Mission Statement
The mission of The University of Texas at San Antonio is to make lives better by advancing excellence in education; research, discovery and commercialization; health; public service; and community engagement.
Vision
To be a world-class academic health center transforming health and health care for a diverse society.
Our Strategic Vision
UT Health San Antonio timeline
- 1959 – Texas Legislature passed enabling legislation (House Bill 9) authorizing/establishing the South Texas Medical School (now the Long School of Medicine of The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, now dba UT Health San Antonio).
- 1966 – First class of 15 students is admitted to the School of Medicine, temporarily housed at Trinity University.
- 1967 – Texas Legislature changes the name from the South Texas Medical School to The University of Texas Medical School at San Antonio (now the Long School of Medicine of The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, now dba UT Health San Antonio).
- 1968 – The University of Texas Medical School at San Antonio and Bexar County Teaching Hospital (now University Hospital) are dedicated.
- 1969 – Texas Legislature authorizes creation of the Dental School (now The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio School of Dentistry).
- 1969 – Texas Legislature authorizes UT System School of Nursing branch in San Antonio.
- 1969 – The first full class of medical students that attended classes all four years at the San Antonio campus begins classes in September. This class becomes the Medical School’s 1973 Graduating Class.
- 1969 – Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences is created.
- 1972 – Institution’s name changed to The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio.
- 1976 – School of Allied Health Sciences (now School of Health Professions) is created.
- 1976 – School of Nursing formally becomes part of The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, now dba UT Health San Antonio.
- 1985 – The School of Nursing launches one of the first Master of Science in Nursing critical care tracks in the country.
- 1985 – The School of Dentistry pioneers the development of digital panoramic X-ray systems for dental diagnostics.
- 1991 – The Aging Research and Education Center is founded, laying the groundwork for the future Sam and Ann Barshop Institute for Longevity and Aging Studies.
- 1991 – The Cancer Therapy and Research Center (now Mays Cancer Center) is named a National Cancer Institute-designated cancer center.
- 1994 –The world’s first cardiac arterial stent, the Palmaz Stent, receives FDA approval for use in cardiology and peripheral vascular medicine.
- 1995 – UT Health San Antonio researchers lead the U.S. development of metformin, the primary initial treatment for diabetes.
- 2001 – The Sam and Ann Barshop Institute for Longevity and Aging Studies is established to advance aging research globally.
- 2002 – The Center for Medical Humanities and Ethics (now Charles E. Cheever Jr Center for Medical Humanities and Ethics) is founded to heighten students’ sensitivity to the patient experience and preserve their innate empathy.
- 2004 – The Greehey Children’s Cancer Research Institute at UT Health San Antonio is established to advance scientific knowledge of childhood cancer, uncover its causes and develop innovative therapies.
- 2005 – School of Dentistry researchers are the first in the world to map the gene responsible for dentinogenesis imperfecta (DGI) Type III, a rare genetic dental disorder.
- 2006 – The Institute for Health Promotion Research is founded to investigate the causes and find solutions to the impact of cancer, obesity and non-medical drivers of health in South Texans.
- 2007 – The Cancer Therapy and Research Center is renamed the Mays Cancer Center at The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio.
- 2009 – The Medical Arts and Research Center, the university’s medical practice, opens to patients.
- 2012 – The School of Nursing’s Center for Simulation Innovation opens, providing high-fidelity clinical training experiences to nursing students.
- 2014 – The Military Health Institute is established to expand existing collaborations between the university, the U.S. Department of Defense and the Department of Veterans Affairs.
- 2015 – The Center for Oral Health Care and Research is dedicated, offering advanced dental education and comprehensive dental care.
- 2017 – The Glenn Biggs Institute for Alzheimer’s and Neurodegenerative Diseases is established.
- 2017 – The School of Medicine is renamed the Joe R. and Teresa Lozano Long School of Medicine.
- 2018 – UT Health San Antonio initiates the first regional whole blood transfusion program in the U.S., enabling trauma patients across 22 South Texas counties to receive lifesaving transfusions before reaching the hospital.
- 2019 – UT Health San Antonio physicians perform the first living liver donor exchange in the United States at University Health.
- 2021 – The University of Texas System Board of regents approves plans for The University of Texas School of Public Health San Antonio.
- 2022 – UT Health San Antonio and University Health conduct the region’s first deep brain stimulation surgery for Alzheimer’s disease.
- 2023 – UT Health San Antonio and UTSA establish the nation’s first dual degree in medicine and artificial intelligence.
- 2023 – The university is designated a Parkinson’s Foundation Comprehensive Care Center, the first of its kind in Texas.
- 2023 – The School of Nursing establishes the region’s first nurse anesthetist program.
- 2024 – University scientists create the first mouse model with a complete, functional human immune system.
- 2024 – Be Well Institute on Substance Use and Related Disorders is established to advance research, education and evidence-based treatments for substance use and related disorders.
- 2024 – The UT Health Outpatient and Surgery Center at Kyle Seale Parkway opens to provide primary care, specialty care and outpatient surgical procedures.
- 2024 – The UT Health San Antonio Multispecialty and Research Hospital opens, advancing complex care and clinical trials.
- 2024 – The University of Texas System Board of Regents announces plans to integrate The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio and The University of Texas at San Antonio by Sept. 1, 2025.
- 2025 – UT Health San Antonio earns Research 1 (R1) status from the Carnegie Classification, recognizing it as a top-tier research institution.
- 2025 – The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio officially integrates with The University of Texas at San Antonio.