When the mayors of Harlingen and Edinburg received invites to a University of Texas event outlining a blueprint for the Rio Grande Valleys long sought medical school, both mayors had already scheduled a prior engagement on that topic later that same day. Edinburg Mayor Richard Garcia and Harlingen Mayor Chris Boswell were front and center at the University of Texas-Pan American on Friday when system Chancellor Francisco G. Cigarroa announced a blueprint that will graduate the first class of South Texas medical students by 2018. Garcia and Boswell left UTs morning announcement to join other Valley mayors in weighing their options for a medical school behind closed doors, a meeting set up days before the hastily-scheduled UT news conference to unveil its own vision for a Valley medical school. Garcia organized the meeting of mayors to determine common ground issues and affirm a shared commitment to a South Texas medical school that will likely take the combined support of Hidalgo and Cameron counties, he said. But the meeting also exposed some Valley officials frustration with UTs slow pace to establish a full-fledged medical school here and a willingness to explore whats perceived as genuine interest from the Texas A&M system to establish its own Valley medical school. Garcia said nothing came out of the mayors meeting attended by city, county and Doctors Hospital at Renaissance and Valley Baptist officials other than a goal to host similar discussions soon. Theres already been an investment made here (with UT) and we want to move that forward, said Garcia, whose city would retain the medical schools research facilities under UTs proposal. But if something else comes up thats worth talking about, lets talk about it.

PLANTING A FLAG The fight for a Valley medical school is part of an overall push between the UT and Texas A&M systems to increase their presence in one of the fastest growing regions of the state. Internal conflicts between Hidalgo and Cameron county officials remain about how the school should be funded and where its components would be located. On Friday, Cigarroa announced a blueprint to graduate the first cohort of Valley medical students in 2018 by relying on medical school infrastructure already in place in the Valley and San Antonio. As UT pursues accreditation and funding for the Valleys medical school, students could enroll in an independent South Texas track, begin classes at UTs Health Science Center in San Antonio and complete their final two years and clerkships in the Valley. That process is nearly identical to the one that has already sent hundreds of UT Health Science Center medical students to the Valley, but the independent admissions track would eventually turn into a standalone medical school. UT officials said their blueprint is part of the overall vision for a South Texas medical school that fully began in 1997 when the state authorized the Valleys Regional Academic Health Centers, or RAHCs. Since then, UT has spent $79 million building the RAHCs in Harlingen and Edinburg that focus on medical education and clinical research, respectively. UT regents have also put $30 million toward residency programs and biomedical research in the Valley, and theyve funded about $11 million annually to support the medical and research divisions at the RAHC. Boswell said UTs blueprint highlighted the huge investments its made so far and a pledge to go even further. UT has made a commitment to graduate that first class and make it a full, freestanding medical school, said Boswell, praising UTs track record of building some of the nations best medical schools. I appreciate everybody wanting to make things happen quickly, but we also want to make sure we do it right. We dont want a second-rate medical school. But some Hidalgo County officials have expressed frustration with UTs slow pace and reluctance to spend big here. UT regents authorized $30 million in annual funding for Austins medical school from Permanent University Funds in May, but they dedicated no funds for the Valleys school at the same meeting. While there is no proposal on paper from A&M yet, there is interest in seeing if they can make a better offer, said state Sen. Juan Chuy Hinojosa, D-McAllen. Hinojosa, Hidalgo County Judge Ramon Garcia, McAllen businessman Alonzo Cantu, who also founded Doctors Hospital at Renaissance, and some local doctors flew to College Station this week to meet with A&M Chancellor John Sharp to discuss his systems vision for the Valley. Although largely administrative in nature, A&M took steps this month to place its health science center under its flagship university in College Station. The move would allow its regents to expend Permanent University Funds an endowment created by mineral revenues on putting a medical school in South Texas. Hinojosa, who skipped UTs Friday announcement to campaign in Nueces County, isnt opposed to a UT medical school but said their regents lack the will or the commitment to make it happen. Weve been in line for 12 years and, all of a sudden, we get pushed back and somebody jumps in front, Hinojosa said Friday. It doesnt sit well with many of us in South Texas. We need to go where we are wanted.

INTERNAL DIVISIONS Valley officials next step may be ensuring theyre all on the same page because either medical school route would require developing a funding stream. Since laying the foundation for a medical school with the RAHCs, Cameron County officials have cultivated strong ties with UT system leaders. UT placed its School of Public Health in Brownsville and put the RAHCs medical education component in Harlingen, a centralized location that now also houses the structure for a veterans hospital. But McAllen business leaders, reflecting prior issues with regional taxing districts in the Valley, have expressed a desire for Hidalgo County to get the bulk of the medical schools infrastructure. Since Hidalgo County contains more than $30 billion in taxable property values compared to $16 billion in Cameron County, they want most of its presence in the McAllen metro area. In his speech at UTs announcement on Friday, Brownsville state Sen. Eddie Lucio Jr. tried to assuage those concerns by lauding the medical schools research component that would be located in Edinburg. Although the mayors meeting was scheduled for later at the Edinburg Conference Center at Renaissance, it was also likely no coincidence that UTs announcement was hosted in its future research hub in Edinburg rather than its medical education division in Harlingen. State Rep. Aaron Pea, R-Edinburg, said Valley officials will have to rise to the occasion when determining the structure of the medical school in South Texas, the most populous region of the state without one. We all bemoan the Friday night football mentality, but now were going to have to live up to that, said Pea, an outgoing member of the Valleys delegation. It is as significant a challenge as is the funding of this school.

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Amid UT announcement, Valley weighs A&M med school option