Growing Valley Dreams of a Medical School in South Texas

By: Alejandro Coronado

Introduction

In February 2013, legislation proposed the establishment of a new medical school in the Rio Grande Valley (RGV). Several changes were necessary for this to happen. We will examine the timeline from the beginning to the present, focusing on the history of a Medical School in RGV, this will include assistance from the Higher Education Committee in South Texas, UTPA and UTB, Campus Leadership from UTRGV to UT Austin, former and current state lawmakers, campus mergers, funding, and the economic impact on the RGV.

The Beginnings of a South Texas Medical School

A merger measure has been submitted by four Valley legislators to change Pan American University's name to The University of Texas Pan American (UTPA), pending approval in March 1975. Unknown 1975. The bill was initiated by representatives exclusively from the Rio Grande Valley: A.C. Tony Garcia of Pharr, Mel Chavez of Harlingen, Felix McDonald of Edinburg, and Ruben Torres of Brownsville. The Bill was approved by a vote of six-two in the House Higher Education Committee hearing, passing it. Unknown 1975.

Legislation was introduced to explore the establishment of a medical school at the University of Texas. Torres of Brownsville and Greg Montoya of Elsa, McDonald, Chavez, and Garcia collaborated to introduce the valley measure. Unknown 1975.
No funding was necessary for this bill, but the UT Regents were asked to conduct preliminary planning as outlined in the bill. Unknown 1975. 

The significant presence of Mexican Americans, making up eighty percent, at the two South Texas universities is a concern for Torres of Brownsville. With only thirteen percent, Texas Women's University aims to assist minorities. The matter concerns Torres, but these doctors are not based in South Texas. Unknown 1975. Valley doctors, including Dr. Lauro Guerra, have made attempts to attract and retain physicians in the Valley. McAllen Medical Hospital pointed out we should produce them since they have failed at recruiting efforts. Unknown 1975.

Valley families lack proper transportation due to limited financial resources. T.H. Morrison reports that the closest medical center is approximately six hours away. Unknown 1975. Schools in the Corpus Christi area or other regions of Central Texas would not provide assistance to South Texas as a whole. Our location is highly isolated from the rest of Texas. Unknown 1975. The medical school legislation, which is similar to the previous one, will be introduced by Senator Raul L. Longoria as a joint effort. The medical school in South Texas would benefit the entire state as a valuable asset. Contributions from across the valley would be collected to enhance South Texas during fundraising initiatives. Unknown 1975.

 How the Legislative Joint Committee on Higher Education in South Texas helps Influence the South Texas Medical School

Ignorance of proper health maintenance, poverty, and inadequate health care are linked. South Texas has some of the lowest income areas in the nation, resulting in inadequate healthcare. South Texas has suffered from long-standing neglect, particularly in the areas of higher education and poverty, as highlighted in the report. By establishing higher education institutions, we can eradicate these problems. Legislative Joint Committee 1988. There is an insufficient number of doctors and nurses to meet the healthcare demands in South Texas. Sixteen out of twenty-four counties in Texas are Primary Health Manpower Shortage Areas (HMSA's), meaning they lack sufficient physicians for their population. Legislative Joint Committee 1988.

Medical services can be provided, and studies have demonstrated that training physicians in residency programs is a highly cost-effective way to deliver services at affordable rates. Doctors have a tendency to establish their medical practices where they underwent their residency. Legislative Joint Committee 1988.

Concerns of Medical School Not Happening in South Texas

Dr. Robert Nelson President of UTPA and Dr. Juliet Garcia President of UTB, must confront the task of dismantling what they have built for the new South Texas University to progress. Hamilton 2013. Chancellor Francisco Cigarroa of The University of Texas System has proposed a plan, backed by both presidents, to combine their colleges into a single university campus in the valley. In addition, there are plans to establish an administration office in McAllen. UTPA and UTB campuses are currently unable to access a major source of funding. However, this could change if lawmakers succeed in incorporating a medical school into the plan. Hamilton 2013.

What will happen to UT San Antonio Regional Academic Health Center

At the moment, there is a branch campus of UT Health Science Center at San Antonio located in Harlingen. Cigarroa has been attempting to create a costly proposal for transforming the Regional Academic Health Center into a complete medical school, a project he has been exploring. Hamilton 2013. Students must understand that lacking alignment and fostering competition among three universities does not promote synergy. Hamilton 2013.

