From Our Team

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…

The Paso del Norte Center at the Meadows Institute: A Commitment to Mental Health Care in Our Region

Posted on July 20, 2021 by Tracy J. Yellen

Mental illness has traditionally been treated – when treated at all – in piecemeal fashion, and too often not until after a crisis event has occurred. Waiting to provide care until after a crisis means the first attempt at treatment occurs after the illness has already reached an advanced stage. Just like with cancer and heart disease, early detection and intervention are key to the best possible outcomes, so a primary challenge is changing the delivery of health care to reflect this reality.

For most of the past decade, the Paso del Norte Health Foundation has been working – in…

Foundations release their 2020 Annual Reports

Posted on June 7, 2021 by Tracy J. Yellen

Endurance • Resilience • Community “Where flowers bloom, so does hope.” – Lady Bird Johnson

The boards and staff of the Paso del Norte Community Foundation, Paso del Norte Health Foundation and Fundación Paso del Norte are pleased to announce the release of their 2020 Annual Reports.

Like a cactus in the desert, 2020 underscored our collective ability to face difficult circumstances with dignity, grace, and hope. We came together as a Community of Philanthropy with a combined $35.5 million in grants and charitable projects in 2020 and $255.3 million since 1995 to respond,…

Help your kids ease back into schooling with out-of-school programs

Posted on May 18, 2021 by Bianca De León

If you think back on your childhood, chances are there was that one afterschool or summer program that was formative in your life. Maybe it helped you build your self-esteem, pick up new skills, or build a network of friends and mentors that stuck with you throughout your childhood.

For me growing up, it was more than 10 years of ballet folklorico. Perhaps you were a Brownie or a Boy Scout, belonged to a Boys & Girls Club, or attended summer science camp. If so, your life was also touched by an out-of-school time (OST) program, and you can appreciate why the BOOST Network exists in our…

Get out, get active and enjoy the outdoors on Celebrate Trails Day

Posted on April 19, 2021 by Jana Renner

Spring has sprung here in the Borderland. What better way to enjoy some sunshine than getting out and walking, biking or hiking some of the beautiful trails that the region has to offer?

Celebrate Trails Day celebrates all the incredible health and mental wellness benefits that trails provide which include recreation, education, exposure to flora and fauna, wildlife and preservation. The Paso del Norte Trail will host Celebrate Trails Day on April 24 at 9 a.m. at the Playa Drain Trail to encourage the community to discover some of the benefits that the trail has to offer…