Friday, April 4, 2025
4/4/2025
Community Project Funding/Congressionally Directed Spending - Non-Construction - Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center at El Paso is a leading biomedical research institution and medical school on the U.S. –Mexico border. The university and its partners, including hospitals, Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs) and long term care partners, have long been caring for individuals in at-risk communities across the region. Many individuals living in or passing through the community have received little to no preventive care and often require culturally appropriate services, making this patient population uniquely challenging to serve. There is a major need to provide clinical services and collect and analyze data on health, treatments and outcomes associated with individuals in the Borderplex region, particularly in the colonias and other rural communities. A central resource area is needed in order to provide an evidence base for research aimed at reducing and eventually eliminating health disparities in border communities. TTUHSC El Paso will use the funding from the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) Health Facilities Construction and Equipment account to target at-risk communities in the border region. This will allow leveraging community and clinical partners to conduct early diagnosis and monitoring, as well as to provide telemedicine services and surveillance for obesity, diabetes, and cancer. With the equipment purchased for this project (including computers, healthcare equipment, and other health information technology devices for data storage and analysis) the university will be able to provide generational care to families in the region, particularly in the colonias. TTUHSC EP will also be able to establish an electronic health records system and conduct evidence-based diabetes, obesity and cancer research. This request will support a unique collaboration in the region between local physicians, nurses, biomedical researchers, public health researchers, promatoras, and students. TTUHSC El Paso physicians have a strong relationship with Centro San Vicente, the FQHC in the community, which will allow the university to begin this work quickly. In addition, the region’s FQHCs request referrals from TTUHSC El Paso for subspecialists. Unfortunately, the distance involved in reaching patients and IT costs limit the ability to provide the necessary care. The equipment and resources will allow TTUHSC El Paso to address this need by connecting care providers with communities and elevating the overall health and well-being of the region.
HHS’ Tracking Accountability in Government Grants System (TAGGS) website provides access to detailed descriptions of grants, loans, aggregated direct payments and other types of financial assistance awarded by the HHS Operating Divisions (OPDIVs) and the Office of the Secretary Staff Divisions (STAFFDIVs).