Texas Border Business
By Roberto Hugo González / Texas Border Business / Mega Doctor News
DHR Health and South Texas College celebrated the graduation of the first cohort of the Registered Nurse Apprenticeship Program, marking the completion of a program described by organizers as the first federally recognized traditional registered nursing apprenticeship in the United States. The ceremony honored 10 graduating nurse apprentices and featured remarks from leaders at DHR Health, South Texas College, and the Texas Workforce Commission.
Speakers described the program as a collaborative effort among DHR Health, South Texas College, and the Texas Workforce Commission to address the nursing shortage in the Rio Grande Valley and to create a new nursing education pathway. Graduates completed paid clinical training while pursuing associate degrees in nursing through South Texas College.
Marissa S. Castañeda, senior executive vice president at DHR Health and master of ceremonies for the event, said the ceremony recognized “the grit and commitment of our future nurses” and celebrated the first graduating class of the partnership.
Dr. Carlos Cardenas, chairman of the board at DHR Health, emphasized the role nurses play in patient care and community health. “Everything that we do in healthcare begins at the bedside and ends at the bedside,” Cardenas said, describing nursing as central to patient care and the healthcare system. He also said the program represented an effort to expand healthcare access in the Rio Grande Valley by training local professionals to serve local patients.
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