UT Health San Antonio and UTSA Collaborate to Reduce Health Disparities and Train Public Health Professionals
Contact: Will Sansom, UT Health San Antonio, 210-567-2579, [email protected]
Joe Izbrand, UTSA, 210-458-8754, [email protected]
SAN ANTONIO (June 9, 2022) – The Bexar County Court of Commissioners gave preliminary approval on June 7 to award $10 million to UT Health San Antonio and the University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA) for the development of the University of Texas at San Antonio School of Public Health.
The stipend comes from funding from Bexar County’s American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) and will support start-up programmatic, operational, and educational costs, including renovations to existing spaces at UT Health San Antonio and UTSA. A census of nearly 400 students is planned in the first five years, with a master’s degree in public health offered from 2024 and a doctoral program in public health to be developed.
The University of Texas System Board of Regents recognized that the region’s persistent disparities in key health outcomes require a public health approach. In November 2021, the Regents voted to authorize UT Health San Antonio and UTSA to develop a new School of Public Health.
“A self-sustaining, independent school of public health in South Texas has been a shared vision of UT Health San Antonio and UTSA leadership for some time,” said UT Health San Antonio President William L. Henrich, MD, MACP. “The formation of the University of Texas at San Antonio School of Public Health is the result of a close collaboration between two universities in the UT system united around a common mission to create a research-intensive, science-focused school. the community to improve health outcomes, reduce morbidity and mortality, and educate the next generation of public health professionals for our city and region.
“We are extremely grateful to our Bexar County Commissioners for their support and significant investment of $10 million in this collaborative effort to meet the demand for public health education in San Antonio as well as the growing needs in the public health of South Texas’ diverse population,” UTSA President Taylor Eightmy, PhD, said. “Both institutions are deeply committed to building on our areas of expertise to ensure that the new School of Public Health becomes a regional leader in preparing the next generation of public health leaders while creating healthier communities.
San Antonio is a predominantly minority city that, with its large and growing Hispanic population, reflects the demographic future of the nation. Many areas of the city and the South Texas region are identified as Health Professional Shortage Areas (HPSAs) by the United States Health Resources and Services Administration. San Antonio is the largest city in the United States without a school of public health.
Additionally, the COVID-19 pandemic has produced a strong demand and need for public health education regarding vaccination, mask wearing, social distancing, and hand washing. The new school will allow local residents to train in public health professions in order to meet the increasingly emerging health challenges.
“Bexar County is ready for a school of public health, and we are thrilled that ARPA’s support is helping to create it,” said Bexar County Judge Nelson Wolff. “The pandemic we have overcome has demonstrated more clearly than ever the need for public health solutions for our population.
Total start-up costs for the School of Public Health are budgeted at approximately $40 million, including renovations to existing buildings, program development, and the recruitment of a nationally recognized dean.
The public is invited to visit the School of Public Health at the University of Texas at San Antonio website.
The University of Texas Health Science Center in San Antonio (UT Health San Antonio) is a key driver of San Antonio’s $42.4 billion healthcare and biosciences sector, the city’s largest economic engine. Generating substantial economic impact with its five professional schools, a diverse workforce of 7,200, an annual operating budget of over $1 billion, and a clinical practice that delivers over 2 million patient visits each year, UT Health San Antonio plans to add more than 1,500 higher-paying jobs over the next five years to serve San Antonio, Bexar County, and southern Texas. UT Health San Antonio is South Texas’ largest research university with an annual research portfolio of approximately $350 million. To learn more about the many ways “We make lives better®”, visit http://www.uthscsa.edu.
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The University of Texas at San Antonio is a Tier 1 research university and Hispanic service institution specializing in cyber, health, future fundamentals, and socioeconomic transformation. With over 34,000 students, it is the largest university in the San Antonio metropolitan area. UTSA advances knowledge through research and discovery, teaching and learning, community engagement, and public service. The university embraces multicultural traditions and serves as a center of intellectual and creative resources as well as a catalyst for socioeconomic development and the commercialization of intellectual property – for Texas, the nation, and the world. Learn more on lineon UTSA today Or on Twitter, instagram, Facebook, Youtube Where LinkedIn.
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