History and Service Region

History

The Paso del Norte Health Foundation is one of the largest private foundations on the U.S. - Mexico border. It was established in 1995 from the sale of Providence Memorial Hospital to Tenet Healthcare Corporation for $130 million.

Since its inception, the Health Foundation has worked to improve health in our binational, tri-state region through notable initiatives like A Smoke Free Paso del Norte, which has seen smoking rates decline from 24% to nearly 13% in El Paso county; Walk El Paso Walk, which spawned walking groups throughout the region to increase physical activity and decrease sedentary life; Two Should Know, which promoted healthy sexuality and witnessed reductions in teen pregnancy; and CATCH, which recorded measurable improvements to elementary student health through targeted nutrition and P.E. programs.

As the Health Foundation enters its third decade as a leader in health promotion and disease prevention, it remains as committed as ever to ensuring the residents of the Paso del Norte region have the knowledge, resources and environment needed to live healthy lives.