Dallas is one of three national hubs for new medical innovation federal agency.

“Dallas selected as one of three national hubs for new medical innovation federal agency.”

Dallas is one of three national hubs for a new federal agency pursuing “game-changing breakthroughs” in science and medicine, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services confirmed Tuesday.

The Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health, or ARPA-H, is an agency effort by the Biden administration to help prevent and treat diseases like cancer, Alzheimer’s disease, and diabetes. Along with its other national hubs in Cambridge, Mass. and the Washington, D.C. area, ARPA-H will have a network of “spokes,” or local health institutions, across all 50 states.

ARPA-H Director Renee Wegrzyn said, “Using a hub-and-spoke model, we’re creating efficiencies that we could not otherwise achieve, including reaching patients, providers, and other stakeholders quickly.”
It needs to be made clear how many jobs would be created by the hub.

In yesterday’s meeting, Gov. Greg Abbott called the Dallas-Fort Worth region the “ideal location” for a national hub.

“Texas is a national leader in healthcare research and innovation, solving many of our nation’s — and the world’s — scientific challenges,” Abbott said.

Dallas’s selection comes a year after a group of U.S. representatives from Texas and U.S. Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, signed a letter requesting Xavier Becerra, U.S. secretary of health and Human services, to bring the agency to Texas.

“Texas has the infrastructure, diversity, and technology that ARPA-H requires to thrive, including the largest medical center in the world and the largest military medical complex in the country,” the letter said.

“ARPANET-H is a testament to our commitment to inclusivity and innovation in health care,” Becerra said in the Tuesday release. “With its vast array of cutting-edge health capabilities, this dynamic, nationwide network embodies our unwavering mission to propel forward health outcomes in every corner of the country – and beyond.”