WHAT: Dedication and official Board of Regents’ acceptance of the Academic and Clinical Research Building, the second building in Harlingen of The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio Regional Academic Health Center (RAHC)
WHEN: 10:30 a.m. Thursday, Nov. 29
WHERE: Auditorium, RAHC Medical Education Division, 2102 Treasure Hills Blvd., Harlingen
WHO: Francisco G. Cigarroa, M.D., president of The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, will welcome the platform guests and all in attendance. Speakers are anticipated to include, in order, Harlingen Mayor Chris Boswell, Sen. Eddie Lucio Jr., Sen. Juan Hinojosa, Rep. Aaron Pena, Rep. Eddie Lucio III and UT System Regent Robert Estrada.
Other distinguished guests are scheduled to be recognized: Rep. Juan Escobar; Timothy Shea, acting director of the Veterans Administration Heart of Texas Health Care Network; Richard Bauer, M.D., chief of staff of the South Texas Veterans Health Care System; Bob Shepard, chairman of the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board; Bill Card, former mayor of Harlingen; the Most Rev. Raymundo Pena, bishop of the Diocese of Brownsville, who will give the invocation; John Farrell of FKP Architects, the design firm; and Fred Raley of Spaw Glass, the building contractor.
UT Health Science Center leaders in attendance will include William L. Henrich, M.D., MACP, dean of the School of Medicine and vice president for medical affairs; Leonel Vela, M.D., MPH, regional dean of the RAHC in the School of Medicine; and James D. Kazen, executive vice president for administration.
NOTES: The public is invited to the ceremony, which will conclude after Regent Estrada formally accepts the building on behalf of the UT System Board of Regents. Tours will be available immediately afterward. The building will be devoted to clinical research and also features 34,000 square feet of space leased to the South Texas Veterans Health Care System for the Harlingen Veterans Healthcare Center.
The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio is the leading research institution in South Texas and one of the major health sciences universities in the world. With an operating budget of $576 million, the Health Science Center is the chief catalyst for the $15.3 billion biosciences and health care sector in San Antonio’s economy. The Health Science Center has had an estimated $35 billion impact on the region since inception and has expanded to six campuses in San Antonio, Laredo, Harlingen and Edinburg. More than 22,000 graduates (physicians, dentists, nurses, scientists and allied health professionals) serve in their fields, including many in Texas. Health Science Center faculty are international leaders in cancer, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, aging, stroke prevention, kidney disease, orthopaedics, research imaging, transplant surgery, psychiatry and clinical neurosciences, pain management, genetics, nursing, allied health, dentistry and many other fields.