President’s Forum addresses university’s planned growth, accomplishments and commitment to saving lives
UT Health San Antonio is heading in an exciting direction with a strong growth trajectory and a wave of accomplishments and distinctions, said President William L. Henrich, MD, MACP, at the April 20 President’s Forum.
“The trajectory of the institution … the positive momentum, is incredible,” he said.
The university is planning nearly $1 billion in capital investments over the next 24–48 months, with $737 slated for new buildings, $49 million for renovations, $140 million for a new research building and $75 million for technology.
Henrich said the signature growth efforts through fiscal year 2027 include the following:
- Planning for the Multidisciplinary clinical expansion including the launch of the new UT Health San Antonio Multispecialty and Research Hospital.
- Opening the new School of Public Health to drive innovation and grow the university’s impact on the community.
- Growing research space and programming including a new brain health building, a research science building and additional vivarium lab capacity.
- Delivering outstanding academic programs recognized by disciplinary peers for innovative pedagogy to graduate the next generations of leaders in their fields.
- Leading in diversity, equity and inclusion efforts with an inclusive culture, diversified talent, leadership development, employment branding and career opportunities.
- Growing research funding including areas such as cancer, aging and the diseases of aging, behavioral health, neurosciences and clinical research.
The construction of new structures like the Center for Brain Health and the UT Health San Antonio Multispecialty and Research Hospital, will help accommodate the demand for a wide range of patient populations — from brain and back health to cancer, Henrich said, adding that at the core of these growth endeavors is the university’s ongoing commitment to making lives better through excellence in education, research, health care and community engagement.
What’s at stake is human lives, he said. “People are depending on us.”
“It’s all about saving these lives,” he said. “We do everything it takes to make lives better.”
Henrich said the institution will be focused on preparing more nurses for the nursing shortage with increased enrollment, increased marketing efforts for the School of Nursing’s PhD program and developing a clinical site partnership with CHRISTUS Santa Rosa Hospital in Westover Hills.
UT Health San Antonio’s accomplishments
Henrich congratulated the university community on its many accomplishments — from obtaining top research grants to being awarded Best Company Outlook by Comparably to UT Health Physicians and UT Dentistry taking the top spots in the San Antonio Express-News 2023 Readers’ Choice Awards.
Among other important wins mentioned were employee recognitions and institutional accomplishments, including the following:
- The School of Dentistry was ranked first in Texas and seventh in the country for National Institutes of Health (NIH) funding among 48 public and private dental schools.
- Ninety-nine percent of students from the Joe R. and Teresa Lozano Long School of Medicine were matched to residency programs of their choice, exceeding the national average.
- The University Health Transplant Institute was named the best liver transplant program in the country.
Henrich said that the university’s mission to make lives better comes from the heart and it’s inspiring.
“Thank you to everybody,” he said.