The RGV has around 20 neurologists. To reach the national average ratio it needs about 50 more.

HARLINGEN, Texas - The Rio Grande Valley is far short of the national average for neurologists and the UT-Rio Grande Valley School of Medicine wants to do something about it. UTRGV SOM, along with its clinical arm, UT Health RGV, held a ribbon-cutting ceremony Tuesday for its eagerly-awaited Institute of Neuroscience (ION). Medical students will be trained at the 30,000-square-foot facility in order to go into the specialist field of neuroscience. Neurology is a branch of medicine dealing with disorders of the nervous system.In an interview with the Rio Grande Guardian International News Service, Dr. Michael R. Dobbs explained just what a shortage of neurologists the Valley has.“This building is going to be a wonderful place to train new neurologists to practice in the Rio Grande Valley area for their careers. Also, to get medical school students interested in going into neurology because we are really short of neurologists in the Valley,” Dobbs said.“We have around 20 neurologists. Just to reach the national average ratio we need about 50 more.”Dobbs is chair of the Department of Neurology and chief medical officer for UT Health Rio Grande Valley. “Any department of neurology at any medical school across the state would be proud to have (what UTRGV SOM now has),” Dobbs said.“This building has world-class research facilities. People will be able to participate in clinical trials to test leading edge therapies for neurological diseases. We will also be able to study diseases in the laboratory as well. It is an opportunity for the whole region to advance brain health.”Dobbs added: “The technology at ION will allow physicians to provide leading-edge specialty services and procedures, including advanced magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), high-resolution CT scanning, and positron emission tomography. Brain health just got a huge boost in our region, and we should celebrate that.”The institute, which broke ground in 2019, is an all-encompassing research, education, clinical care and community partnership facility “with the goal of transforming brain health for the Rio Grande Valley community,” a UTRGV SOM news release stated. The news release said ION “will bring advanced care and training in specialized neurological medical treatments and research to the Valley.”Editor's Note: To read the full story about the official opening of UTRGV SOM's Institute of Neuroscience go to the Rio Grande Guardian website. Go to www.riograndeguardian.com to read the latest border news stories and watch the latest news videos.