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Continued
Eleje, Hernandez, and Baston have all been pleased such physician-friendly Texas
regulations as malpractice caps, greatly accelerated license processing times
(51 days or less), and an online tracking system allowing prospective licensees
to check progress of their applications 24 hours a day. Not to mention the
advantage of practicing in a setting with minimal managed care penetration.
According to Hernandez, “Probably Texas has some of the best in terms of laws helping physicians have a
friendly practice environment.” As a result, he adds, “It seems like every year (the state) is getting more and more physician
applications, and I think that is partly why the legislative changes are made.”
Statistics bear out his statement. “Texas is a popular place to practice medicine, as evidenced by the dramatic
increase over the past few years in the number of doctors who seek to be
licensed here,” reports Roberta Kalafut, president of the Texas Medical Board. Licenses issued
to 3,621 physicians in Fiscal 2008 set a record that surpassed the 2007 record
of 3,324, which put 2002 into third place with
2,828.
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The Big Three—
Nature, Culture, and Education
“When I lived in San Francisco, I didn’t really get a chance to see those things that are there all the time,” says German Hernandez, MD. “But when the opera or a Broadway show comes to El Paso, everybody makes the
effort to go.” No one has to wait, however, for traveling shows and artists. Permanent
cultural
The Franklin Mountains are rife with hiking and biking possibilities, but El
Paso County also boasts 11 golf courses. Skiing possibilities abound in nearby
mountains of New Mexico, especially near Ruidoso, where there’s also a horse track and an excellent equestrian museum. Outdoor entertainment
draws thousands every
Somewhat farther afield, but must-see, attractions include Big Bend National
Park, Guadalupe Mountains National Park, and the perennially popular Carlsbad
Caverns just over the border in New Mexico.
Another world of shopping, dining and other entertainment is waiting over the
border in Juarez—when the threat of being a victim of drug war crossfire abates. uo
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Physician shortage
Nevertheless, says Hernandez, as things now stand, “areas like El Paso are (still) truly underserved.”
There’s good evidence of the need in his own nephrology practice. “When I first moved here (three years ago), there were only two other
nephrologists on staff. Now there are four-and-a-half of us (one is part time).
We’re definitely below the national and state average in terms of incisions per
population. There are 1,500 patients on dialysis in this whole town of only
700,000 people.” For a physician, there’s a certain serendipity about practicing in an underserved area. “Patients may come in with advanced stages of disease, which means we get to see
things that only advanced students would see and some medical students would
only read about, including a lot of tropical-type diseases and a lot of cancers
that are at more advanced stages.”
Lifestyle perks
Still, as he, Baston and Eleje point out, there’s much more to the city than a new medical school and attractive employment
features. As for the city itself, Hernandez calls it “almost like a hidden jewel. A lot of people don’t really know about El Paso,” he says. “It’s not really like the rest of Texas, but it’s not like Mexico or New Mexico, either. It is very unique. You almost have to
come out and see for yourself what a wonderful city it is.”
Although it became Texas’ first settlement when it was formally organized in 1682, the city can chart its
history to 1582, when Spanish explorer Juan de Oñate found the pass that enabled him to extend his northward expedition. He
called it El Paso del Norte, or “the pass to the north” between mountain peaks rising out of the desert.
Unlike most cities “divided” by rivers, “We’re a city tucked into the Franklin Mountains” (the southernmost “contingent” of the Rockies) says Lisa Ruley in the communications/ marketing department at
the medical school. Today this cluster has become a destination for outdoor
enthusiasts. In fact, more than 24,000 acres have been designated the Franklin
Mountains State Park, the second largest urban park in the U.S. (Chugach Park
in Anchorage, Alaska, is first with half a million acres.) Outdoor enthusiasts
can find almost endless hiking and biking trails. Every summer, audiences enjoy
performances of “Viva El Paso” in an amphitheater in McKelligon Canyon. And sightseers can ride a cable car up
2,300 feet to an observation deck atop Ranger Peak. The view encompasses three
states (Texas, New Mexico and Arizona) and two countries.
Not content with the status quo, the city’s Parks and Recreation Depart-ment is working on an ambitious 18-project
revitalization plan that includes a comprehensive trail system with linkages
throughout the city and for extreme sports enthusiasts, an “X games” outdoor recreation facility.
The parks and recreation activities are part of an almost staggering program of
revitalization, including infrastructure upgrades and beautification projects.
Some of the initiatives are related to enhancing benefits from the North
American Free Trade Act (NAFTA), green infrastructure, streamlined
zoning/subdivision ordinances, and groundwater management, but there’s a heavy concentration on more visible projects such as the city’s “Downtown 2015 Plan.” As part of a citywide public art ordinance, two new works were unveiled in
2008, with 13 more on the docket. The new El Paso Museum of History opened in
2007, and expansion/improvements are going on at the 65-year-old zoo.
“When we first moved here (15 years ago),” says Lori Gaman, a local business owner, “there were just a few things to do. Now the city has really focused on quality
of life, with parks, museums and more of a united effort to plan for youth, in
sports and in the arts and culture of the city.” Besides the history museum, other recently opened attractions include children’s and holocaust museums.
