Health Priorities, Initiatives & Programs
Improved health outcomes are achieved faster, and with greater wide-spread success, when public and private entities work together. The Paso del Norte Health Foundation board of directors focuses on three key priorities for the region. We work with a number of organizations to implement initiatives and programs that help us realize our mission and goals.
Healthy Living
To support efforts that promote positive behaviors to prevent disease including healthy eating, physical activity, smoking/vaping prevention and positive opportunities for youth.
Healthy Eating
A high-quality diet with appropriate daily caloric intake provides essential nutrients, helps people maintain a healthy weight, and decreases their risk of chronic diseases such as obesity, type 2 diabetes, hypertension, and cancer. Evidence clearly associates healthy eating to better health…
Physical Activity
Regular physical activity is associated with positive health outcomes across the lifespan. In addition to decreasing people’s risk of chronic disease, physical activity can improve cognitive function in youth, reduce anxiety and depression risk and improve sleep, and reduce the risk of…
A Smoke Free Paso del Norte
Although current youth smoking rates have decreased, use of electronic cigarettes and youth vaping has now overtaken smoking. In the U.S., current e-cigarette use has increased among high school students during the past year. Less is known about vaping, but science confirms that nicotine…
Healthy Kids
The goal of the Healthy Kids Initiative is to improve a range of health outcomes by engaging disconnected youth in the Paso del Norte region in high quality programs during out of school hours. The Health Foundation refers to “disconnected youth” as people between the ages of 5-17 who are not…
Disease Prevention & Management
To support Diabetes and Mental Health & Emotional Well-Being
Mental Health and Emotional Well-being
To develop, lead and invest in partnerships, organizations, programs and communications to promote emotional well-being, reduce stigma and negative bias, and improve access, ease of navigation, and continuity of care for mental and behavioral health service.
Think.Change
The Think.Change initiative is working to build a culture of support and acceptance in the region.
Research has shown that increasing emotional well-being, decreasing misinformation about mental illness, improving access to timely treatment, showing that recovery from mental illness is…
Regional Behavioral Health Consortia
Assessments of the Behavioral Healthcare Systems in the region showed the need for increased communication, coordination, and collaboration among providers of behavioral health services. The Health Foundation and regional leaders took some important steps to coordinate cross-agency collaboration…
Health Leadership
To support the leadership development of nonprofit and health leaders, and nonprofit organizations, leverage resources through partnerships, invests in strategic initiatives and catalytic projects, and responds to immediate needs (like COVID-19) for the benefit of the region's health.
REALIZE Executive
The goal of the REALIZE experience is to inspire already effective leaders to become transformational leaders for the benefit of the region’s health. Customized for the Paso del Norte region and built on nine leadership attributes, REALIZE offers a cohort of twenty executives, the opportunity for…
REALIZE Board Training
The Paso del Norte Health Foundation, in partnership with the United Way of El Paso County, is ensuring the success of nonprofit organizations that serve our communities. Through workshops, training and summits, the REALIZE Board Training is assuring all nonprofit board of directors are fully…
Leveraging Resources
The Health Foundation is committed to leveraging its grantmaking and other resources to maximize impact in the community. We are looking to expand resources in particular to enhance our work in the area of diabetes, mental health, and the built environment.
The Paso del Norte Health…
Strategic Initiatives
From time to time, the Paso del Norte Health Foundation will invest in community initiatives and transformative projects that promote health and prevent disease in the region. From the Texas Tech Foster School of Medicine and Hunt School of Dental Medicine to the PHIX Health Information Exchange…
Community Resilience
To provide leadership for crisis response and other emergent health needs in the region. In difficult times, such as with the 2019 El Paso shooting and the emergence of COVID-19, the Health Foundation thoughtfully responded in collaboration with community organizations and with funding. We are…
News
Expanding the opportunity for individuals to live healthy lives
July 21, 2021
The Paso del Norte Health Foundation ended the year in 2020 with $256.3 million in assets, up from $130 million in 1995, keeping administrative expenses below 1 percent of foundation assets and bringing total grantmaking since inception to nearly $211 million.
Learn more about our contributions to expand the…
Initiative Spotlight
