From Our Team

Border Partners is sparking change for neighboring communities

Posted on August 13, 2020 by Jana Renner

Now more than ever it’s important to work together to create opportunities for our community and help change the lives of our neighbors. That idea is the driving force behind one of the Paso del Norte Health Foundation’s Healthy Eating Active Living (HEAL) grantees, Border Partners, and it’s an idea that is closely tied to the Health Foundation’s goals.

Border Partners is now in its sixth year as a HEAL grantee. The nonprofit works to deliver programs to residents of the small border colonia of Puerto Palomas, Mexico, which suffers from the many effects of poverty, including poor diet…

You can help our community get ahead of future COVID-19 surges from the palm of your hand

Posted on July 16, 2020 by Dr. Michael Kelly

We know that staying home as much as possible, social distancing, frequent hand washing and wearing a mask if you must leave the house can significantly reduce the chances of spreading COVID-19. Now, a group of Texas epidemiologists is also hoping that technology and data can be used to help control the current surge of COVID-19 cases and potentially get ahead of the next one.

Doctors from the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth) have joined a worldwide study aiming to predict and prevent new COVID-19 outbreaks and surges using an app developed as part of the…

Acts of kindness are a small investment with big pay off

Posted on June 16, 2020 by Enrique Mata

Like most everyone in the region, my family is practicing social distancing. On the bright side, COVID-19 has opened new opportunities to share time with my wife and kids.

We recently took time to watch the movie “A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood,” a story about how Fred Rogers made an impact in the world with simple actions that promoted love, caring and kindness to help people cope with adversity and difficult life events. The movie reminded me of my childhood and some good times (embedded within tough times), when watching an episode of “Mr. Roger’s Neighborhood” gave me a…

It’s never too early to talk to kids about vaping

Posted on May 18, 2020 by Bianca De León

While the world is currently focused on the global public health crisis being caused by COVID-19, just over a year ago we were facing a different lung concern, E-cigarette or Vaping Product Use-Associated Lung Injury, or EVALI. This disease, though very different from the coronavirus, did show the lungs vulnerability to vaping devices.

It remains a good time to talk with your kids about the health risks associated with smoking cigarettes and using other tobacco or nicotine products such as e-cigarettes and vape devices. As smokers may be more susceptible to contracting COVID-19 and…

New Resources Available to Navigate through COVID-19

Posted on April 14, 2020 by Tracy J. Yellen

In just a few short weeks, the COVID-19 pandemic has changed almost every facet of daily life in the Paso del Norte Region. Unchanged, however, is Paso del Norte Health Foundation’s mission to lead, leverage and invest in initiatives, programs, and policies that promote health and prevent disease in the Paso del Norte region.

That’s why the Health Foundation has created the EPCOVID19.org Information Hub and, in partnership with the Fundación Paso del Norte para la Salud y Bienestar, the JuarezCovid19.com Information Hub. The bilingual websites include…

REALIZE Executive experience helps emerging leaders to transform our region

Posted on March 17, 2020 by Dr. Michael Kelly

The dean of the UTEP School of Nursing, the Executive Director of the Center Against Sexual and Family Violence and dozens of other leaders are transforming the Paso del Norte region.

And their professional transformations were spurred on with REALIZE Executive, the Paso del North Health Foundation’s world-class leadership experience created and tailored specifically to our region in order to inspire and train its top-level and emerging management professionals.

“We worked with coaches and the cohort on thinking – specifically strategic and visionary thinking with a global view,”…

Fresh Start program connecting those in need with resources to address food insecurity

Posted on February 11, 2020 by Jana Renner

Individuals and families are among our region’s most vulnerable populations that find themselves without enough food to put on the table on a daily basis. Food pantries and programs like the Kelly Center for Hunger Relief and its Fresh Start program are having a direct impact on combatting food insecurity. The Kelly Center for Hunger Relief has helped provide nutritious food to the food insecure of El Paso County for 20 years.

The U.S Department of Agriculture (USDA) estimates that 36 million, or one in nine, Americans were food insecure in 2018, including more than 11 million children….

THC vaping in teens is rising at a frightening rate

Posted on January 14, 2020 by Enrique Mata

Parents, grandparents, and caregivers need to be aware of a growing problem youth are facing today. The rise in Tetrahydrocannabinol oil (THC) vaping. According to the County of El Paso Juvenile Probation Department, the number of youth between the ages of 10 and 16 charged with THC possession increased from 16 cases in 2017 to a frightening 248 cases in 2019.

Why is the increase in THC possession so frightening? Persons caught in possession of THC in Texas may face felony charges, that could lead to fines, probation or jail time. In some cases, parents can also be charged and punished….

Together, Fearless, We Count - Census 2020

Posted on November 5, 2019 by Enrique Mata

What do all people living in the 50 states, District of Columbia, and five U.S. territories (Puerto Rico, American Samoa, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, Guam, and the U.S. Virgin Islands) have in common with El Paso residents? We all need to be counted for the 2020 Census. The data collected for the census are so vital to our community that a group of community leaders started the Paso del Norte Complete Count Committee (the CCC).

The CCC includes more than 40 representatives from organizations and agencies such as the City of El Paso, County of El Paso, Paso del…

Afterschool programs are key to healthy future for kids and the community

Posted on October 22, 2019 by Bianca De León

The school year is in full swing and that means busy schedules for parents and students.

Youth need more than classroom time, curricula, and good teachers to be successful. Study after study shows that afterschool programs have a wide-ranging benefit for children, including boosting academic performance, improving social skills, creating a more positive environment for children to learn and grow, promoting health, and encouraging other good habits such as leadership and time management.

The Paso del Norte Health Foundation’s IGNITE initiative aims to engage disconnected youth in the…