Industry expansion
The concentration on “green” programs, including weatherizing homes, making commercial buildings more
efficient, and making transportation systems more effective also seems to be
sparking new business enterprises, says Kathy Dodson, director of the Regional
Economic Development Corporation. “We have all these alternative energy companies starting up,” she reports. Among them are firms growing algae and working on developing and
refining it into fuel and others involved in wind and solar energy systems. “I think this industry is going to be giant.”
Not to be overlooked is the economic contribution of Fort Bliss, the U.S. Army
installation dating back to 1848. Today it’s an Air Defense Artillery Center with eight brigades, battalions and a military
police company, a large part of whose mission is to provide desert training for
troops. In that context, a new contingent of some 20,000 will arrive in the
next five years, along with some 30,000 family members. Local leaders are
planning for a concomitant economic boost. Says Gaman, the business owner, “We’re expanding our schools and facilities to get ready.”
As a contrast to America’s current woes, she adds, “Sometimes we feel that, when the economy does poorly elsewhere, it’s good here.”
At least one economist, Richard Florida, seems to agree. “El Paso is now among the most noted and progressive Texas communities,” he says. Its accomplishments so far, combined with others in progress, recently
earned it the 2008 Community of the Year award from the American Planning
Association.
Making the city safer
Another accolade might surprise the millions of Americans who can’t help but know of the turbulence and violence that’s been wracking Juarez in the last year or more. While thousands of Mexicans in
Juarez have been victims of killings and other violence, El Paso has been named
America’s third safest city by the prestigious Morgan Quitno research organization. (San
Jose and Honolulu are first and second.)
Javier Sambrano, public affairs officer for the El Paso Police Department, has
some explanations for the paradox. For one thing, he says, “The Mexican cartels don’t want to cause any situation in the U.S. because they know that police
consequences [here] would hamper their dealings in trying to get drugs across
the border.” But there’s more. “Something that has kept the community safe has a little bit to do with the
department’s solvence rate on homicides. The national average is 67 percent. El Paso’s is about 98 percent.
“A lot of that,” he adds, “has to do with our investigative measures. [When there is gang violence] the
whole law enforcement gang and/or homicide section goes at it until all leads
are exhausted, sometimes for 48 hours. Then a detective is assigned.” To contrast then and now, “In 1992 there were about 300 drivebys a year. Now the rate is as low as eight to
ten a year, if that.” Another nail in the criminal coffin: “We have a very good working relationship with federal agencies and a lot of task
forces, such as the Drug Enforcement Administration, U.S. marshals, the FBI,
and the border patrol. And locally we share information with the sheriff and
other municipalities.” With a note of modesty, he does say, “We’re not always perfect, but we have been very fortunate.” Probably apropos is that old saying, “The harder I work, the luckier I get.”
A lesser but still unlucky circumstance for Juarez itself, says Gaman, is that
the violence is hurting the Mexican city’s share of the tourism industry. “According to a recent story in the paper, 20 restaurants
have closed, and shops and boutiques are closing, too, although the bridge
(across the border) is a busy place both ways, so I’m sure it’s affected our downtown.” In another area: “Medically, we’ve received a lot of victims of violent crimes coming over here for treatment.”
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El Paso by
the Numbers
POPULATION:
City: 624,364
El Paso County: 755,085
Ciudad Juarez: 1,563,973
CLIMATE:
Average High/Low Temperatures:
January: 57°/31° July: 95°/70°
Average Annual Rainfall:
8.74 inches
Days of Sunshine: 302
TRANSPORTATION:
Airport: El Paso International Airport, Horizon Airport
Rail: Amtrak
Interstate: I -10
COST OF LIVING:
Index: 93.2 (100 is average)
Average household income: $35,432
Median home price: $134,222
Sales tax: 8.25%
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In the four centuries since Oñate’s excursion, thousands of Hispanic peoples also made their way north. Today
their heirs and many newer arrivals comprise a whopping 80 percent of El Paso’s population and, in many ways, have become the backbone of the city’s business and cultural scene. “This is a truly bicultural city,” Dodson exults, “and it’s wonderful. [Among other things], I can choose to attend a [European-style]
ballet or a ballet folklorico.” And residents revel in celebrating the Hispanic holidays as well as the
American.
On the business side, since 2003, the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce has packaged
some 200 small business loans and has been involved in more than 600 other
startups.
El Paso was one of seven American and foreign cities featured last July in a
Wall Street Journal article, “Success Stories.” Leaders in each locale had pursued a quest for revival and upgrading in a
different way. A major spur in El Paso was the energetic work of attorney James
Scherr in restoring the historic downtown International Hotel. Commenting on
this and the city’s other master plan work, he said, “El Paso is going into the 21st century with our running shoes on.” On this, most other city residents seem to agree.
UO
Eileen Lockwood regularly writes for UO’s Community Profile department. She is based in St.Joseph, Missouri.
