Welcome

University Medical Center of El Paso: We care for El Paso.

UMC is the hospital our region trusts for exceptional healthcare services and expertise. We are the only hospital in El Paso to be twice named as one of America's Top 100 Hospitals.

University Medical Center of El Paso is:

A renowned teaching and research hospital, equipped with some of the most advanced medical equipment and expertise in the region. UMC is always pursuing the highest levels of expertise and resources to remain the standard-bearer of medical care El Paso can depend on.
The only Level 1 Trauma Center in a 270-mile radius of El Paso -- and our services are verified through the American College of Surgeons.
Home to our region's only Level 1 Stroke Center and Joint Commission-certified Comprehensive Stroke Center, able to treat and care for the most complex brain injuries. No other hospital in West Texas, the entire State of New Mexico or anywhere in Southern Arizona has this certification.
As an accredited Chest Pain Center by the ACC Accreditation Services, University Medical Center of El Paso is dedicated to eliminating heart disease as the number one cause of death worldwide.
Unmatched in the region, the UMC Digestive Health Center has become a referral center for gastroenterologists across West Texas and Southern New Mexico.
Our region's first Level IV Maternal Care and Officially Certified Baby-Friendly hospital.
Recognized as a Level 2 Accredited Geriatric Emergency Department and Level 2 Age-Friendly: Committed to Care Excellence for outpatient clinics.

UMC is proud to become the first hospital in El Paso with a Level 3 Epilepsy Center Accreditation from the National Association of Epilepsy Centers (NAEC).

Mission: Our Mission is to heal, to serve and to educate.

Vision: Our Vision is to be the first choice for healthcare in the Southwest.

UMC Visitation Policy

Visiting hours are 8 a.m. - 8 p.m.
All UMC lobbies are now open.
UMC allows up to two visitors at a time, per patient, with no limits on the number of visitors in a day.
All visitors entering the hospital for visitation are provided a visitor pass from the Information Desk.
All units have specific visiting hours and policies, please click here to view them.

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Visit Texas.gov/PropertyTaxes to find a link to your local property tax database on which you can easily access information regarding your property taxes, including information regarding the amount of taxes that each entity that taxes your property will impose if the entity adopts its proposed tax rate. Your local property tax database will be updated regularly during August and September as local elected officials propose and adopt the property tax rates that will determine how much you pay in property taxes.

Notice of FY26 FY26 Budget and Tax Rate: FY2026 Notice Adopted Budget

UMC Announces New Chief Medical Officer

February 2, 2026

University Medical Center of El Paso is proud to announce Victor Waters, MD, JD, FCLM, as UMC’s newest Chief Medical Officer.

Dr. Waters has more than 35 years of experience in internal and emergency medicine and is board certified in Internal Medicine and Legal Medicine. He is a Fellow of the American College of Legal Medicine, a credential that requires a dual MD/JD degree, and he is admitted to the New York Bar.

“Dr. Waters brings a remarkable combination of clinical expertise, leadership experience and legal insight, with a proven record of excellence at Level 1 trauma centers nationwide,” said Jacob Cintron, President & CEO of the El Paso County Hospital District. “We look forward to the perspective and expertise he will bring to continue elevating the care we provide to our community.”

Most recently, Waters served as chief medical officer for Dignity Health Arizona’s West Valley and West Gate markets, where he led St. Joseph’s Hospital and Medical Center, a Level I trauma center and teaching hospital.

UMC Celebrates 111 Years of Service to Borderland

January 26, 2026

University Medical Center of El Paso is honored to recognize its 111th year of healthcare for El Paso County and the Borderplex region. Today, Jan. 26, UMC celebrates its history and the progress the hospital has made throughout the years.

Since 1915, UMC has cared for countless generations of El Pasoans. As the region’s only Level 1 Trauma Center and Joint Commission-certified Comprehensive Stroke and Level 1 Stroke Center, UMC has grown to not only serve the El Paso community but the surrounding areas of west Texas and New Mexico, as well.

When it first opened its doors in 1915, UMC was known as El Paso County General Hospital. In 1959,
the El Paso County Hospital District was created and approved by local voters, which paved the way for a new hospital building. The hospital was to be named R.E. Thomason General Hospital, in honor of Robert Ewing Thomason, a former mayor of El Paso and a United States District Judge of the United States District Court for the Western District of Texas.

Nationally Acclaimed Burn Surgeon To Lead Specialized Regional Burn Center Partnership

December 4, 2025

University Medical Center of El Paso (UMC) and Texas Tech Health El Paso are opening the region’s first dedicated burn center under the leadership of nationally recognized trauma and burn surgeon, Philip E. Fidler, M.D., FACS. This partnership transforms El Paso into a regional hub for specialized burn care and eliminates treatment delays that can mean the difference between recovery and permanent disability.

When a child suffers scalding burns or an industrial worker faces severe chemical injuries, El Paso families have two options: to accompany their loved one on a 300-mile ambulance journey to a burn center in Albuquerque or Lubbock, or face separation during the medical crisis. That dilemma ends now.

“Every minute matters when treating severe burns,” said Dr. Fidler, UMC’s newly appointed medical director and professor at Foster School of Medicine. “Families in our region shouldn’t have to choose between staying close to home and accessing the best possible care for their loved ones.”