Training Facilities
Participating Institutions – And Off Site Rotations
Rio Grande Regional Hospital
Rio Grande Regional Hospital (RGRH) in McAllen Texas will serve as the primary site for the IM program. RGRH has been serving the Rio Grande Valley for more than 30 years. Since opening in 1982, they have been committed to providing high-quality compassionate healthcare. As an HCA hospital, Rio Grande Regional has the support of the nation's leading provider of healthcare services. Rio Grande Regional Hospital has 320 beds and a team of more than 500 physicians representing over 35 specialties. They are recognized for patient safety and clinical excellence. Rio Grande Regional Hospital offers a full range of inpatient and outpatient medical and surgical services. While each department has its specialties and expertise, they work together to provide seamless coordinated care to their patients.
Valley Regional Medical Center
Founded as Valley Community Hospital in 1975, Valley Regional Medical Center (VRMC) proudly serves Brownsville, TX and the surrounding communities in the Rio Grande Valley. They are an HCA Gulf Coast hospital committed to providing the best health care for their residents. Innovation and an unwavering commitment to patient care are the cornerstones of VRMC. Valley Regional Medical Center is a licensed 214-bed facility with over 200 physicians representing more than 25 specialties. They are leaders in the healthcare industry and specialize in a variety of high quality inpatient and outpatient services.
The University of Rio Grande Valley
This will be the single continuity clinic for all residents in the program. The clinic is also equipped with administrative space for the residency program leadership and program coordinator. The clinic has a reception and waiting area able to accommodate approximately twenty-five patients. The reception space has three check in-stations and two check-out stations. Six private o?ces and one shared administrative space area are available. A triage and vital room in addition to four nursing stations, medication room, and lab are present. The clinic consists of nine exam rooms with a large MA workspace including seven workstations. The clinic has a work room equipped with other IT and supply storage space. A large conference room with a capacity of twenty will be available to residents and faculty in addition to a large classroom with a ?fty-nine-seat capacity. Eight resident workspaces are provided with a student lounge including lockers, showers, restrooms, and sta? break room. Residents will be assigned in the 4+1 fashion, so 1/5 of the residents are in clinic at all times.
South Texas Kidney Specialists
This outpatient clinical site located in McAllen serves adult patients of all genders seeking care for outpatient nephrology issues, including ESRD and dialysis. There is also a large component of diabetic patients as well. Coverage is provided by nephrology attendings who have worked with UTRGV and GME programs and are one of the largest groups in the Rio Grande Valley. They are dedicated to addressing the healthcare disparities of the region and also contribute to UME teaching and research particularly around border health issues with hemodialysis. The inpatient experience will take place in McAllen at Rio Grande Regional Hospital (site 1).
South Texas Infectious Diseases Consultants
Residents have the opportunity to rotate through South Texas Infectious Disease Consultants located in McAllen. They see adult infectious disease patients of all genders primarily in the outpatient setting while also doing consults at Rio Grande Regional Hospital (Site 1). Residents on this assignment are directly supervised by the infectious disease faculty attending.
Rio Grande Valley Cardiology
The cardiology education coordinator and team will directly supervise residents during the Cardiology Core Rotation. The clinic is in McAllen, Texas and provides adult patients with comprehensive services for preventing, diagnosing and treating cardiovascular disease. Rio Grande Cardiology offers the latest screening, treatment and education of heart diseases. Residents will learn about and provide a full range of cardiology services including: Office consultations and diagnostic studies (noninvasive procedures):24-hour Holter Monitoring, Arterial Studies, Echocardiograms, Electrocardiograms (EKG, ECG), Event Monitoring, Follow-up Care, Graded Exercise Tolerance Tests, Nuclear Cardiology Imaging, Pacemaker and Defibrillator, Ultrasound Carotid, Ultrasound Peripheral, Vascular Studies, Vascular Doppler Studies, Follow-up Care, Hospital-based consultations and diagnostic procedures (invasive procedures): Atherectomies, Balloon Valvuloplasties, Cardiac Catheterizations, Cardioversion, Coronary and Peripheral Angioplasties, Coronary and Peripheral Atherectomies, Coronary Stents, Carotid Angiographies, Directional Coronary, Echocardiograms (TEE), Pacemaker Implantations and Follow-up Care, PTA and Peripheral Vascular Stent Placements, PTCA (balloon dilation), Renal Angioplasties, Thrombolytic Therapy, Transesophageal Echo, Valvuloplasty, Directional coronary. The director is also looking forward to engaging residents in research and continuing to address the healthcare disparities of our region.
