University Medical Center of El Paso
Unlike the other hospitals in this area, University Medical Center of El Paso is owned by the people of El Paso. They are the city’s only not-for-profit, community hospital, which means their allegiances are to no one other than the people they serve.
Their work began in 1915 in a two-story, adobe building. The move to 4815 Alameda happened just a year later when residents of the area raised the money to build a new hospital. It was called El Paso General.
Then, in the 1950’s, El Pasoans voted to create the El Paso County Hospital District. By doing so, they agreed to tax themselves to ensure that quality healthcare services would be available in the city, especially for its neediest residents. That’s when University Medical Center of El Paso was built. It was originally named R.E. Thomason General Hospital in honor of the city's former Mayor, U.S. Congressman and Federal Judge, Mr. Robert Ewing Thomason. It became University Medical Center of El Paso on July 13, 2009.
In 2011, UMC completed an expansion and renovation of the hospital’s Level 1 Trauma Center & Emergency Department, critical care and nursing units, to all private rooms with state-of-the-art facilities.
In 2012, UMC completed, on behalf of El Paso taxpayers, the construction of the El Paso Children’s Hospital, region’s only hospital of its kind, equipped with state-of-the-art facilities and some of the most highly regarded specialists and subspecialists in pediatric healthcare in the nation. In 2016, El Paso Children’s Hospital officially became a subsidiary of UMC.
In 2013, UMC initiated a comprehensive clinical plan to expand its Neighborhood Healthcare Centers throughout the El Paso region to improve access to care for many El Pasoans.
Through it all, University Medical Center of El Paso’s Mission has remained the same. They are here to serve all who seek their help, regardless of their ability to pay. And they are guided by their C.A.R.E.S. Values:
Community – We are proud to be a part of the El Paso community and will maintain high involvement with community members, leaders and organizations as our partners in making El Paso a healthier place to live.
Accountability – We will use our resources wisely, completing tasks without waste or excess. We will deliver good value and maintain financial viability to continue to carry out our Mission.
Respect and Dignity – We will serve others as we would wish to be served, striving always to meet and exceed what is expected of us.
Excellence in Service – We will conduct ourselves with the highest ethical standards and integrity. Our professionalism will be reflected in our actions and appearance. We will pursue continuous performance improvement, supported by clear performance measures. And we will encourage and support professional growth and development, placing high value on continuous learning.
Safety -- We believe it is a fundamental part of our job to maintain a safe and accident–free work environment. We will correct or report safety hazards immediately.
Indigent Health Care
As stated in their Mission and reflective of their continuing commitment to their community, University Medical Center of El Paso provides financial assistance to people in need. Free or discounted healthcare services are available to El Paso County residents who meet certain eligibility guidelines.
Services
University Medical Center of El Paso is licensed by the state of Texas and accredited by the Joint Commission, the leading healthcare accrediting body in the nation, which establishes the quality standards by which U.S. healthcare facilities are judged. They are a three-time designee as one of America's Top 100 Hospitals. Since the early 1990’s, the White House has designated University Medical Center of El Paso as the hospital where the President, Vice President and/or former Presidents of the United States will be treated should they require medical care while traveling in this region.
Hospital Care
University Medical Center of El Paso’s Trauma Center is the only Level 1 trauma facility within a 250-mile radius of El Paso. That means University Medical Center of El Paso is the only hospital in the region to meet the stringent requirements established by the state of Texas and the American College of Surgeons for U.S. trauma centers. Their specialists are available in life-threatening situations 24-hours-a-day, every day.
University Medical Center of El Paso’s Emergency Department is among El Paso’s busiest. Approximately 60,000 patients seek treatment there annually. The Emergency Department was expanded to include multiple stand-alone trauma bays, greatly increasing the capacity of the hospital to care for the regions trauma patients.
Their Mother/Baby division is housed in UMC's Women's Pavilion, the city's first and only hospital just for women. It includes complete Labor and Delivery Services and beautiful, all private rooms where new mothers learn about and care for the babies. The “bonding” process is enhanced by liberal visiting hours, which allow families the opportunity to get acquainted with their newest additions. Because of the expertise associated with their Mother/Baby division, University Medical Center of El Paso is a regional referral center for high-risk pregnant women. One third of all babies born in El Paso each year are delivered at University Medical Center of El Paso.
University Medical Center of El Paso also offers expert care in our Medical Unit, Surgical Unit, Critical Care Unit, Telemetry Unit and Operating Rooms. All of their services are supported by the professionals who staff University Medical Center of El Paso’s fully accredited Regional Laboratory, Radiology Department, and Pharmacy.
