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Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center Permian Basin Announces Pediatric Residency Program Gift

• By Andrea Storm
• |
• February 6, 2026

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Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center (�㽶ֱ��) Permian Basin, along with the and the , yesterday (Feb. 5) announced a gift that will fund a new pediatric residency.

Together, a $4.3 million gift from the Permian Strategic Partnership, a $3.5 million from the Scharbauer Foundation and a $7.9 million commitment from �㽶ֱ��, will enable local pediatric training while helping build and retain a strong workforce of pediatricians to serve the region’s children and families.

The residency program will address a critical health care shortage of pediatric and pediatric subspecialists in the Permian Basin. Currently, families often must travel outside the Permian Basin to seek care and face long wait times to see a provider.

“The foundation of healthy and thriving communities is having access to health care for our communities' most vulnerable populations — our children,” �㽶ֱ�� President Lori Rice-Spearman, Ph.D., said. “�㽶ֱ�� is committed to training more physicians to serve the rural regions of the state that have the greatest need, and the �㽶ֱ�� pediatric residency program is essential to create a sustainable pipeline of care for the youth of the Permian Basin.”

This program will allow , the clinical practice of �㽶ֱ��, to grow the workforce the region needs.

“We know physicians are more likely to remain in the area where they complete their residency training,” Rice-Spearman said. “The Permian Basin will see more pediatric providers as they complete their residencies, and we feel confident that many of them will remain in the region to provide the expert-driven care you have come to expect from providers at Texas Tech Physicians.”

The pediatric residency program’s official start date is July 1, 2028. By 2030, the program is projected to support 12 pediatric residents per year.

“Scharbauer Foundation is proud to support the Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center pediatric residency program,” CEO and President Mary Ann Beninati of the Scharbauer Foundation said. “This program represents a step toward addressing the critical need for pediatric care in the Permian Basin by bringing in additional pediatricians and pediatric specialists to Midland. These physicians will serve the community while training the next generation of doctors. This new program addresses a gap in care for our young population and allows business owners the peace of mind to recruit families to Midland.”

In addition to general pediatrician training, the program also will provide training for specialties such as neonatology, pediatric endocrinology and pediatric behavioral/mental health.

“The Permian Strategic Partnership is focused on creating and maintaining quality of life in this vital region.” President and CEO of the Permian Strategic Partnership Tracee Bentley said. “We must ensure we have consistent and accessible healthcare for children and their families. This is why partnering with Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center on the creation of a pediatric residency is critically important. As more young families continue to grow and raise their families here, we want to make sure we have the health care professionals they need, right here in the Permian.”

Rice-Spearman said, “Together, we are not just meeting needs today in the Permian Basin but also building the foundation for tomorrow.”