Serving Our Community: HOPE+ Health Fairs Expand to Benefit Vulnerable Populations

Students and faculty from UTEP’s College of Health Sciences and College of Nursing expanded their services in the community by taking their health fairs on the road in 2022, benefiting more than 1,000 unsheltered or uninsured people in El Paso County.

Between April and October 2022, the H.O.P.E.+ clinics – which stands for Homefree, Outreach, Prevention, Education, Plus – used the College of Nursing’s mobile unit and a $200,000 grant from humanitarian charity Direct Relief to bring health resources to San Elizario, Northeast El Paso and the Segundo Barrio in Central El Paso.

Since 2016, UTEP has collaborated with dozens of community partners to organize H.O.P.E. health fairs at the Opportunity Center for the Homeless in Central El Paso. Staffed by UTEP students and faculty, the clinics provide health screenings, referrals, vaccinations, disease prevention and education to hundreds of individuals experiencing homelessness.

At the Opportunity Center for the Homeless alone, where two of the mobile health fairs took place, 850 homefree individuals received services through the initiative in 2022.

“This is one of the most generous communities in the world,” said John Martin, deputy director of the Opportunity Center. “In times of need, this community comes together, and one of the leaders in this community is The University of Texas at El Paso.”

In addition to the benefits to the region’s most vulnerable residents, the health fairs provided UTEP students and faculty with valuable opportunities to learn and practice community engagement, utilize critical thinking, teamwork, communication, problem solving and leadership skills to carry out social responsibility, said Eva Moya, Ph.D., associate professor of social work.

Health professions students typically train in hospital settings, added Guillermina Solis, Ph.D., assistant professor of nursing. The H.O.P.E.+ health fairs give them the opportunity to better understand their clients’ circumstances and how to approach them.

“The [H.O.P.E.+ health fairs] exposed our health professions students to a much broader population and gave them a more global view of what goes on in our community,” Solis said.

For Jossue Herrera, who graduated with a master’s degree from UTEP as a family nurse practitioner in December 2022, the four H.O.P.E.+ health fairs he participated in were eye-opening.

“Many people think they have to travel far distances to make an impact and help those in need and those that are disadvantaged, but the truth is volunteering in fairs like these is not only rewarding in and of itself, but it also truly opens your eyes to the need that is present in our city, on our streets,” Herrera said.

He and his peers in the family nurse practitioner (FNP) program provided foot care and evaluation, and supervised undergraduate nursing students.

“At first, I was nervous to approach patients in an unfamiliar setting with minimal assistance and supervision, but I quickly realized that UTEP has prepared me immensely via the FNP program to thrive in any situation and provide accurate and compassionate care,” Herrera said. “These fairs have … created in me a sincere desire to become a lifelong volunteer and advocate for those who need it.”

Last Updated on March 06, 2023 at 12:00 AM | Originally published March 06, 2023

By Jenn Crawford UTEP Marketing and Communications