UT Health RGV,

Hidalgo County Precinct 4 celebrate new

Primary Care Annex in San Carlos

The community partnership between the UTRGV School of Medicine, UT Health RGV and Hidalgo County Precinct 4 hosted a ribbon-cutting Tuesday morning for the new UT Health RGV AHEC Primary Care Annex Building.

Ten faculty named recipients of 2022-2023 UTRGV Faculty Excellence Awards

Ten faculty members have been named recipients of the 2022-2023 UTRGV Faculty Excellence Awards.

Recipients of the 2023 UTRGV Faculty Excellence Awards include:

Research-Scholarship-Creative Work: Joanne Curran, Professor of Medicine, Human Genetics, School of Medicine

The UTRGV School of Medicine celebrates fourth commencement –

reaches 200 medical graduates

The UTRGV School of Medicine's Class of 2023, on Saturday, May 13, celebrated its commencement at the UTRGV Performing Arts Complex in Edinburg.

UTRGV Centering Parenting Clinic supporting mothers this Mother's Day

Motherhood can be challenging, especially for new mothers. To address this, UT Health RGV has created a new care group model clinic in the Rio Grande Valley – the UTRGV Centering Parenting Clinic – offering professional and medical support to new mothers and their babies.

Michael Patriarca selected for

AAMC Steering Board

Michael Patriarca, MBA, vice president for UT Health RGV and executive vice dean for the School of Medicine, was recently appointed to serve on the Association of American Medical Colleges' Group of Business Affairs.

Patriarca will mainly serve on the steering committee as the Principal Business Officer-At-Large from 2023-2025.

We congratulate Patriarca on this role with the AAMC and for representing the UTRGV School of Medicine and UT Health RGV in the region and beyond.

Dr. Jose Campo Maldonado named founding member of Texas DSHS Region 11

Dr. Jose E. Campo Maldonado, UTRGV School of Medicine, assistant professor of Internal Medicine Residency at Valley Baptist Medical Center and director of Antibiotic Stewardship at VBMC - was selected to serve as a founding member for the Texas Department of State Health Services Region 11 Antibiotic Stewardship Committee.

Antimicrobial stewardship is a coordinated program that promotes the appropriate use of antimicrobials (including antibiotics), improves patient outcomes, reduces microbial resistance, and decreases the spread of infections caused by multidrug-resistant organisms.

The Texas Public Health Region 11 works to improve the health of Texans by providing essential public health programs and services to people in the Rio Grande Valley.

Student Spotlight

Meet UTRGV MS2, Miguel A. Lopez

The UTRGV School of Medicine is a practicing academic medical institution. What aspect of Academic Medicine impacts you the most? (Educational, clinical, research, etc.)

Collaboration within our medical education is an aspect of medicine that impacts me the most. Throughout the past year, I have been in a class filled with some of the brightest minds. My favorite aspect of medical school is learning from these individuals. Our interactions and collaborative efforts in/out of class allow me to witness different medical perspectives. My friends speak of their previous medical experiences, which fields interest them most, and even help explain specific concepts relevant to our curriculum. Furthermore, it's extraordinary to see their sheer determination each day. Their academic drive has been a source of inspiration, as it further motivates me to walk beside them as we all strive for success in medicine.

Learn More About Lopez Here.

Faculty Focus

Academic Medical Minute with: Alfonso Mercado, Ph.D.

Licensed Psychologist, Associate Professor

When did you join the UTRGV School of Medicine?

2017, I am part of the inaugural faculty of the Psychiatry Residency Program.

What brought you here?

I have a dual appointment in the Department of Psychological Science. I conduct trauma and health research with Latinx groups, including disadvantaged populations here on the U.S.-Mexico Border.

What do you enjoy about working in Academic Medicine?

I enjoy the interdisciplinary team environment and UTRGV's SOM initial commitment to aid in healthcare disparities in our border community and work alongside community health programs serving the RGV.

Why is academic medicine important to our community?

It is imperative that UTRGV serves the underserved and our community, especially those who cannot afford healthcare. It's important to give back to a community that has been underserved for a very long time.

How do you spend your free time?

Writing, traveling, and golfing.

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