America's First 24-Hour Bi-lingual Regional Poison Control Center
About Us
The West Texas Regional Poison Center at University Medical Center of El Paso (WTRPC) is America’s first 24-hour bilingual regional poison control center certified by the American Association of Poison Control Centers and is an integral part of the Texas Poison Center Network (TPCN). The TPCN consists of six regional poison control centers located in El Paso, Amarillo, Dallas, Galveston, San Antonio, and Temple and the Texas Commission on State Emergency Communications and the Texas Department of State Health Services.
Our Mission is to reduce the morbidity, mortality, and costs associated with poisonings through provision of quality care to the citizens of Texas. Our strategy is: to provide immediate response to 1-800-222-1222 poisoning emergencies and inquiries 24 hours a day, 365 days a year and to provide educational programs to the general public and healthcare providers in the prevention and management of poisonings.
Our Vision is to continue to set the standard for quality as a community healthcare center, providing leadership, integrating a health delivery network which is dedicated to achieving improved health status, exceptional clinical outcomes, customer satisfaction, and value. In partnership with our patients, medical staff, employees, volunteers, and other community providers, we will build upon our clinical strengths to provide a continuum of care which includes health promotion and education, prevention, accessible primary, acute, and after-care services. We are committed to CARE: to serve our Community, to assure Accountability to our stakeholders, to enhance Respect and dignity for all, and to provide Excellence in service in all we do.
Our fully bilingual staff, to include Specialists in Poison Information, Medical Director, Director, Program and Research Development Manager, Outreach Specialist, and Information Systems Coordinator, is uniquely qualified to provide expert poison information in English and Spanish to families, educators, health care providers, and emergency personnel. This is accomplished through our 24-hour poison emergency hotline, case management, and professional and public outreach efforts specifically designed to address the U.S. - Mexico border needs and West Texas regions' unique demographics.
In addition, the West Texas Regional Poison Center and the El Paso Fire Medical Services (FMS) have developed a model partnership program to accurately assess and manage incoming FMS poison exposure calls, to appropriately dispatch ambulances, and to assure appropriate patient follow-up calls with improved patient outcomes and reduced costs. This has resulted in significant cost savings of over 53 million dollars from 1995 to 2010 through the cancellation of thousands of unnecessary ambulance dispatches, elimination of unwarranted emergency room expenses, and reduction of emergency room congestion and patient waiting time.
Our Poison Center's continuing role as a pacesetter for effective and innovative poison center services for the 21st century includes the expansion of its professional educational and training services. This includes facilitating bi-national efforts between U.S. and Mexican healthcare professionals, participating directly in the development of a bi-national emergency response plan, and continuing its bi-national toxicology conference "Toxicology Has No Borders" in which experts from both the U.S. and Mexico convene to address the latest diagnostic and management information for toxic exposures. Our Poison Center also conducts toxicology review courses in both English and Spanish for healthcare providers and provides clinical experience rotations for resident physicians and pharmacy students. Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center in El Paso in partnership with the WTRPC have developed El Paso’s first Toxicology Fellowship approved earlier this year.