Innovative Approaches for the Best Healthcare

At the core of the Rio Grande Valley health and life sciences industry is a myriad of institutions such as the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley and the UT School of Public Health. Established to promote future development around existing industry assets, some of Texas’ greatest healthcare institutions are putting world-class healthcare at the fingertips of South Texas.

Breeding Ground for BioTech R&D and Innovative Health Solutions

Local entrepreneurship is fostered by programs like StartUp Texas and resources like the eBridge Center for Business and Commercialization, which provides early stage biotech companies with mentoring, funding, and access to office, lab and conference space.

In Brownsville, you will also find a robust, bike-friendly city, community gardens, and the world’s largest Zumba® class. That’s because in the last 10 years Brownsville has developed innovative partnerships, extensive outreach efforts, and a shared commitment to achieve wellness.  

Using Data to Engage the Community

Thanks to a National Institute of Health grant for $6.2 million secured by the University of Texas School of Public Health for start-up funding for programs and partnerships, an ongoing study of the health of Brownsville residents is still active today. A School of Public Health team has been enrolling people in a prospective study and following them every five years by inviting people to come to clinical research units where teams gather extensive health information including a clinical exam.

Today, the study includes 3,000 people who are re-assessed at every five year anniversary in the study. It’s giving our healthcare leaders a wealth of information about Brownsville’s actual health needs including the extent of disease and disability in the city. These data have led to research papers and additional grants funding.