State Senator Eddie Lucio discussed the University of Texas Health Science Center–South Texas project at his Brownsville district office. (Photo: RGG/Steve Taylor)

BROWNSVILLE, Aug. 18 - State Sen. Eddie Lucio says he and the South Texas legislative delegation will push to get $50 million to $60 million next session for the region’s proposed four-year medical school.

“That is what it will take, $50 million to $60 million, next session,” Lucio said, in an in-depth interview with the Guardian at his Brownsville district office.

“We have to take this next big step. If we don’t get $50 million to $60 million we are going to be hard pressed to accomplish our goals of having a four-year health science center established in deep South Texas in the next six to seven years.”

Lucio, D-Brownsville, said his colleagues in the South Texas legislative delegation are with him on the issue.

“We, as a team, Senator Hinojosa, myself and the House delegation need to find the money. That is what it will take, $50 million to $60 million and we’ve got to find it,” Lucio explained.

“We deserve a health science center. This is the region that has grown substantially. This is a region that has been historically underserved in infrastructure and in so many ways.”

Asked what would happen if the delegation is unable to secure the $50 million to $60 million, Lucio said: “If we leave funding at the same level the Regional Academic Health Center will stay where it is. It won’t develop. It has to be enhanced. If we don’t get the funding it will take ten maybe 12 years. I don’t want to wait that long. I want to be around to see this baby grow up.”

According to state finance experts, next year’s legislative session will start with a projected budget deficit of around $18 billion. So, how confident is Lucio of securing $50 million to $60 million in new funds for a South Texas medical school when state leaders are asking every state agency to cut ten percent of their budgets?

“I can help find the money by suggesting to our leaders and colleagues how we might be able to realize savings in other areas,” Lucio said. “For example, if we move 14,000 undocumented immigrants into private prisons, we free up half a billion dollars in the biennium. Let me have $50 million and the General Revenue can have the other $450 million. That is what I want.”

To learn more about Lucio’s ideas to reduce the state budget deficit, click here.

The South Texas border region is one of the most medically underserved areas in the nation with a much higher resident-to-physician ratio than other parts of the state. The Regional Academic Science Center in Harlingen trains third and fourth year medical students and is seen by Lucio and other legislators as the vehicle to establish a four year health science center.

Lucio carried the legislation in the Senate last session to establish a four-year medical school in the Rio Grande Valley. The University of Texas Health Science Center–South Texas, based in Cameron County, would cover a 12-county region. The legislation was carried in the Texas House by Lucio’s son, state Rep. Eddie Lucio III, D-San Benito. SB 98 was passed into law but the Legislature did not appropriate any money for the project.

Lucio said the $50 million to $60 million will be needed to help fund residency programs, with the RAHC collaborating with area hospitals. Lucio acknowledged that there is still a lot of “heavy lifting” still to do. Residency programs in at least five disciplines need to be set up in the Valley, endowments must be created to leverage private funds, and the Valley medical community and the UT System need to show true commitment.

“All the evidence shows that of those medical students that do a residency, 85 percent stay in the region. That is what we want to see happen in South Texas,” Lucio said.

Lucio said he is encouraged by activity that is happening behind the scenes.

“A lot of things are happening that do not make the news right now but will be an integral part of the process and I am very happy that I feel the right people are involved right now, people that want to make the health science center happen,” Lucio said.

“There is a lot that can happen but the first step will be to strengthen the operation at the Health Science Center in San Antonio so they can produce more medical students for us to be able to reach a number where it allows us to expand our facilities in South Texas. That is what I am looking for.”

Lucio said the Valley’s private hospitals are doing their bit to move things along.

“I am very appreciative of the hospitals in the Valley who have committed themselves to investing the necessary money to make this happen for the benefit of the hospitals and the benefit of the community,” Lucio said.

“We are communicating with the hospitals. We are telling them what we feel needs to happen. We have had officials with the Health Science Center in San Antonio come down and meet with hospital officials, officials in the medical field. And, at the helm is Chancellor Cigarroa of the UT System. I saw him last week and the week before I met with UT officials. They were all absolutely wonderful.”

Lucio said securing funding for a four-year medical school will be his number one agenda issue going into the 82nd legislative session, which starts in January. “This has to happen. We need to convince our colleagues, the leadership. Nothing to me is more sacred than quality of life issues and ensuring there will be sufficient health care services for the people in this area of the state,” Lucio said.

In addition to providing more physicians, a medical school can be a huge economic driver for a region. As an example, Lucio pointed to the impact San Antonio’s health science center has had on that city.

“The economic impact will be enormous. It is too much for me to grasp at this time. I see other communities and how they have developed. I see it when I visit the Health Science Center in San Antonio or when I am at M.D. Anderson or the Heart Institute in Houston,” Lucio said.

“The businesses that have been established over the years because of those institutions have allowed those communities to grow substantially so the economic impacts are in the hundreds of billions of dollars a year. It is just astronomical and the number of jobs that are established… the quality of life and the great economy that comes to be because of the health care industry… I foresee that happening in deep South Texas and the 12 county area our health science center will serve.”

Lucio said his next move in the push for a four year medical school is to visit with the leaders of the 12 counties the institution would serve.

“We need to build up support in South Texas to strengthen our foundation for the RAHC to graduate into a health science center. The future of this Valley is these young, educated people entering the workforce. It is just music to my ears,” Lucio said.

“I really believe the medical school is going to happen in a short period of time. We are not going to have to wait 15 or 20 years. I really believe we can accomplish this in the next six to seven years.”

This is the second of a four-part Guardian series on Sen. Lucio's agenda for the next legislative session. Part Three will focus on obesity and changing the nutrition programs in public schools.

Write Steve Taylor

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