AUSTIN, Texas — Today, The Texas A&M University System and Driscoll Children’s Hospital System announced the creation of a Hispanic Health Institute to focus on clinical and public health research, education and programs that will improve the population’s access to clinical trials.

The Texas A&M & Driscoll Children’s Hospital Global Institute for Hispanic Health will be established at Driscoll’s Corpus Christi hospital. The reach of the program will include all of South Texas through DCH clinics, the university’s academic units as well as outreach activities of Texas A&M such as its Colonias program and AgriLife Extension.

John Sharp, Chancellor of The Texas A&M University System stated, “Hispanics disproportionately suffer from hypertension, diabetes and cancer, and we know some groundbreaking treatments react differently for them. If they are to benefit fully from clinical research, we must consider the special needs of this population such as genetics, lifestyle, and risk factors. With Driscoll and Texas A&M’s one-of-a-kind reach in South Texas, we hope to change the landscape of clinical trials and Hispanics.”

Senator Hinojosa commented, “Driscoll Children’s Hospital and the Texas A&M System are well known by South Texans for their service in healthcare, education, and research. The Global Institute for Hispanic Health will greatly increase the involvement of Hispanics in medical research and clinical trials resulting in far better healthcare treatments and life-saving therapies. Thank you to these two institutions’ investment in the well-being of our South Texans families.”

Hispanics are the most under-represented group in the nation’s clinical research. A widely-quoted report by the U.S. Food & Drug Administration said several years ago that Hispanics represented only about 1% of clinical trial participants, despite their significantly growing population. Texas A&M, and Driscoll will identify physicians, researchers, health providers and organizations interested in working with the Institute to expand clinical research focused on the needs of the Hispanic population.

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