When Dr. Mary Huckabee considers what the new pediatric residency program will mean for the Rio Grande Valley, she points to one thing above all: doctors who train here are far more likely to stay.

As director of medical education for Driscoll Children’s Hospital, Huckabee said training in Edinburg gives young doctors a real sense of the community — and its unique needs.

“By keeping pediatricians in the community where they’re training, we are expanding access to health care to our pediatric patient population,” she explained, “and fulfilling that Driscoll mission of more care close to home.”

And that mission takes a giant leap forward in 2026, when Driscoll Children’s Hospital Rio Grande Valley will welcome its first class of pediatric residents.

The program — the Valley’s first — was recently approved by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education, marking a milestone for both the hospital and the families it serves.

A major investment in the Valley

The residency program will welcome its inaugural class in July, creating new opportunities for medical education while directly addressing the region’s physician workforce needs.

“This is an amazing day for Driscoll,” said Eric Hamon, Driscoll Health System president and CEO. “Almost 70 years ago, Driscoll created its first residency program in Corpus Christi. Today, even more doctors will be able to call South Texas home.”

The push for a Valley residency program has been years in the making. Driscoll opened its Edinburg hospital in May 2024, the region’s first freestanding children’s hospital. With its $100 million facility, the hospital introduced a neonatal intensive care unit (NICU), pediatric intensive care, emergency services and surgery — designed exclusively to treat children.

But bricks and mortar were only the beginning. Recruiting physicians has been another critical step. In 2023, the Valley Baptist Legacy Foundation donated $17 million to help Driscoll bring about 20 pediatric specialists to the Valley over three years.

Now, the residency program will add a long-term solution, ensuring that future pediatricians are not only trained here but encouraged to stay.

Why the Valley matters

For Huckabee, the program is about more than filling positions — it’s about equity and access.

“Our patient population is very underserved. Health care needs are often not met, going untreated for far too long,” Huckabee explained. “We see a lot of disease at very advanced states because our patients have not gotten appropriate pediatric care.”

That diversity of care makes the Valley one of the most meaningful training grounds for new pediatricians.

Huckabee believes the training environment at Driscoll also sets the program apart.

“This is an amazing opportunity to practice in a brand new state-of-the-art hospital,” she said. “We are a freestanding children’s hospital. Everybody in it, all the staff, all the physicians, they only care for children. Everything is about kids.”

That focus extends to every detail. Radiology, child life specialists, social workers and equipment are all designed for pediatric use. “As a training opportunity, that’s amazing,” she explained. The residency will take learning beyond the hospital walls, with trainees working alongside local physicians. Huckabee said this hands-on approach will give residents a true feel for practicing in the Valley and prepare them for the realities of being a community pediatrician in South Texas.

Looking forward to 2026

The Valley is ready.

“The community is really excited for us to be here,” said Huckabee. “There’s never been a pediatric training program in the Rio Grande Valley, and they are super excited for that.”

Huckabee said residents will also give back to the community in many ways, taking part in advocacy and service projects. Some efforts will connect with Driscoll’s ongoing initiatives, while others will be driven by the residents themselves, based on the causes they feel most passionate about.

As the program gears up for its first class, Huckabee already imagines the moment those residents arrive.

“The most important thing is that we are going to welcome our first class of residents into the Driscoll family,” she said. “That is a very special thing to join. It’s special in Corpus Christi for our faculty and our residents, and it will be special in the Rio Grande Valley.”

For Huckabee, the launch represents vision and hard work.

“I personally am super passionate about this,” she said. “It’s so exciting to have been part of building something from the ground up. And I think it’s going to be really special.”