Classes begin at San Antonio's new School of Public Health
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The new University of Texas School of Public Health San Antonio welcomed its first students Monday.
Why it matters: Until now, San Antonio was the largest U.S. city without a school of public health, according to University of Texas at San Antonio provost Heather Shipley.
Zoom in: The new school is a collaboration between UT Health San Antonio and UTSA. It offers the city's first Master of Public Health graduate degree program.
- Many of the new students are working professionals in health care, education and government who live in Bexar County.
- The curriculum is designed specifically for South Texas, meant to serve public health needs unique to the region — such as understanding health disparities among racial, ethnic and income groups and how to meet the needs of a growing Hispanic population.
What they're saying: "We aren't just here to help build public health expertise but also to empower students to navigate difficult conversations and apply their knowledge with confidence that effectively leads to positive health outcomes," William Garner, associate dean at the new school, said in a statement.
By the numbers: Forty students comprise the inaugural class. The school is housed on the Greehey Campus at UT Health San Antonio, in the Medical Center.
- 18 students were awarded scholarships, a spokesperson tells Axios.
State of play: People with a master's degree in public health can work as scientists, scholars, health educators, community health workers, public health practitioners, policymakers and more.
The big picture: The pandemic pushed a new focus on public health programs and offerings in San Antonio and nationwide.
- Bexar County gave the new school $10 million of its federal COVID-19 relief funds.
- The city is also providing $10 million, disbursed in $2 million increments for five years.
Zoom out: Bexar County has also put pandemic relief funds toward the creation of a new Institute for Public Health through the county-owned University Health System.
- The new agency is meant to address health needs in unincorporated parts of Bexar County that the city's Metro Health does not always cover.
Between the lines: The School of Public Health is one of multiple collaborations between UT Health San Antonio and UTSA that the schools shared before last week's announcement that they would merge to create an academic powerhouse.
- The two institutions have also worked together on a dual degree combining medicine and artificial intelligence.
What's next: The School of Public Health could enroll up to 400 students in its first five years, per prior projections.
- Plans for a doctorate degree in public health are also in the works.
The bottom line: "We are growing our state's workforce and equipping students with the knowledge and skills they need to address complex health challenges in South Texas," Lynne Cossman, dean of the UTSA College for Health, Community and Policy, said in a statement.