 

Benefits of a Medical School in South Texas

The new university's potential payoff for UT System could be significant, with over 28,000 undergraduates. The combined student population of UTB and UTPA is about 28,000, and they would receive $70 million from endowments and over $11 million from research. This forecast predicts the creation of over seven thousand new jobs. Hamilton 2013. The creation of the new medical school by UT System will result in the creation of a specific number of jobs. The study conducted by the UT System medical school could result in the generation of over 10,000 jobs, each with an average salary of around $60,000. Kreighbaum 2013.

Lawmakers at Work Attempting to Make Medical School a Reality

In Austin, on February 4, 2013, legislation was proposed to allocate funds for a state university and medical center, promising numerous well-paid job opportunities in the valley. Randy Whittington of the South Texas Medical School Foundation believes that House Bill 1000 and Senate Bill 24 might face opposition from state lawmakers due to concerns about diverting funds from other universities and areas. Kreighbaum 2013. Whittington states that in order to pass, Texas leaders need 100 votes from the House of Representatives and 21 votes from the Senate. The merger of UTPA and UTB will result in annual savings of about seven million dollars. Del Valle 2013.

Funding Needed to Make a Medical School a Reality

To qualify for incentive funds from the state, this university would need to be classified as an emerging research center by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board. Hamilton 2013. Once this university is established, lawmakers have the power to provide access to the vital Permanent University Fund.  Only a select few UT Systems and Texas A&M Universities are allowed to utilize this significant funding source, as it is governed by the Texas Constitution. Hamilton 2013. The dissolution of UTPA and UTB by Legislation will result in the creation of a regional institution that can tap into the thirteen billion dollars in the Permanent University Fund.  Higher Education Leaders believe that establishing a medical school and receiving endowments will elevate it to a tier one institution. Kreighbaum 2013.

Positioning its self strategically, a regional university could address several issues by establishing and supporting its own medical school through research. By thinking innovatively, this opportunity can be transformed into something great. Hamilton 2013. The legislation will address the merger of UTPA and UTB, as well as the medical school, individually. The former has a better chance of approval as no additional funding is required, whereas UT System is requesting twenty million dollars for the medical school from lawmakers. Hamilton 2013.

Ready for day one of The New UTRGV Medical School in South Texas

On September 15, 2016, UTRGV organized a media day at the new UTRGV School of Medicine in Edinburg. The RGV can look forward to great things, creating a sense of excitement. 2016 Monitor 5B. The three-story building, spanning 80,000 square feet, cost a staggering $54 million upon completion, surpassing even the most advanced high-tech structures. RGV aspires for talented individuals to pursue medical studies and establish themselves in the valley. Unknown 2016.

Because of high poverty rates and poor health, the RGV has long needed a medical school. Since 1975 a medical school for the RGV has been in the hearts of valley legislators. The cost of healthcare and transportation for out-of-town appointments north of the valley was a concern. Establishing a medical school in the RGV would lead to a significant economic boom, benefiting job creation, higher wages, housing, and the local economy through doctor practices. The merging of UTPA and UTB will always be regarded as the best decision made by our UT System Leadership. After forty years The UTRGV School of Medicine welcomed its first batch of fifty-five students in the Fall of 2016.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Reference

Del Valle, F. (2013, February 5). Challenge: The merger bill requires a two-thirds vote from state lawmakers. Monitor, A1, 8A. https://mcallenmonitor.newspaperarchive.com/mcallen-monitor/2013-02-05

 

Hamilton, R. (2013, January 5). Will the new year bring a new college to the RGV? The Monitor, B1, B4. https://mcallenmonitor.newspaperarchive.com/mcallen-monitor/2013-01-05page-12

 

Kreighbaum, A. (2013, February 5). Texas lawmakers file legislation to create a UT medical school in the RGV. The Monitor, A1, A8. https://mcallenmonitor.newspaperarchive.com/mcallen-monitor/2013-02-05page-1

 

Manusov, E. (2016, September 29). The virtues of our Valley's new medical school. McAllen Monitor, 10. https://mcallenmonitor.newspaperarchive.com/mcallen-monitor/2016-09-29/page-10/

Legislative Joint Committee on Higher Education in South Texas, 71^st Legislature (1988) Health Care Resources in South Texas page 59-64.

Unknown, A. (1975, March 16). Legislation Providing UT, Pan Am Merger Introduced. The Monitor, A1, A5.

Unknown, A. (2016, May 5). Ready for medical class#1UTRGV officials show off new state-of-art facility. McAllen Monitor, B5. https://mcallenmonitor.newspaperarchive.com/mcallen-monitor/2016-05-05/page-11/