From Our Team

A One Stop Shop for Health Information In the region

Posted on June 1, 2015 by Bianca De León

The characteristics and statistics of a specific region are vital information to improve a population’s health. Yet, access to this information can be difficult to locate and often time consuming. This can be especially true when looking for health information of three states and two countries – Paso del Norte region.

The Healthy Paso del Norte website (www.healthypasodelnorte.org) brings non-biased data, local resources and a wealth of information to one accessible location. This user-friendly website is intended to help community members and policy makers learn about the health of the region in the counties of Doña Ana, Luna, and Otero in New Mexico, and El Paso and Hudspeth in Texas and Ciudad, Juárez, MX. Community groups, schools, health associations, economic development entities, chambers of commerce, tourism and many other organizations can use this information to inform decisions, share knowledge, or collaborate on health-related projects all geared towards the improvement of health in the community and region.

Examples of information available on the web site:

• 68.6% of adults in El Paso County are engaged in physical activity; 1.3% lower than the State value.
• 68.4% of adults 18-64 years of age In Doña Ana County have health insurance coverage; which is worst compared to the State value (78.9%).
• 24.4% of people in Ciudad Juárez are without eligible health services; which is lower than the state value.

The website is also a great resource to access funding opportunities, promising practice programs, and current health events within the region. “I consult this website in anticipation of any meetings or working groups regarding health issues in the region,” said an anonymous website user. College students can learn about the health status of Ciudad Juárez from thirty health indicators added in 2014. These indicators help assess the social environment, public safety, student performance, poverty levels, etc.

Public health practitioners, planners, and other audiences can benefit by comparing health and quality of life indicators with other counties, the state, and the nation. For instance, when planning a program, the website helps tracking progress, and comparing county health indicators to Healthy People 2020 targets, measure socioeconomic needs correlated with poor health outcomes using the SocioNeeds Index, among other wonderful features that the website offers. By using the 2020 Progress Tracker, El Paso County showed 86.3% (2012) of children with health insurance in El Paso, indicating the Healthy People 2020 target of 100% has not been met.

Resident living in the region can also find access to demographics broken down by County, zip code, sex, ethnicity, age and population in the area from a specific origin.

The Healthy Paso del Norte website has a variety of resources available in one location. Next time you are looking for regional health information, visit www.healthypasodelnorte.org.

For more information, contact Nohemi Rubio, associate program officer, Paso del Norte Health Foundation at nrubio@pdnhf.org or 915-544-7636.

Bianca De León

Bianca manages the IGNITE and Two Should Know initiatives. She works with grantees and community partners to focus on increasing opportunities for disconnected youth and improving sexual health for all ages. She is passionate about improving the health and lives of young people in the region. Bianca received an undergraduate degree from St. Edward’s University in Austin, TX, and is a graduate of the SIT Graduate Institute in Brattleboro, VT.