Driscoll Children’s Hospital has announced a $17 million gift from the Valley Baptist Legacy Foundation to recruit new pediatric specialists to the Rio Grande Valley.

The largest gift in the history of the hospital will be used to support the recruitment and start-up costs of new specialty pediatric doctors who will be relocating to Driscoll Children’s Hospital Rio Grande Valley, which is slated to open in late 2023. According to the hospital, the Rio Grande Valley is one of the most medically underserved regions in the United States, with only 14.9 pediatricians per 100,000 children, roughly 30 percent of the national average.

“Improving access to specialty care for children of the Rio Grande Valley has been a priority for Driscoll Children’s Hospital for a long time,” said Driscoll Children’s Hospital Rio Grande Valley president Matt Wolthoff. “Rio Grande Valley pediatricians have done yeoman’s work in providing care with limited resources available to them and their patients. We are extremely excited to be able to better support these dedicated doctors with a wide spectrum of specialists and a world-class children’s hospital here at home. We are equally grateful to the Valley Baptist Legacy Foundation for their support of this endeavor.”

(Photo credit: Getty Images/Ridofranz)