San Antonio while mobilizing the community to sustain teen pregnancy prevention efforts.
Jennifer Todd, JD, RN, Project Manager
Jennifer Todd has worked in teen pregnancy prevention since 2005 in the San Antonio community. She is currently a Project Manager for UT Teen Health, supervising several teams of health educators in various federally funded projects. She and her teams serve to facilitate program components between community partners, schools and clinics while guiding community mobilization, educating program stakeholders in non-legislative policy, and assisting in all aspects of the projects. Jennifer graduated with a degree in philosophy from the University of Texas at Austin, has a B.S.N. from Southern Connecticut State University, and a law degree from Yale Law School. She has experience working with federal grants, building staff capacity, and utilizing best practices to promote sustainability.
Diana Lowe, RN, Project Manager
Diana Lowe has been working in teen pregnancy prevention in the San Antonio community since 2006. She is experienced in all phases of project development and coordination and is currently contributing to various initiatives under the umbrella of UT Teen Health. Diana graduated with a degree in Biology from Hope College and has a B.S.N. from St. Louis University. She lived in Mexico City, Mexico for fifteen years and is bi-lingual, strengthening her understanding of the heritage of the predominantly Hispanic San Antonio community. Diana is married and the mother of three.
Esmeralda Jeffries, BA, NPMC, Project Coordinator, Special Populations Project
Esmeralda Jeffries has been working in teen pregnancy prevention in the San Antonio community since 2011. She is currently the Project Coordinator to build the capacity of state and local partnering organizations in their efforts towards teen pregnancy prevention. She and her team focus on youth in the foster care or juvenile justice systems, or youth who are pregnant and/or parenting. They serve community partners by assisting them in choosing evidence-based programs, training partners to facilitate program components, and equipping partners to plan for sustainability of successful programs. Esmeralda graduated with a degree in Political Science from Our Lady of the Lake University and has a Nonprofit Management Certificate from The University of Texas at San Antonio. She has experience working with youth as a youth group leader at her church. Her experience includes work in the criminal justice system with domestic violence and sexual abuse survivors, and youth in the juvenile justice system. Esmeralda is married with two children and enjoys spending time with her family.
Nicole Dierschke, DrPH, Project Coordinator, Evaluator
Nicole Dierschke has worked in teen pregnancy prevention in San Antonio school districts since 2012. Currently, she is coordinating a project to test an innovative curriculum designed for youth in foster care, as well as assisting in evaluation of other projects. Her previous experience includes extensive research across diverse content areas, including clinical trials, patient safety, and military health. Her skills also include proficiency in study design, program planning, health promotion, intervention mapping, and database design. Her background in organizational behavior and capacity building assists the San Antonio community in building sustainable partnerships to implement TPP programming. Nicole graduated with a degree in Biology from the University of Dallas, has an MPH from the University of Texas School of Public Health, and a doctoral degree in Community Health Practice from the UT School of Public Health.
Gary Eells, BS, Administrative Assist. – Assoc.
Gary Eells graduated from the University of Texas at Austin with a Bachelor of Science in Public Relations and Certificate in Business Foundations. His experience in communications and production has taught him to adapt to changing plans and be ready for anything. Friendly and eager to help, he provides assistance to anyone in need. He enjoys writing, drawing, and gaming.
Joette Garza-Garibay, MHA, Project Coordinator, SRA Project
Joette Garza-Garibay, earned a Bachelor of Science in Community Health from the University of Texas San Antonio and completed her Masters of Healthcare Administration from the University of the Incarnate Word. In 2007, she began her health education work with the NIH HEALTHY Study assisting with the promotion of Type 2 Diabetes prevention among SAISD middle schools. In 2009 she began working with the City of San Antonio – Metro Health, Project WORTH program as a Health Program Specialist, working with middle and high schools in SAISD, and community organizations in teen pregnancy prevention. Joette has teaching skills with grade levels 6-12, along with evidence- based program training among school districts and community partners. She also has skills working with teens in clinical settings thru the City of San Antonio Metro Health department.
Bonnie Moreno, BA, Office Manager – Operations
Bonnie Moreno has a degree in Human Resources and is a master at multi-tasking. She has a background in sales, marketing and management. Her experience in the Reproductive, Endocrinology and Infertility Division of Obstetrics and Gynecology is an asset to the UT Teen Health administrative team. Bonnie has a passion for helping others. She enjoys cycling, roller skating and spending time with her three nephews.
Maria Peché, Office Manager
Maria Peché performs a wide range of ancillary duties to support UT Teen Health, ensuring a high level of professionalism and smooth operation of its day to day mission. Maria serves as the course facilitator for all Program training activities and conferences and is responsible for the logistics for these activities. Her technical writing certification and experience is instrumental in the development of training presentations, program literature and materials as well as preparing research articles for publication. Maria enjoys reading, and spending quality time with her family.
Ámbar Ríos, MS, LPC, Behavioral Health Specialist-Teen Counselor, Project YES Lead
Ámbar Ríos is a native of San Antonio. In 2003, she received a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology with a minor in Spanish from Our Lady of the Lake University where she also holds a Master of Science degree in Counseling Psychology and Marriage and Family Therapy, a certification in Psychological Services for Spanish Speaking Populations, and a Professional Counselor’s license. She has been a member of UT Teen Health for over eight years, and is currently working full time in the joint UT Health-University Hospital System Teen Health Clinic.
Contact information
UT Health San Antonio OB-Gyn Department
UT Teen Health
7703 Floyd Curl Drive, MSC 7836
San Antonio, Texas 78229-3900
Phone: 210-567-7036
Fax: 210-567-7042
Email: utteenhealth@uthscsa.edu