By Louis Zylka
The 830 Times
Val Verde Regional Medical Center (VVRMC) officials have announced plans to collaborate with
Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center (TTUHSC) on a program to bring up-and-coming
physicians to Del Rio.
The Texas Tech Family Medicine Rural Residency Program is designed to encourage and
expose family medicine physicians to live and work in small cities while completing their medical
school training. With the program relocating physicians to Del Rio, local medical services will
expand to help serve the community.
Jorge Jurado, VVRMC chief executive officer, gave a presentation at the June 25 hospital board
meeting to update board members on the success of bringing this long-term project to the
community.
VVRMC has been in discussions with TTUHSC for over two years, which includes a meeting
with representatives of the University on June 19. Jurado, VVRMC staff and leaders of the
community spoke with TTUHSC Associate Professor Dr. Adrian Billings and Assistant Regional
Dean of Medical Education Dr. Martin Ortega about the program and the various resources Del
Rio has to offer. Jurado said Billings and Ortega were enthusiastic about starting the program
and were “blown away by the warm welcome” of the community.
“TTUHSC values its partnership with VVRMC because we offer a broader range of specialists
than most rural hospitals,” Jurado said. “This provides their physicians with an excellent
opportunity to experience the unique challenges and rewards of rural medicine.”
Resident physicians would spend their first year of training after graduating medical school at
the TTUHSC Odessa Campus and then transition to VVRMC for their second and third year of
training. Residents would essentially live and work in our community either at the VVRMC
hospital, VVRMC Rural Health Clinic, or United Medical Centers (UMC).
Jurado said, “Community involvement and engagement will be vital to the success of the
residency program because it creates a strong support system for incoming physicians and their
families, helping them feel welcomed and connected to the area. When local organizations,
schools, businesses, and residents actively participate, they foster a sense of belonging and
demonstrate the value of rural healthcare. We are incredibly grateful to our community partners,
including the City of Del Rio, Val Verde County, SFDR-CISD, UMC, the Del Rio Chamber of
Commerce, Laughlin Air Force Base, and our local colleges for their support and collaboration. Their involvement not only aids in recruitment and retention but also ensures that the program is
tailored to meet the unique needs of our region. Together, we are building a sustainable, high-
quality healthcare workforce that is deeply rooted in the values of our community.”
Jurado said the VVRMC staff and everyone else involved are eager to push this project forward.
As per representatives of TTUHSC, the process to build the residency program can take one to
two years, but they are confident it will thrive in our community. Jurado also added that VVRMC
is having similar conversations with Texas A&M School of Public Health about a similar
partnership.
