By Heriberto Perez–Zuñiga

RIO GRANDE VALLEY, TEXAS – NOV. 3, 2025 – In the Rio Grande Valley, where multigenerational households are common and access to specialty care is limited, neurodegenerative conditions like Alzheimer's and Parkinson's Disease often affect not just individuals, but entire families.

According to the Alzheimer's Association, more than 6 million Americans are living with Alzheimer's disease, with Hispanic Americans 1.5 times more likely to develop it than non-Hispanic whites.

In the Valley, Alzheimer's disease rates are significantly higher than the national average, particularly among older adults. As a predominantly Hispanic region, the RGV experiences a much higher prevalence of Alzheimer's and related dementias, with some counties reporting rates double or even triple the national average.

To help address the region's growing need for neurological care, the UTRGV School of Medicine has launched a new Graduate Medical Education (GME) Neurology Residency Program, designed to train the next generation of neurologists committed to staying and serving in the Valley.

"This is a milestone for UTRGV and the entire Valley," said Dr. Ramsis Benjamin, program director for the GME Neurology Residency program at the UTRGV School of Medicine. "We're training neurologists who will not only provide high-quality care but also understand the unique needs of the community where we live and serve."

Benjamin, a board-certified neurologist with more than 20 years of experience in academic medicine and program development, said the residency is designed to provide physicians with hands-on exposure to the region's most pressing neurological challenges, including stroke, seizures and Alzheimer's disease, while also offering opportunities for research and collaboration across disciplines.

"Our strength is in neurobehavioral medicine," he said. "We're bringing together neurology, psychiatry and neuroscience. Physician residents will be immersed in multidisciplinary care, and they'll help the research already happening here in areas like neuroimaging, seizure disorders and cognitive decline move forward."

"THE COMMUNITY I GREW UP IN"

For Dr. William Reckley, a McAllen native and member of the UTRGV School of Medicine Class of 2025, joining the inaugural neurology residency class was a full circle moment.

"It's a huge blessing," he said. "I get to train in the place where I want to practice medicine in the future. I wanted to help the community I grew up in while learning as much as I could in my specialty."

Reckley said he always intended to become a neurologist but expected to leave the Valley for training. That changed when UTRGV announced the launch of its neurology program, just in time for his graduation.

"It was perfect timing," he said. "There's such a shortage of neurologists here. I hope to gain the skills to serve this community and to be part of the first wave of physicians who stay and grow this program."

Dr. Fidel Moreno, a Monterrey, Mexico native and fellow member of the inaugural neurology residency class, the opportunity represents both personal and professional purpose.

“We are not only training to become neurologists, but we are also helping to build something new from the ground up. It’s something that will benefit future generations of physicians in the Valley,” Moreno said. “This is a rare privilege that few trainees across the country experience, and it’s an opportunity to shape a positive and enduring culture of learning for those who follow.”

Moreno said he hopes his training will instill values that last throughout his career.

“For me, this marks the beginning of a lifelong commitment to caring for people, giving back to the community, and continually improving the way we care for patients with neurological conditions,” he said.

BUILDING A STRONGER FUTURE

The residency program is a collaboration with HCA Healthcare Gulf Coast Division, which brings Neurology resident physicians to McAllen and Brownsville.

Both Rio Grande Regional and Valley Regional Medical Center neurologists bring expertise in neuroendovascular services and high-quality stroke care, along with a working and learning environment.

The launch of the Neurology Residency program adds to a growing list of GME milestones for the UTRGV School of Medicine. Since 2016, UTRGV has trained more than 400 resident physicians, with more than half choosing to remain in Texas and a significant portion staying in the Valley.

With seven accredited residency programs and more than 130 physicians currently in training, UTRGV's GME mission is to train compassionate, highly skilled physicians committed to serving underserved populations.

Dr. Diana Chapa, chair of the Department of Neuro and Behavioral Health at UTRGV School of Medicine, said the new program represents an important step in integrating care for brain and behavioral health.

"Having Dr. Benjamin lead this with all his experience puts us in a stronger position," she said. "We now have the structure, the talent and the collaboration to better understand the brain, not just in terms of biology, but also emotion, cognition and behavior. That means better research, better training and better care for our patients."

Benjamin said his vision is to continue expanding the program over the next five years, both in size and community impact.

"We're going to grow our faculty, engage local students and build a network of specialists who want to be here," he said. "Neurology is a fascinating field. We're going to show Valley students that if they're curious about biology and discovery, there's a place for them here."