Hidalgo County Pledges $2 Million to STC Nursing and Allied Health
Hidalgo County has announced that it will pledge $2 million to fund salaries for nursing instructors in an effort to increase enrollment and to increase the number of nurses graduating from South Texas College.
South Texas College graduates more nurses than all colleges statewide but it’s not enough, according to STC President Dr. Ricardo J. Solis.
Hidalgo County Judge Richard Cortez, President Solis, Texas Workforce Commissioner of Labor Julian Alvarez, STC trustees and administrators gathered for a check signing and celebration at STC’s Nursing and Allied Health Campus Feb. 14.
STC trustees at the event included Chair Rose Benavidez, Vice Chair Alejo Salinas, Paul Rodriguez and Danny Guzman. VIPs in attendance included Hidalgo County Commissioner Eddie Cantu, McAllen Commissioner Pepe Cabeza de Vaca and Trancasa CEO Carlos Canales.
Hidalgo County announced that it will pledge $2 million to fund salaries for nursing instructors in an effort to increase enrollment and double the number of nurses graduating from South Texas College.
“We are thankful for Judge’s Cortez’s wisdom in supporting this. We need to take risks and be bold, and that is exactly what we are doing here today,” Solis said. “It is the epitome of what collaboration is Valley-wide, and being put directly into what is necessary to take care of the health needs of the community and to increase the capacity of our students.”
When she began in the Associate Degree Nursing (ADN) program at South Texas College, Kayla Cantu said she was pleasantly surprised to learn that the college emphasized the community aspect of the job just as much as the fundamentals.
This appeal to community and helping those who are most in need adds another level of pride, Cantu said, as every day she arrived at an institution where she can be a part of something greater.
“I am definitely cheering on the college to bring in more students and expand their pipeline that way more people get the opportunity to experience this and develop their education the way I have been lucky to do so,” Cantu said. “It definitely gives me a sense of pride and it made me feel really good about what I’m doing and all the hard work I have putting into this career. It makes me feel very brave and lucky to be here so we can help our community and help those who are most in need. It’s definitely inspiring to come to a school where it’s not just about you, it’s about the bigger picture and being a part of that. It’s a great feeling.”
“We are thankful for Judge’s Cortez’s wisdom in supporting this. We need to take risks and be bold, and that is exactly what we are doing here today. It is the epitome of what collaboration is Valley-wide, and being put directly into what is necessary to take care of the health needs of the community and to increase the capacity of our students.”
STC is the largest provider of combined nurses (LVN to RN) not just in the region but among all community colleges statewide graduating 463 nurses in 2021, Solis said, which has now prompted the college to reset its initial goal.
The plan now is to increase the amount of graduating nurses to at least 500 a year, and be the No. 1 provider in Texas among colleges as well as universities within two years in order to meet the needs of health care partners.
“South Texas College graduates more nurses than all the other Valley institutions of higher education put together but it’s not enough. This generous donation will allow us to double our nursing graduation numbers over the next three years,” said President Solis. “It’s a great day for the nursing program, the nursing industry and for the Rio Grande Valley!”
The statistics for the future demand for registered nurses in Texas within a decade are sobering.
While the supply of registered nurses in Texas is expected to grow by 30.5 percent to 291,872, actual demand will grow by 38.8 percent to 348,883, leaving a deficit of 57,012 RNs statewide, according to Texas Department of State Health Services.
“Hidalgo County is the eighth largest county in Texas and is growing very rapidly along with others across the state, but we are unique in many ways, and blessed in many ways, but handicapped in others,” Cortez said. “One of the things that is essential in the Rio Grande Valley, particularly in Hidalgo County, is to build the human capital and build it well. What better way to not only build that human capital through the creation of knowledge and skills by people taking care of other people. I believe that what defines a great community is what we can do for one another…there has been a tremendous shortage of what this institution does so well.”
Alvarez said TWC commissioners are still looking to take action for individuals in the health care industry, which is among the top three filers of unemployment insurance in the state.
TWC has been working with South Texas College and local hospitals to look at ways to increase capacity and is proposing $10 million to pay for students’ clinical rotations, which are the hands-on, on-site portion of nursing school. Also on the table is possibly developing a Texas Rising Star provider to develop child care in a hospital setting in order to support working parents, Alvarez said.
“As we are graduating them (students) we are finding that many of them are going under employment; they are quitting their job,” Alvarez said. “It’s important to not let what’s happening out there affect your decision to do what you are doing. What I love about this institution of higher ed is that you have a great leader and you have great trustees who are doing the work to make sure we are all successful.”
STC administrators at Nursing and Allied Health say a three-pronged approach to pathways, infrastructure and support are the things that are done exceptionally well at South Texas College,
“The reason why we are committed to produce safe and competent nurses is to address these health care needs, not just in our region but throughout the state. We are committed to our community, said Dr. Jayson Valerio, Dean of Nursing and Allied Health.