News

The Power of Policy: Promoting Health and Preventing Disease in the Paso del Norte Region

January 18, 2025

Earlier this month, El Paso Matters hosted a forum at the El Paso Community College with the El Paso State Legislative Delegation in anticipation of the 89th Legislative Session, with support from the Paso del Norte Health Foundation.

The panel included State Senator César Blanco and State Representatives Mary González, Joe Moody, and Vince Perez, with El Paso Matters founder and CEO Robert Moore moderating.

The discussion highlighted the El Paso delegation priorities including funding for the cancer treatment center, expanded El Paso Psychiatric Center and Wyler Tramway. It also included discussions on statewide issues like education funding, property taxes, and border security, and the leadership roles the delegation will play this session.

Policy is undoubtedly a powerful force in improving public health. Since its inception in 1995, now 30 years ago, the Paso del Norte Health Foundation has collaborated with policymakers, community leaders, and stakeholders to successfully advocate for a wide range of policies, programs, and systems that reduce health disparities and improve health outcomes.

This legislative session will be important to our community as we work to support key policies at the state level – from funding for critical health infrastructure and funding for community health initiatives and non-medical drivers of health like hunger and homelessness.

Here are a few examples of the Health Foundation’s advocacy work over the last 30 years. We look forward to working with community leaders and stakeholders on this year’s advocacy agenda for a healthy Paso del Norte region.

Increasing Access to Care

The Paso del Norte Health Foundation has worked to increase access to healthcare by supporting the expansion of health insurance coverage. In the late 1990s, the Health Foundation advocated for the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP), which expanded health insurance coverage for children ages 0-18. Specifically, the Health Foundation funded the local promotion of the CHIP program and supported a coalition of nonprofit organizations led by the El Paso YWCA that successfully signed up over 28,000 children within months of its rollout. Between CHIP, Medicaid and private insurance, children are now among the most highly insured residents in El Paso – with better access to wellness checks, immunizations, and specialty care. There is still work to do in this area – from the simplification of the re-enrollment process to the expansion of services and ages covered including postpartum mothers and uninsured adults.

Reducing Smoking Rates

The Paso del Norte Health Foundation has worked with a coalition of community stakeholders to advocate for the adoption of a Clean Indoor Air Ordinance to help reduce smoking rates. In 2001, El Paso became the first city in Texas to adopt an ordinance to prohibit smoking indoors. The ordinance has since been expanded to include public outdoor spaces and vaping, and adopted by every regional municipality, HOME communities, UTEP, and EPCC. Adult smoking rates decreased from a high of 24% to a low of 11%, resulting in a measurable decrease in lung disease. Still the leading cause of preventable death, smoking rates have inched up to nearly 15% with the rise of vaping devices, particularly among youth, leaving additional education and advocacy work to be done.

Promoting Healthy Lifestyles and Preventing Chronic Diseases

The Health Foundation’s advocacy efforts have also focused on the prevention of chronic diseases like diabetes, heart disease, and obesity. For children and youth, the Health Foundation has worked to promote healthier eating habits and physical activity in schools. In the late 1990s, the Health Foundation worked with local school districts to implement the Coordinated Access to Children’s Health (CATCH) program to improve nutrition and physical activity at the school level. The program successfully improved the nutritional content of school lunch programs and the efficacy of physical education programs, resulting in a measurable reduction of Body Mass Index (BMI) in fourth graders. The CATCH program continues in school districts to this day although advocacy for the adherence to these evidence-programs is essential for children’s health.

The Health Foundation has additionally advocated for local policies like recess before lunch to improve the consumption of school lunch, often the only nutritious meal of the day for some school-age children. The Health Foundation has pushed for policies that promote access to healthy food in underserved neighborhoods, where access to fresh produce and nutritious options is often limited. By supporting community gardens and other innovative food initiatives, the Health Foundation has worked to combat food deserts and ensure that residents have affordable, healthy food options.

We have further funded and advocated for hike/bike trails and complete streets to make physical activity the easy choice for residents.

Addressing Mental Health and Substance Abuse

Advocacy for mental health has been another critical aspect of the Health Foundation’s work over the last decade. In a region where mental health issues often go under-addressed due to cultural stigmas, limited resources, and high poverty rates, the Health Foundation has championed the importance of mental health services and support systems working with hundreds of organizations and individuals across three consortia in El Paso, southern New Mexico, and Cd. Juárez. Specifically, the Health Foundation has advocated for the integration of mental health into primary care, ensuring that individuals seeking medical care have access to mental health resources and support, programs such as Crisis Intervention Teams (CIT) in partnership with law enforcement and regional mental health authorities, and prevention resources like the Texas Child Health Access Through Telemedicine (TCHATT), which provides free mental health counseling services to children and adolescents in the school setting. With 1 in 5 children and adults experiencing moderate to severe mental illness, advocating for additional mental health services and resources is critical for our community.

Raising Awareness in Collaboration with Community Stakeholders

In addition to its direct advocacy efforts, the Paso del Norte Health Foundation has been instrumental in raising public awareness about key health issues affecting the region. Through campaigns, media outreach, and educational programs, the Health Foundation has informed the public about topics such as diabetes, mental health, vaccines and COVID-19. Our staff also participate on various boards and committees where they have the opportunity to weigh in on policy issues including the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas, Texas Diabetes Council, Texas School Health Association, Borderplex Alliance, El Paso Chamber, Downtown Management District Committee, Texas Board of Dental Examiners and more. By advocating for policies and programs that prioritize prevention and wellness, the Health Foundation is proud to collaborate with regional stakeholders to build a healthier and more resilient community.