Texas Tech Health El Paso’s community-centered strategies helped turn the tide against the COVID-19 pandemic.

By PJ Vierra, Ph.D.

In the face of the devastating COVID-19 pandemic , the predominantly Hispanic city of El Paso emerged as a beacon of hope, resilience and innovation.

In November 2020, during a troubling surge of cases, national media outlets identified El Paso as “ground zero” of the pandemic. However, the city defied expectations by outpacing the rest of Texas in its recovery.

Edward Michelson, M.D., chair of the Department of Emergency Medicine at Texas Tech Health El Paso, stood at the helm of this remarkable turnaround. With the pandemic’s ominous shadow looming over our Borderplex, Dr. Michelson meticulously analyzed data, anticipating the impending surge in cases. His foresight proved invaluable as the city’s hospitals and clinics braced for a wave that threatened to overwhelm the health care system.

Undeterred, Dr. Michelson devised a strategy to combat the virus in coordination with health care providers and the City of El Paso Department of Public Health. His “treat and release” approach prioritized efficient resource allocation, maximizing hospital bed capacity and ensuring timely patient assessments. Over time, this strategy, coupled with antibody treatments, significantly reduced hospitalizations, ICU admissions and fatalities.

In the midst of this crisis, the emergency medicine department’s residents emerged as health care heroes. Medical school graduates completing their final years of training stepped up to provide emergency care, honing their skills in life-saving procedures for COVID-19 patients. One resident, Patrick Popieluszko, M.D., played a pivotal role by strategically assigning residents to handle specific emergencies, maximizing their expertise.

Seven of the program’s graduates and eight former medical residents now serve among its faculty, including Dr. Popieluszko.

In May 2023, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention declared an end to the COVID-19 public health emergency in the United States. Though El Paso faced dark times at the height of the region’s surge in 2020, our city emerged as a symbol of hope, resilience and innovation, demonstrating the power of collective action and unwavering dedication to public health in a multicultural community. El Paso’s story is a reassuring reminder that even in the darkest of times, the human spirit can triumph and forge a path toward a brighter future.