Congressman Gonzalez Announces $2 Million for UTRGV School of Nursing Expansion in City of Pharr

Press Release

Today, Congressman Vicente Gonzalez (TX-15) announced a $2 million award from the U.S. Department of Commerce Economic Development Administration (EDA) for the City of Pharr to build a facility that will be used by the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV) to expand its School of Nursing. The project is meant to address nursing shortages and allow for the region to prepare for and best respond to COVID-19 and future health-related issues.

The project will be matched with $24 million in local investment and is expected to create 750 jobs and generate $30 million in private investment. The grant will cover the construction of a state-of-the-art facility giving the students a competitive edge.

"This historic investment underscores our commitment to addressing future pandemics and increasing health care access in the 15th District of Texas," said Congressman Vicente Gonzalez (TX-15). "I am proud to have supported the CARES Act to provide relief to the American people. I will continue to work with our federal partners and local leaders to secure additional resources to address nursing shortages in South Texas."

"The city of Pharr remains one of the most innovative cities in South Texas. Although we experienced a tremendous setback with the COVID-19 (or Coronavirus) global pandemic, there were also many things to be learned," said Dr. Ambrosio Hernandez, Mayor, City of Pharr."As a surgeon in the region, I personally witnessed the nursing shortage in our hospitals and how that affected the overall care for our patients. The existing critical healthcare realities can be directly addressed by expanding the UTRGV nursing program in Pharr, Texas. With direct access to an interstate highway and proximal to every local hospital, the program can not only graduate much-needed registered nurses, but also conduct vital research in the region and target those critical epidemics that continue to plague our communities. I am thankful that Congressman Gonzalez and the South Texas congressional delegation has recognized the overall critical nursing shortage in our region and have helped shepherd funding to address this healthcare issue."

"We are happy to be involved with grant and to partner with the City of Pharr to expand UTRGV's School of Nursing," said UTRGV President Guy Bailey. "One of the university's top priorities is to serve as a catalyst for improved health care and well-being in South Texas and beyond, and this grant and partnership will allow us to do so. Thank you to Congressman Gonzalez and everyone else who played a part in obtaining this grant."

"President Biden is passionate about getting American's back to work as we build back better from the pandemic," said Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo. "These EDA investments will provide state-of-the-art workforce training for nurses and create high-value life science jobs in biomedical research, creating new opportunities for well-paying, quality jobs in Texas."

"The Economic Development Administration is committed to supporting community-led strategies designed to create economic opportunity and jobs," said Dennis Alvord, Acting Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Economic Development. "These EDA investments will construct the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley School of Nursing in Pharr to provide training opportunities for nursing students and expand a biomedical research facility in San Antonio to create a stronger, more resilient regional economy.

Once completed, the project will assist the region with recovery efforts from the COVID-19 pandemic, support the health care industry, bolster job creation, attract private investment and advance economic resiliency throughout the region.

Source