TTUHSC Receives $1 Million Gift from Amarillo National Bank to Expand and Enhance Pediatric Care in the Panhandle

• By Meaghan Collier
• February 10, 2026
• Education

Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center (TTUHSC) School of Medicine leaders accepted a $1 million philanthropic gift from Amarillo National Bank on Tuesday (Feb. 10), marking a transformational investment in pediatric care for the Texas Panhandle.

The gift will support the TTUHSC Pediatric Fund for Excellence, a $10 million fundraising initiative designed to close critical gaps in pediatric specialty care and strengthen services provided by Texas Tech Physicians Pediatrics in Amarillo. The investment will allow TTUHSC to respond to the evolving health care needs of children and families across the region for years to come.

“This gift was an easy decision for our family because we believe in improving children’s health care in the Panhandle,” Amarillo National Bank President William Ware said. “We’re honored to help Dr. Herrick and her team realize their vision for enhanced pediatric care at TTUHSC.”

Philanthropic investments like this gift from Amarillo National Bank can help support:

• Provider recruitment and retention
• Outreach programs and pediatric health clinics
• Clinic renovation and expansion
• Initiatives that address health disparities and promote preventive care
• Expansion of local subspecialty care for medically complex children

“Having a child who needs pediatric specialty care is incredibly stressful for families, especially when that care requires long-distance travel,” said Shannon Herrick, M.D., regional chair of pediatrics at TTUHSC. “At Texas Tech Physicians Pediatrics, our goal is to keep families local for their children’s health care whenever possible.”

Texas Tech Physicians Pediatrics plays a vital role in the region’s health care landscape. Physicians, mid-level providers, residents and nurses provided more than 36,600 outpatient visits last year. The practice cared for more than 9,200 general pediatric patients and more than 6,600 specialty clinic patients. Clinic estimates indicate that one in five children in Amarillo receives care through Texas Tech Physicians Pediatrics.

“Philanthropic support is essential for academic medical institutions like our university,” TTUHSC President Lori Rice-Spearman, Ph.D., said. “These investments provide critical funding for education, recruitment and research, helping us attract talented providers to the Panhandle and ensure access to care for our most vulnerable populations — our children.”

As a public academic health system, TTUHSC is committed to training the next generation of physicians, advancing research and delivering care regardless of a patient’s ability to pay. Through Texas Tech Physicians Pediatrics and its academic medicine programs, TTUHSC is building a sustainable pipeline of pediatric providers dedicated to serving rural and underserved regions of Texas.

“This gift is more than a contribution,” Rice-Spearman said. “It is a commitment to strengthening pediatric health care in the Panhandle and building a healthier future for our communities.”

Statewide and regional workforce projections show ongoing shortages of physicians that include pediatric care, and demand is expected to continue outpacing supply in the coming decade according to official Texas workforce models. Projections indicate that by 2036, the Texas Panhandle is expected to lack approximately 41% of the primary care physicians required to meet patient demand, reflecting ongoing access challenges for pediatric and other primary care providers. 

“Without sustained community investment, access to pediatric care, pediatric specialty care in particular, could diminish further as regional health systems shift priorities,” Herrick said. “Delayed or absent care can lead to poorer health outcomes, particularly for vulnerable populations. Texas Tech Physicians Pediatrics is one of the few places families can turn, serving as a critical safety net for underserved and medically complex children.”