From Our Team
Purpose, Partnerships & and Possibility
Posted on June 20, 2022 by Tracy J. Yellen
Vaxed, Variant, Hybrid, Cicada. These are just a few of the words that dominated our societal vernacular in 2021. For the Paso del Norte Health Foundation and Paso del Norte Community Foundation, we’ve added three more: purpose, partnerships, and possibility.
As CEO of our family of foundations, I am pleased to share our 2021 Annual Reports, which underscore our purpose, highlight our community partnerships, and remind us of the possibility for the residents of our binational, tri-state region to achieve happy, healthy, and productive lives.
Together, our foundations invested $35.9…
Summer programs prepare children for future success
Posted on May 16, 2022 by Sandra Day
Students are beginning to count down the days until summer vacation begins. Parents are too, with many trying to ensure their child has something to do over the summer break, but most importantly they want a safe and healthy environment in which their child can pursue their interests.
As youth begin to leave the rigors of the classroom, parents around the region are looking for ways to keep them engaged. Summer programs offer the perfect opportunity to match what youth want or need over the summer with the ability to learn, grow and stay healthy. For many working parents, summer programs…
REALIZE Executive experience: Building transformational leaders
Posted on April 18, 2022 by Dr. Michael Kelly
Leadership can be taught, and leadership can be learned. Using this premise, the REALIZE executive experience takes already good leaders and, over the course of ten months, helps them become transformational leaders for the benefit of the region’s health.
The Health Foundation’s REALIZE Executive program is a world-class experience established in 2010 and tailored specifically for the Paso del Norte region to inspire and train a cohort of 20 high-level leaders at a time to build upon existing leadership qualities and skills. Offered every 2 to 3 years, the more than 100 REALIZE…
Healthier lifestyles begin at an early age
Posted on March 18, 2022 by Jana Renner
Helping your children eat healthier is no easy task, but the Paso del Norte Health Foundation and Desert Spoon Food Hub are here to help.
As we celebrate National Nutrition Month, we must take early steps to help our children live healthier lifestyles. One way to do so is by introducing fruits and vegetables into their diets at an early age.
One of the best ways to set a child on the path to better eating habits is education. We must make learning fun to help keep kids interested in living healthier.
That is why the Paso del Norte Health Foundation funded the Taster Space program…
Empowering families to navigate obesity and diabetes
Posted on February 21, 2022 by Dr. Michael Kelly
For the last two years, offices and classrooms were mere steps away from food pantries and kitchens. With government schools dominantly using Zoom, many children found themselves staring at a screen for hours each day. This combination facilitated a negative trend for child health.
During the pandemic, the national rate of obesity among kids ages 2 to 19 increased to 22.4% in 2020, up from 19.3% in 2019, according to the State of Childhood Obesity organization. In 2019-20, 21.4% of Hispanic youth ages 10 to 17 met the criteria for obesity. Importantly, both COVID and obesity are…
Vaccines play different but important role with Omicron
Posted on January 20, 2022 by Dr. Michael Kelly
For the past many months, government, community and healthcare organizations, and businesses, including the Paso del Norte Health Foundation, worked to promote and provide COVID vaccines. The Reduce the Risk collaborative provided factual information around community resources as well. Subsequently, the El Paso vaccination rate is higher than the Texas state rate; 93% of the elderly are fully vaccinated in El Paso County (84% in Texas) and 75% of those five-years and older are fully vaccinated (62% in Texas).
Vaccines were very helpful in preventing someone from contracting the alpha…
Asking yourself ‘Now what’ after diabetes diagnosis? New campaign is here to help
Posted on November 16, 2021 by Dr. Michael Kelly
Four out of every twenty-five adult El Pasoans self-report a diabetes diagnosis; however, this number does not account for the people who are unknowingly living with diabetes or pre-diabetes. After a diagnosis is made many ask the question, “now what?”
Thankfully, we are living in a time when diabetes can be managed with medication and lifestyle. When diabetes is well managed and blood sugar kept in target ranges, a person can enjoy life with minimal disruption and reduced risk of long-term complications.
That’s why this November, during Diabetes Awareness Month, the Paso del Norte…
BOOST Network can help families find quality programs that benefit children
Posted on October 19, 2021 by Sandra Day
Do you remember an adult who made a difference in your childhood?
For me, it was a coach named Mr. Castillo. I was born in Juárez, and when I moved to El Paso I was shy and self-conscious.
Coach Castillo was someone I could look up to and get advice from. He turned a group of adolescents into a team, and those teammates became my friends, giving me a sense of belonging.
Of course, I didn’t realize this at the time. I thought I was just learning to play soccer. My parents were just grateful I had something to do after school. But looking back, I see what a difference my…
Empowering children living with diabetes and their parents to lead healthier lives
Posted on September 22, 2021 by Dr. Michael Kelly
Childhood obesity is on the rise, and so is type 2 diabetes. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the rate of body mass index nearly doubled during the pandemic in children age 2 to 19 years from .052 (January 2018-February 2020) to .100 (March 2020-November 2020). The CDC says the percentage of children who suffer from obesity increased in August 2020 from an estimated 19.3 percent in August 2019 to 22.4 percent in August 2020.
Navigating and controlling pre-diabetes and type 2 diabetes isn’t easy, even for an adult. Now, imagine being a child living with…
Paso del Norte Health Foundation (PDNHF) announces leadership gift to TTUHSC El Paso Hunt School of Dental Medicine
Posted on August 13, 2021 by Tracy J. Yellen
In celebration of the Paso del Norte Health Foundation’s 25th Anniversary and its continued work to improve the health of the region, the board of directors is pleased to announce an $11 million grant to the Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center El Paso Woody L. Hunt School of Dental Medicine.
The Health Foundation’s $11 million commitment is made up of two gifts: a $6 million commitment in 2016 to support the startup phase of the dental school to develop an innovative curriculum, hire world-class faculty, recruit the first class of students, and help leverage state funding, and a…
