DHR Health held a dedication ceremony for the new medical campus in Rio Grande City on March 5.

The campus is the latest initiative that will bring healthcare services closer to home and reduce the need for Rio Grande Valley residents to travel outside the region to access the healthcare they need and deserve, according to a news release.

The news release said the campus is designed to alleviate healthcare service and professional gaps, expand access to primary and specialty healthcare services, advance clinical research, and train the next generation of physicians through the establishment of a clinic and training space for Starr County’s first-ever family medicine physician residency graduate medical education program.

The campus was paid for through a $16.7 million grant from the Texas Department of State Health Services, and DHR Health, which was developed in partnership with Starr County, Starr County Memorial Hospital, and Rio Grande City.

According to the news release the project creates a comprehensive model designed to strengthen healthcare delivery across Starr County and reduce healthcare professional shortages in this federally designated Medically Underserved Area and high-Needs Health Professional Shortage Area.

The campus includes a medical laboratory providing advanced diagnostic testing and serving as a regional support laboratory, cardiology and multi-specialty resident training clinic, a Clinical Research Center expanding access to clinical trials and Primary Care Graduate Medical Education Center and Clinic focused on training physicians in family medicine, internal medicine and psychiatry.

The news release said DHR Health will fully operate the medical campus and cover all staff and operational costs, with no ongoing financial burden to local, state, or federal governments.