Texas Border Business
By Roberto Hugo González
Mega Doctor News
The Texas Workforce Commission held its 9th Annual Apprenticeship Texas Conference on September 25, 2025, featuring a panel discussion on “Building a Healthier Workforce.” Dr. Carlos Cardenas, Chairman of the Board at DHR Health, joined the conversation moderated by Carlos Margo, Dean of the Center for Advanced Training and Apprenticeships at South Texas College.
Dr. Cardenas emphasized the importance of collaboration between higher education and healthcare providers. “This college stepped up to build those relationships, and it worked out well. Much of it already existed to a certain extent — we had been collaborating before — and this was simply the next logical step forward,” he said.
The apprenticeship program, the first of its kind in the Rio Grande Valley, was created to address the state’s looming nursing shortage. According to the Texas Center for Nursing Workforce Studies, by 2036, Texas is expected to face a deficit of 56,370 registered nurses. DHR Health, in partnership with the U.S. Department of Labor, the Texas Workforce Commission, the Texas Board of Nursing, South Texas College, and Rio Grande Valley College, has developed an earn-and-learn model that integrates employment, paid clinical rotations, and one-on-one mentorship with experienced registered nurses. The program currently maintains an 83% retention rate among its graduates.
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