The University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP) has received a $1.5 million donation from University Medical Center (UMC) of El Paso to help expand its nursing and occupational therapy programs. The funding will be used to hire additional faculty in the Colleges of Nursing and Health Sciences, which will allow for an increase in class sizes and address the growing need for healthcare professionals in the region.
UTEP President Heather Wilson said, “This gift will promote the health and wellbeing of our community by creating more health care providers for our region. We’re grateful to UMC El Paso for helping us create even more highly competitive graduates and future health care leaders.”
According to projections from the Texas Department of State Health Services, West Texas is expected to face a shortage of over 5,000 registered nurses by 2030, marking it as the area with the most severe nurse deficit in Texas. Research from the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board also indicates that there will be a similar shortfall in occupational therapists by 2030.
Jacob Cintron, President & CEO of the El Paso County Hospital District, commented on the partnership: “For decades, UMC and UTEP have shared a longstanding partnership that has resulted in generations of healthcare professionals who provide our community with outstanding care and expertise. By creating a stronger pipeline of healthcare talent through UTEP, we are investing in the long-term health of our region. We want to ensure that students who begin their journey here can build meaningful careers here, as well.”
With this financial support, UTEP’s College of Nursing plans to grow its Bachelor of Science in Nursing program to more than 400 graduates annually by 2028. The Doctoral Occupational Therapy program aims to double its cohort size within three years—from 20 students per group up to approximately 40-45.
Leslie Robbins, Ph.D., dean of the College of Nursing at UTEP, noted: “UMC El Paso has been a valued partner of UTEP for more than 35 years since it was R.E. Thomason General Hospital. Their partnership has been instrumental in supporting the essential clinical education of our students who are not just in nursing, but health sciences and pharmacy. With this gift, UMC is going a step further on their commitment to our community.”
Scott Kruse, Ph.D., dean of the College of Health Sciences at UTEP added: “This region needs more health care professionals and with the help of UMC El Paso, UTEP is up for the task. I am proud that we can join forces to promote the health and wellbeing of the Paso del Norte region.”
The donation from UMC El Paso will be matched through an existing grant from the Paso del Norte Health Foundation.
