TSUS, TXST help launch statewide academy to strengthen rural Texas hospitals

Texas State University was selected to represent Texas State University System in a new statewide initiative—the Texas Rural Hospital Officers Academy—that will strengthen financial and operational leadership and stability of rural hospitals and protect access to healthcare across Texas.

Established by House Bill 18 during the 2025 Texas Legislative Session, the Texas Rural Hospital Officers Academy will deliver more than 100 hours of specialized training each year for leaders of Texas rural hospitals and health systems. The academy will address one of the most urgent challenges facing rural communities: the growing risk of hospital closures.

The initiative will partner the Texas Health and Human Services Commission with four Texas public university systems selected to collaborate on delivering the Academy statewide, including the Texas State University System (TSUS), the University of Texas System, the Texas A&M University System, and the Texas Tech University System. Each will designate a site principal investigator and contribute faculty expertise to support consistent, high-quality training across Texas.

TSUS sister school Sul Ross State University is leading the local logistics planning for this on-site program in West Texas in 2027.

Melinda Villagran, Ph.D., executive director of the Translational Health Research Center (THRC), will lead the Academy site at TXST and serve as the TSUS delegate to the Academy’s State Advisory Board. A team of interdisciplinary THRC Faculty Fellows with expertise in healthcare finance, leadership, operations, and rural health systems will be selected to work on the project.

Training will include critical competencies for operating hospitals in resource-constrained rural environments, such as regulatory compliance, revenue optimization, and healthcare management. By strengthening executive-level leadership capacity, the program aims to reduce financial instability that can lead to service reductions or hospital closures.

The Texas Rural Hospital Officers Academy is a core component of the state’s broader strategy to improve rural healthcare access, with new initiatives focused on hospital stabilization, workforce development, and telemedicine expansion.

The initiative is one more way that TXST and the THRC will play a central role in supporting stronger rural hospitals and healthier Texas communities.

For more information, contact Katy Henrick at kmh222@txstate.edu.

About the Translational Health Research Center

Founded in 2016 as an initiative, the Translational Health Research Center conducts and shares health research with academic, community and public audiences. THRC collaborates with TXST faculty and external partners to develop research programs, partnerships, and outreach activities that expand the impact of health and resilience research.