Border Health Program

The Border Health Program in El Paso provides medical services to migrants on-site in migrant shelters, trains medical service providers in trauma-informed care, builds a database for scholarship on migration and health, and strengthens the capacity of local health systems. We partner with Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center (TTUHSC) El Paso medical school, El Paso Children's Guidance Center, and local migrant shelters. Funds will cover program directors salary, medical school service providers stipends, medical supplies and equipment, data management software licences, and transportation.

Clinics offering health services are 3x weekly (1 primary care, 1 mental health, and 1 long-term transitional care), and we aim to scale up to 5x a week by mid 2024. Clinics are staffed by TTUHSC faculty, residents, and students. More than 50% of migrants receiving services are families with children, and 100% of those children are in need of trauma informed care. Most of our physician workforce is from the Pediatrics Department. We launched the program in December 2022, and have thus far given approximately 385 consultations and trained 6 medical school faculty, 2 resident, and 22 students. All service providers are trained in trauma-informed care and culturally competent care. 

The Border Health Program serves migrants who have recently entered the US and were released from government custody to pursue an asylum or other immigration case. According to Customs and Border Patrol, families crossing through El Paso increased by 623% from 2022 (49,508, up from 6,844). The families we see have left situations of extreme violence and forced displacement. 

The program has five key objectives and activities areas, with activities and goals for each one.

Objective 1: DIRECT CLINICS SERVICES Develop the infrastructure for transitional care for asylum seekers in transit in El Paso, reducing the strain on local health systems. Activities: Offer on-site clinics in shelters to serve migrants, staffed by TTUHSC faculty, residents, and students. Phasing in at 4 levels: 1. Primary Care (launched in December 2022) 2. Long-term, extended care (launched in Annunciation House in March 2023 for wall fall cases); 3. Mental Health (launched in August in partnership with El Paso Children's Guidance Center); 4. Welfare Checks (mid-2024) Goal: Offer clinic 5 times a week by June 2024; Offer 600 consultations in 2023 and 1000 in 2024

Obj 2: EDUCATION Offer TTUHSC medical school faculty, residents, and students hands-on learning experiences on trauma-informed care Activities: The Border Health program will form part of the residency rotation curriculum for medical school departments and student elective curriculum, starting with the Pediatrics department; Service providers will be trained in trauma-informed care and mental health first aid Goal: The program will form part of residency rotation in 2024, increasing number of residents from 1 in 2023 to at least 5 in 2024; Train 10 service providers in trauma-informed care in 2023 and 20 service providers in 2024

Obj 3: DATA, RESEARCH, AND DISSEMINATION: Build a foundation for scholarship on migration and health Activities: In collaboration with partners, institute and maintain an electronic medical record and data collection system to form the foundation for advocacy, service provision, and research; through data sharing agreement with TTUHSC, give faculty, residents, and students a source of data for research Goal: Collect data on our intake form from at least 300 migrants in 2023 and 500 in 2024; Have data used in at least one medical conference each year (in April 2023, medical school students presented at a global health conference).

Obj 4: ADMINISTRATIVE Provide administrative oversight for program operations Activities: DOTW provides administrative staff, funding, and capacity building in data management and advocacy Goals: Raise $200k from institutional funders in 2023 (Thus far, we've raised $97k); Raise $400k in 2024 and hire a program assistant and transitional care coordinator

Obj 5: ADVOCACY: Promote sound public health policy by conducting evidence-based advocacy regarding migrant transitional care and access to healthcare for mobile populations Activities: Provide international advocacy experience to shelters; Publish reports on funding; Partner with local organizations to conduct advocacy campaigns using DOTW online presence and present on program outcomes at local and regional conferences Goal: Present on the program at national conferences, at least one each year (in October 2023, we are presenting at Philanthropy Southwest's Annual Conference).