Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center El Paso

Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center El Paso
Motto From here, it's possible.
Type State university
Established May 20, 2013
Chancellor Robert L. Duncan [1]
President Richard Lange
Students 468 (Fall 2014)[2]
Location El Paso, Texas, U.S.
Campus Urban
Website elpaso.ttuhsc.edu

Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center El Paso is a health sciences university in El Paso, Texas founded on May 20, 2014. Previously, the university had operated as a branch campus of the Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center since 1969.

History

TTUHSC El Paso opened in 1969 as the Regional Academic Health Center and became affiliated with R.E. Thomason Hospital in 1973 as part of the TTUHSC.

The facility now has approximately to 1,200 faculty and staff members. For its first 35 years, only third- and fourth-year medical students, along with residents, could train in the campus' eight accredited programs. However, in February 2008, the school received full accreditation, allowing it to accept first- and second-year medical students into its postgraduate medical training.[3] It was renamed the Paul L. Foster School of Medicine in 2009. Upon approval by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board and the Texas Board of Nursing, the Gayle Greve Hunt School of Nursing officially opened as a free-standing school of nursing in September 2011. [4]

A feasibility study conducted in 2012 by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board determined that a proposed dental school, that would have been a college within TTUHSC El Paso, was too costly and at that time not necessary but may be necessitated in the future.[5]

On May 20, 2013 Gov. Rick Perry signed a bill establishing the Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center El Paso as its own independent school within the Texas Tech University System.[6] The signing of Senate Bill 120 gives the El Paso campus its own administration and will take effect in 2015.[7]

Schools

Biomedical Sciences

In 2012, the Lubbock campus expanded its Biomedical Sciences program to El Paso. The inaugural class in El Paso was admitted in the Spring of 2013.[4] TTUHSC El Paso operates eleven community clinics throughout the city and County of El Paso. In addition to its partnership with Thomason Hospital, it has partnerships with William Beaumont Army Medical Center located on Fort Bliss and Providence Hospital.

Dental

Medicine

Nursing

The Gayle Greve Hunt School of Nursing (GGHSON) was officially opened as a free-standing school of nursing on September 1, 2011. The School was launched through the generous donation of $10 million by the Hunt Family Foundation, and in April 2011, received initial approval from the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board and the Texas Board of Nursing. The Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education's Board of Commissioners acted at its meeting in April, 2013 to grant accreditation to the baccalaureate degree program in nursing for five years, extending to June, 2018. The accreditation action was effective as of September 12, 2012. The program met all four accreditation standards and determined that there were no compliance concerns with respect to the key elements.

The GGHSON is on the U.S./Mexico border, and is positioned to become the gold standard for undergraduate and graduate nursing education. The current enrollment is 85% Hispanic, with a total of 103 students.

Undergraduate programs: BSN programs are for traditional and second degree students (individuals with a non-nursing baccalaureate degree). The following undergraduate degree programs are offered, and Graduate programs are in the planning stages:[4]

Campus

The university is currently building three new buildings and has completed another building for the projected 2009 opening of the full 4-year medical school. This will be the first four-year medical school on the U.S./Mexico border and is expected to improve the local economy by US $1.31-billion by the year 2013. TTUHSC El Paso will also fill a niche in border and Hispanic health by leading research that will have a huge impact on the nation by contributing to literature dealing with Hispanics and diseases that affect the El Paso area—diabetes, obesity, and depression.

In 2005 TTUHSC El Paso launched the Infinity Campaign, seeking to raise $25-million of private funds towards the building of the four-year medical school in El Paso. On August 4, 2007, Paul Foster, President and CEO of Western Refining, made a $50-million donation to the school.[8] This is the largest donation in the history of the Texas Tech University System.[9] The Infinity Campaign concluded on May 27, 2008. Including the Foster contribution, it netted $83-million, $58-million above its goal.[10] When the medical school opened at the Health Sciences Center in 2009, it was the first health school to open in the U.S. in 30 years.[11]

Presidents

References

Coordinates: 31°46′19″N 106°25′59″W / 31.772°N 106.433°W / 31.772; -106.433

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