HOUSTON
Volume 15 | Issue 7
Inside This Issue
July Edition 2025
SHSU-COM Awarded $500K to Expand Rural Residency Training and Healthcare Access By Brittany Foreman
S The Memorial Hermann Institute for Nursing Excellence wins Excellence in Nursing Award See pg. 9
INDEX Legal Matters ...................... pg.3 Oncology Research......... pg.5 Healthy Heart....................... pg.8 Financial Forecast.............pg.11
Texas A & M Recognized for Alzheimer’s Disease Breakthrough See pg. 12
am Houston State University College of Osteopathic Medicine (SHSU-COM), based in Conroe and impacting communities across Texas, has been awarded a $500,000 grant through the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board’s Rural Resident Physician Program (RRPP). In partnership with Huntsville Memorial Hospital (HMH) and the Sam Houston Regional Education Consortium (SHREC), the funding supports expansion of the Huntsville Rural Family Medicine Residency Program. This initiative addresses the region’s growing demand for primary care providers. The grant allows SHSU-COM to recruit faculty and leadership to support the residency’s growth and strengthen its academic infrastructure. New positions include a Director of Rural Education who will serve as core faculty, help expand the program from four to six residents per year, and lead development of a rural training track (RTT) in partnership with one of SHSU-COM’s clinical affiliates. These additions will enhance training quality and increase capacity to serve underserved communities. “We’re building more than just a residency. We’re building a rural workforce pipeline,” said Thomas J. Mohr, D.O., dean of SHSU-COM. “This grant allows us to expand our residency and create rural pathways that prepare physicians for long-term service in communities like ours.” Residency expansion is especially important in Walker County, where the physician-to-population ratio remains below state and national averages. According to the 2024 County Health Rankings, Walker County has only one primary care physician for every 3,710 residents.
This figure is more than twice the Texas average and nearly three times the national average. The same report notes preventable hospital stays in the county are significantly higher than both state and national benchmarks. These figures reflect limited access to routine and preventive care. Walker County’s population is projected to exceed 118,000 by 2040, according to the Houston-Galveston Area Council (H-GAC). Nearly 20 percent of that growth is expected among residents aged 65 and older. This age group often requires more frequent and complex medical care. As the region grows and ages, the demand for healthcare services will increase. “Physicians tend to practice where they train,” said Townes “Tucker” Leigh, D.O., program director of the HMH Family Medicine Residency. “Our goal is to immerse residents in the challenges and opportunities of rural medicine from day one. With this expansion, we can offer that experience to more residents and ultimately retain more providers in the region.” Launched in 2023, the Huntsville Rural Family Medicine Residency Program will reach its original capacity of 12 residents (four per year) by 2025.
The RRPP grant positions the program to grow to 18 residents and establish its first RTT site focused on high-need rural areas in East Texas. SHSU-COM faculty provide clinical and academic oversight, while HMH serves as the primary training site through its Rural Health Clinic. The collaboration has already expanded training opportunities for medical students and improved access to care in the region. The grant will support additional faculty recruitment, new clinical partnerships, and continued development of graduate medical education infrastructure. “This funding reflects the state’s commitment to sustainable rural training models,” said Gretchen Holmes, PhD, associate dean for graduate medical education and designated institutional official (DIO). “With these new positions, we are growing a system of training that responds directly to the needs of rural Texas communities.” To view open positions related to this expansion and other full-time faculty roles at SHSU College
see Rural Residency ...page 14
PRSRT STD US POSTAGE PAID PERMIT NO 1 HOUSTON TX