Local civic leaders joined the Brownsville Chamber of Commerce and school officials on Thursday to dedicate the new Divine School for Healthcare Professionals, a facility to train Licensed Vocational Nurses in Brownsville.
The school has the capacity to train cohorts of 30 future LVNs and will welcome its first group of students for the start of classes on Jan. 6, 2025, Vaneida Soto, school director, registered nurse and master of nursing science, said.
“Our faculty and staff are dedicated to the highest standards of nursing excellence. We will prepare future nurses to face the challenge of modern healthcare with resilience, empathy and professionalism,” Soto said to officials and dignitaries gathered for the occasion.
“We are committed to elevating the standards of care and have the foundation of nursing since the time of Florence Nightingale, who attributed her success to this: ‘I never gave or took any excuses.’ May her words inspire us to carry forward her legacy of dedication, accountability and service.”
The school is located in a new building at 4098 Ted Hunt Blvd., which sits just behind the old Valley Regional Medical Center hospital no longer in use on East Ruben Torres Boulevard.
School founder Diego Narranjo, a nurse practitioner and Brownsville native, said his ultimate goal for the school “is to have people come down to Brownsville and learn at our school.”
Narranjo said prior to getting started 2 1/2 years ago, his group was able to get the support of all three hospitals in Brownsville: Valley Regional, Valley Baptist and DHR Health.
“We want to make sure that we train quality nurses that are able to take care of our families,” he said.
Brownsville Mayor John Cowen welcomed Divine School, saying Brownsville currently ranks as the No. 1 city in Texas for job growth and the No. 1 city in the nation for income mobility for low income residents.
“Things are on the upswing. That means we need more of everything. We need more welders, electricians, and plumbers. Especially, we need more nurses,” Cowen said.
Soto said Divine School will be accepting applications for nursing students through Nov. 15.
“Then they will do cohort selection. Mr. Naranjo is a man of faith. We know that we’re faith-based. Students that come to our school are going to be led by divine intervention,” she said.
“The school’s philosophy is grounded in holistic, student-centered education, emphasizing the value of compassionate, culturally competent, and patient-centered care. The faculty believes that advancing nursing science, promoting diversity, and advocating for positive change are essential to the profession. Through a commitment to these principles, Divine School aims to foster generations of nursing professionals dedicated to excellence and leadership in healthcare,” the school stated in a news release.