University Medical Center of El Paso Outpatient Services:
Accessible, high quality care also is the focus of University Medical Centers outpatient facilities. UMC's Neighborhood Healthcare Centers are six primary care centers across El Paso County that were established to reduce unnecessary and expensive trips to the Emergency Department. The centers combined saw over 89,000 visits in FY 2015. The facilities are staffed by physicians, nurse practitioners and physician assistants that are board certified in internal medicine, family practice, pediatrics and geriatrics. The centers feature specialty care for the management of chronic diseases such as diabetes and hypertension plus therapies for osteoporosis and stroke patients.
Outpatient Rehab (physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech therapy), Family Planning, Infusion (chemotherapy), Pharmacy, Laboratory and Radiology services are also available at various locations across El Paso. University Medical Center of El Paso is also home to the West Texas Regional Poison Control Center, the only certified, bilingual poison center in the nation.
Funding
Because University Medical Center of El Paso is located in one of the largest, yet poorest cities in Texas, the number of people we serve who qualify for charity or discounted healthcare services is astounding. It takes approximately $32 million a month to run the county hospital.
In FY 2015 UMC received approximately $65 million in Hospital District operating taxes, yet we provided $354 million in uncompensated care to the uninsured and working poor population in the El Paso community. And many of the services that are paid for were reimbursed at lower levels than the area’s private hospitals receive where most patients are commercially insured. That’s because more than 35% of their patients are covered by Medicaid or Medicare, which are government programs that pay significantly less than private insurers.
Board of Managers
University Medical Center of El Paso is overseen by a seven-member panel called the Board of Managers. They are appointed to their posts by El Paso’s County Judge and Commissioners to be policy setters for University Medical Center of El Paso and its outpatient facilities. They are also responsible for hiring the hospital’s Chief Executive Officer. Board members serve three-year terms and are not paid for the work they do on behalf of the county hospital.
Affiliations
University Medical Center of El Paso has affiliation agreements with virtually all of the region’s educational institutions. The largest is their partnership with Texas Tech. In 1973, they became affiliated with the Texas Tech University School of Medicine when it established a Regional Academic Health Sciences Center on their campus and designated University Medical Center of El Paso as its primary teaching site. Resident physicians receive post-graduate training at University Medical Center of El Paso in Family Practice, Anesthesiology, Psychiatry, Internal Medicine, Pediatrics, Surgery, Emergency Medicine, Orthopedic Surgery, Obstetrics & Gynecology, Radiology. Texas Tech opened the Paul L. Foster School of Medicine on the University Medical Center/Texas Tech campus in 2009. Together, UMC and Texas Tech are also home to five fellowship programs in Radiology, Nephrology, Sports Medicine, Cardiology, and Gastroenterology.
University Medical Center of El Paso also has affiliation agreements with the University of Texas at El Paso, El Paso Community College, , Texas Tech University Health Science at El Paso, New Mexico State University and Sul Ross State University. Nursing and Allied Health Career students in these schools’ programs (future nurses, therapists, technicians, etc.) receive their clinical training at University Medical Center of El Paso. And they collaborate with the many vocational health-training programs in our region. All told, they have over 50 memorandums of agreement with the region’s educational institutions, including the area’s Magnet High Schools for the Health Professions.
Nursing
The Nursing Division’s mission speaks of their commitment to exceptional, compassionate, evidence-based nursing care across the age continuum. As patient advocates, they are dedicated to ensuring that each patient in our C.A.R.E.S. is treated with respect and dignity. They lead by providing hope, strength, encouragement and healing to each individual they touch.
Their Nursing Division’s vision is apparent at University Medical Center, where the profession of nursing is recognized and respected for its leadership in the provision of evidence-based care, shared governance, the development of research, and the ability to enhance the health of the community with culturally appropriate care.
Shared governance at UMC provides form to a culturally sensitive and empowering framework, enabling sustainable and accountability-based decisions to support excellent patient care. The UMC culture supports the autonomy of nurses and a high degree of decision-making authority in practice, informatics and equipment selection. Frontline nurses are involved in virtually everything they do. The council members and their activity are the backbone of shared governance and play a vital role in the advancement of evidenced-based care on the UMC campus.
Throughout the organization, nurses at UMC are recognized and respected for their contributions. UMC provides support for professional development in the areas of Professional Clinical Program, National Certifications, higher education, preceptor training, and the D.A.I.S.Y. Award and Star Award. The American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) designated UMC with Pathway to Excellence status.
Awards