The Rio Grande Valley faces persistent challenges related to healthcare access, workforce shortages, and limited educational pathways, particularly for residents seeking care and training close to home. This conversation brings together campus leaders to examine how two transformative projects — the UT Health RGV Cancer & Surgery Center and the Texas A&M University McAllen Nursing Education and Research Building — address these challenges through strategic facilities investment. From a non-traditional teaching environment embedded in an ambulatory cancer center to an academic nursing facility supporting simulation, research, and outreach, each project advances community health while strengthening student outcomes. Presenters will share lessons learned from planning, design, and delivery, demonstrating how collaborative decision-making can expand access to care, improve educational equity, and deliver lasting community benefit across South Texas.