By Edmond Ortiz
University Health is partnering with Texas A&M University to train and retain more physicians toward caring for a growing regional population.
What you should know
Officials from Texas A&M University Naresh K. Vashisht College of Medicine in College Station and University Health gathered March 26 at Texas A&M University San Antonio to sign an affiliation agreement.
Thanks to the new pact, starting in fall 2027, Vashisht College of Medicine faculty physicians will serve local and regional patients at University Health’s Palo Alto Hospital, which is currently under construction in south San Antonio.
Vashisht College medical students, meanwhile, will do clinical rotations at the same hospital and at other regional healthcare facilities.
TAMUSA will begin providing classroom and office space this fall as part of a broader collaboration, according to a press release.
What they are saying
The Texas A&M University System Chancellor, Glenn Hegar, said the new partnership highlights the strengths that the Texas A&M University System and University Health offer when it comes to bolstering health care access in the San Antonio area and across South Texas.
“By expanding medical education and clinical training opportunities in San Antonio, we are preparing the next generation of physicians while strengthening access to care for communities across South Texas,” Hegar said in a statement.
According to the release, medical students cannot independently diagnose or treat patients, but clinical rotations will extend vital, upclose experiences as part of a medical team.
Plans in the partnership include physician residency programs in family medicine and internal medicine, with potential for further expansion.
Dr. Amy Waer, dean of the Vashisht College of Medicine, said the collaboration both expands the college’s presence in San Antonio, and allows TAMU physicians and students to practice and train in a region, which needs more healthcare professionals to offer services over a long period of time.
Waer also said the collaboration will enhance existing partnerships with the military at Brooke Army Medical Center and the Veterans Administration in San Antonio, growing the number of practice locations for TAMU physicians locally and elsewhere.
“San Antonio is rising as a premier hub for health care and education, and this affiliation accelerates that momentum,” John Bellinger, a San Antonio native and Texas A&M University System Regent, said in a statement.
“By training tomorrow’s A&M doctors here in the community, Texas A&M and University Health are investing in better health and the long-term economic strength of South Texas.”
TAMUSA President Dr. Hector Ochoa said the new partnership will bolster his South Side campus’ educational offerings, and healthcare access for community members.
“We are excited about the possibilities this partnership brings for future biomedical sciences and other health-related programs at the university, as our students will get to learn from some of the most talented physicians and future physicians,” he said in a statement.
University Health President and CEO Edward Banos said the new pact complements University Health’s longtime affiliation with the UT Health San Antonio Long School of Medicine, and a recently established affiliation with the University of the Incarnate Word School of Osteopathic Medicine. Such partnerships, Banos said, will also raise San Antonio’s image as a key destination for advanced medical care and technology.
“Health care is already one of the top drivers of our local economy and this new partnership paves the way for us to join an elite group of cities in the U.S. with three medical schools,” Banos said in a statement.
According to Bexar County Hospital District Board of Managers Chair Jimmy Hasslocher, the opening of Palo Alto Hospital will be a boon in a historically underserved area.
“We are growing rapidly to meet the needs of our community today and into the future, and this affiliation is a strategic step in this plan,” Hasslocher said in a statement.
