The Regional Accelerator on New Growth Engine, known as the RANGE, held its first Rural Innovation Expo on Wednesday at the Amarillo Area Foundation. Leaders from government, healthcare, education and other regional industries attended. The organization announced plans to strengthen regional healthcare, meet employer needs through workforce development, and support environmental stewardship.
The Amarillo Economic Development Corporation created the RANGE in 2023 to secure research funding and drive innovation in the Texas Panhandle. Its 18-month healthcare plan, called Coordinated Outcomes for Regional Excellence, aims to identify healthcare needs in all 26 Panhandle counties, connect healthcare institutions to funding, and develop workforce solutions to staff rural hospitals, according to Matthew Garner, the RANGE's executive director.
Garner said the project will spend its first three months forming steering groups, organizing community partners and identifying workforce priorities. Project members will then design and pilot partnerships and worker training. Garner said the plan will not be piloted in all 26 counties. Instead, the RANGE will seek organizations with the resources or willingness to work alongside it. He said the pilots will give organizations initial outcomes and evidence they can use when applying for grants.