The Lower Rio Grande Valley Regional Academic Health Center is an outreach effort administered by the Medical School, and is under the direction of Regional Dean Leonel Vela, M.D., M.P.H. The RAHC Medical Education Division was dedicated June 28, 2002, in Harlingen. Twenty-four third- and 24 fourth-year medical students per year are completing their medical education through the RAHC at its affiliated clinics and teaching hospitals in the Valley. Eight physicians are in the internal medicine residency program based at the RAHC.

A second building, home of the RAHC Medical Research Division, will be dedicated this year on the campus of UT Pan American in Edinburg. Also administered by the Health Science Center, this division will provide state-of-the-art laboratory space and equipment for scholars and scientists to conduct research on critical health problems of the South Texas/Border Region.

A third division, the RAHC Public Health Division in Brownsville, is administered by The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston.