DHR Health and Texas A&M Health establish new academic and clinical research affiliation

DHR Health and Texas A&M University Health Science Center (Texas A&M Health) announced today an expansion of their long-standing collaboration in clinical research and graduate medical education. With this new agreement, the Texas A&M School of Medicine will become the academic affiliate for the DHR Health Graduate Medical Education residency and fellowship programs. This relationship further reinforces Texas A&M Health’s commitment to developing workforce pipelines in areas most impacted by physician shortages in our state.

The community directly benefits from this enhanced relationship through coordination with Texas A&M Healthy South Texas preventive health programs and furthering clinical research partnerships that aim to reduce and eliminate many health disparities among the Hispanic population in the Rio Grande Valley.

“Texas A&M University and The Texas A&M University System are more dedicated than ever to South Texas and the people of the Rio Grande Valley. The expanded collaboration between DHR Health and Texas A&M Health is just the latest example,” said Texas A&M System Chancellor John Sharp. “This new arrangement will improve the lives of our friends here in the Valley.”

This affiliation complements the excellent clinical training that has been occurring at DHR Health for the last eight years with the academic resources of Texas A&M. As the largest site for graduate medical education (GME) in the Rio Grande Valley, DHR Health offers Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education-accredited programs in diagnostic radiology and surgical critical care, which will now be supplemented by new residency opportunities in primary care and rural medicine. In addition, Texas A&M has had a pharmacy residency at DHR Health for several years. This partnership between DHR Health and Texas A&M will benefit the community, the residents and fellows, and will advance both institutions in the region.

“Our GME footprint is strong. Texas A&M is a logical partner for our future vision of equity and growth and our mission of service to the region,” said Manish Singh, MD, chief executive officer at DHR Health. “We look forward to great things to come in the years ahead due to this affiliation.”

“We are excited to expand our existing relationship with DHR Health and to collaboratively grow graduate medical education, which is a critical need for the state of Texas,” said Amy Waer, MD, dean of the Texas A&M School of Medicine. “We have a shared commitment of training and developing excellent and compassionate physicians.”

The agreement improves and grows clinical research opportunities between DHR Health and Texas A&M Health, focusing on research crucial to the well-being of residents in South Texas, especially related to nutrition, diabetes and family health.