News
Texas funders come together to improve mental health
March 19, 2024
Paso del Norte Health Foundation CEO, Tracy Yellen, joined representatives from Texas-based mental health funders for a semi-annual meeting in San Antonio. Hosted by the H.E. Butt Foundation and Methodist Healthcare Ministries, the funders group gathered to learn best practices in mental and behavioral health with sessions on the collaborative work of faith-based communities and the Southwest Texas Regional Advisory Council (STRAC).
The Health Foundation supports grants in the Paso del Norte region to reduce the stigma associated with mental illness and increase access to mental health…
A Pawsitive fun walk along the Paso del Norte Trail
March 19, 2024
On a beautiful Saturday morning, more than 50 individuals laced up their walking shoes, grabbed their dog(s) leash for a pawsitive fun walk along the Paso del Norte Trail.
The Paso del Norte Trail hosted its first event of the year – Paws on the Trail. Participants gathered at the William W. Cowan Swimming Pool on Independence Drive to stock up on doggie treats before heading east along the Playa Drain Trail to Ysleta High School and back. The three-mile fun walk aimed to provide exercise for the attendees and their four-legged companions and showcase the beauty and accessibility and…
PdNHF staffer receives Graduate Certification in Public Health
March 19, 2024
Congratulations to Jana Renner, Senior Program Officer for the Paso del Norte Health Foundation, for completing her Graduate Certification in Public Health from UTHealth Houston School of Public Health.
Public Health is defined as the science of protecting and improving the health of people and their communities by promoting healthy lifestyles, researching disease and injury prevention, and responding to infectious diseases.
Jana is responsible for developing strategic plans and leading grants, projects, and initiatives. She is also the lead program officer for the Health Foundation’s…
Funding to screen for diabetes at Hunt School of Dental Medicine and private dental practices
March 19, 2024
The Paso del Norte Health Foundation recently awarded a $166,990 grant to the Hunt School of Dental Medicine at Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center El Paso to expand the school’s Diabetes and Dentist program.
El Paso County is facing a diabetes crisis, with an estimated 15% of adults affected by the disease. This percentage is higher than both Texas and national averages. Around 94,000 El Pasoans have been diagnosed with the disease, which places a significant burden on healthcare and communities.
The program would expand diabetes screening beyond the dental school to…
Foundations recognized as the Best Place for Working Parents
March 19, 2024
The Paso del Norte Health Foundation and Paso del Norte Community Foundation were once again recognized as “Best Place for Working Parents” for their commitment to supporting working parents through family-friendly policies and practices.
The Foundations are among hundreds of organizations in Texas and the U.S. that have family-friendly policies and practices that support employees, specifically working parents. Top policies that benefit families and positively impact business profitability include company-paid healthcare coverage, paid time off, parental leave, nursing benefits,…
Establishing goals and objectives for a Regional School Health Advisory Council
March 19, 2024
Recently, 40 members from eight area School Health Advisory Councils (SHAC) came together to establish goals and objectives for a Regional SHAC. The Health Foundation, in partnership with Action for Healthy Kids and area school districts, helped spearhead this meeting to identify challenges and opportunities in school health policies and practices in the areas of nutrition, physical activity, mental health, and nursing services.
A SHAC is a majority group of parents appointed by each school district to assist the district in ensuring that local community values are reflected in health…
Funding Opportunities under Mental Health & Emotional Well-being Initiative
March 5, 2024
The Paso del Norte Health Foundation seeks Letters of Intent (LOI) from eligible organizations under the Health Foundation’s Mental Health and Emotional Well-Being priority areas.
Behavioral Health Consortium Programs that address mental health and substance use systems, with an emphasis on enhancing coordination among regional behavioral health consortia stakeholders as informed by data. The Health Foundation will not consider proposed programs already supported by other resources to include government funding or health coverage reimbursement.
Think.Change Initiative Programs…
Bringing awareness to communities on the dangers of tobacco and vaping
February 20, 2024
The Paso del Norte Tobacco Control Network, in partnership with the Unified Prevention Coalition of Doña Ana County, collaborated to form the Doña Ana Vaping Awareness Subcommittee in 2023.
The subcommittee identified five communities in Doña Ana County, including Anthony, Santa Teresa, Chaparral, Hatch, and Las Cruces, to provide outreach events to educate parents/caregivers and youth on the topic of youth vaping and connect families to resources to help youth quit using these highly addictive products.
In early February, the subcommittee joined the City of Las Cruces’s Youth…
La Semilla Teacher Knowledge Exchange and Gardening
February 20, 2024
La Semilla’s Edible Education Team recently hosted their 2nd Teacher Knowledge Exchange at Crockett Elementary. Teachers learned how to cultivate a school garden with hands-on skills from planting to harvesting and classroom cooking.
The Paso del Norte Health Foundation funds the Edible Education program that aims to provide gardening, nutrition, and cooking training to at least 1,500 students, teachers, and families in El Paso and Doña Ana County, New Mexico.
La Semilla Food Center is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization based in Anthony, New Mexico, that fosters a healthy,…
Supporting access to physical therapy for El Paso residents
February 20, 2024
To meet patient needs at Centro de Salud Familiar La Fe, the Paso del Norte Health Foundation provided $25,000 to support the conversion of La Fe’s Jose Roman Memorial Clinic (JRM Clinic) facility into a physical therapy clinic for older adult patients who require physical therapy as part of their recovery but are unable to afford treatment.
The investment in the clinic allowed for a more open treatment environment to accommodate more patients and physical therapy equipment. Patients will receive physical therapy treatments from the University of Texas at El Paso Physical Therapy…