Valley Intensivists Pulmonologists and Sleep Specialists (VIPS)
Valley Intensivists Pulmonologists And Sleep Specialists is a group practice with 1 location in McAllen, Texas. Currently, Valley Intensivists Pulmonologists And Sleep Specialists specializes in Critical Care Medicine, Internal Medicine, Pulmonary Critical Care, Pulmonary Disease and Sleep Medicine with 5 physician faculty. Residents will be directly supervised in this outpatient setting by the pulmonary medicine education coordinator, Dr. Juan Pablo Gomez and his team as their required pulmonary medicine chest clinic core rotation. The same team will also supervise residents in the ICU at Rio Grande Regional Hospital (site 1).
Valley Diabetes & Endocrinology Comprehensive Center
Valley Diabetes & Endocrinology Comprehensive Center offers comprehensive care for hormone imbalances and the full scope of problems affecting the endocrine glands that are responsible for producing hormones. This clinic serves as the Endocrine Core Rotation site for the residents under the supervision of Dr. Eduardo Luna, he will directly supervise residents on site. Endocrine disorders encompass an extensive range of potential health conditions. The RGV Endocrine Center team often treats patients with adrenal disorders and thyroid disease, which includes different conditions such as Cushing’s syndrome, hypothyroidism, and Hashimoto’s disease. They also provide hormone replacement therapy, along with comprehensive care for patients with high cholesterol, low testosterone, osteoporosis, and polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). This specializes in the treatment and long-term management of diabetes. The team also operates an on-site insulin pump clinic, where they have professional staff who are board-certified in advanced diabetes management and certified to train patients to use insulin pumps. Patients struggling to lose weight find all the support and services they need with medically supervised weight loss. Residents will also learn and treat conditions including male-pattern baldness and female hair loss, caused by a hypersensitivity to hormones. At VDECC, their mission is to deliver exceptionally high-quality, comprehensive, and empathetic care tailored to individuals with endocrine disorders. And are dedicated to pioneering unique and innovative approaches that empower our patients to attain their highest levels of health and well-being. This group also has worked with UTRGV and GME programs in the past and are dedicated to the education of resident physicians.
Texas Digestive Specialists - Brownsville
Texas Digestive Specialist-Brownsville is the site for our GI Rotation. It provides the outpatient component that complements the inpatient component that will take place at Valley Regional Medical Center (Site 2) located in Brownsville, TX. Since their founding in 2007, Texas Digestive Specialists has grown to be the premier digestive health practice serving South Texas, providing Gastroenterology, Colon and Rectal, and Advanced Weight Loss care. They have a team of highly trained and dedicated healthcare professionals and staff, providing the highest level of care to every patient in a compassionate and timely manner. We consider this site a prime example of inter-professional team-based care for the residents to learn from. They continue to grow and provide the highest quality of care in digestive health. Many of their faculty have worked with UTRGV and trained residents previously and currently.
Mid Valley Family Practice Assc.
Mid Valley Family Practice will be the site for residents geriatrics experience in Weslaco, Texas. During this 4 week block they will also rotate on separate days through hospice and palliative (Site 2) during the learners PGY3 year. Dr. Cabrera is one of the few geriatric medicine trained physicians practicing in the Rio Grande Valley. He continued his studies in a subspecialty in Geriatrics Medicine at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, Texas. As a fellow, he worked in world-renowned hospitals in the Texas Medical Center, the world’s largest life sciences destination, including the Houston Methodist Hospital and St. Luke’s Medical Center, among others. After his brief stint as a Geriatrics Fellow in Houston, Texas, Dr. Cabrera moved back to the Rio Grande Valley to continue serving his community in Weslaco, Texas. He is an American Board Certified Internal Medicine physician and an American Board Certified Geriatrics Medicine doctor. He has contributed to multiple medical publications, conferences, and presentations in Internal Medicine and Geriatrics.
Medical Associates of Brownsville - Springman Medical Plaza
Addiction medicine experience will take place during the neurology(Site 2, Site 12) block during the learners PGY2 year. Residents will spend one day every other week with our addiction medicine specialist during this four week block. Addiction medicine is in shortage in the Rio Grande Valley and we are excited to provide this experience to better train our Internal Medicine Physicians in caring for addiction and fighting the opioid epidemic.
UTRGV Institute of Neuroscience
The Institute of Neuroscience (ION) at the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV) School of Medicine is a world-class center of excellence in brain health education, research, and personalized treatment serving the Rio Grande Valley community and beyond. The Vision for the UTRGV Institute of Neuroscience is to transform brain health in the Rio Grande Valley and Beyond and act as a catalyst for multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary excellence in research, education, clinical care, and community partnership to advance brain health.
South Texas Arthritis Center – Brownsville
South Texas Arthritis Center in Brownsville will be our rheumatology training site. Dr. Toro is a rheumatologist with a busy clinical practice in our region which has a shortage of rheumatologists. Our Hispanic population also suffers from high rate of Lupus and other autoimmune conditions. This is an underserved area and the residents will be able to also learn about the healthcare system, challenges in prescription medication costs, managing insurance plans and other aspects of outpatient medicine.