EL PASO, Texas – The West Texas Poison Center (WTPC) at University Medical Center of El Paso (UMC) is celebrating 30 years of providing toxicology consultations for the region.

 

WTPC answers more than 85 calls regarding accidental medication poisonings, snake bites, insect stings and poisonous plants on a daily basis.

 

In September of 1994, WTPC began its operation at the R.E. Thomason General Hospital Inpatient Pharmacy, a year after the Texas Legislature established the Texas Poison Control Network.

 

Three years later, The WTPC became the first bilingual (English and Spanish) poison center accredited by the American Association of Poison Control Centers.

 

In 2023, WTPC accomplished an enormous feat, becoming 100-percent certified by the American Association of Poison Control Center.

 

WTPC operates 24/7 and is an active teaching site for residents, interns and students from Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center El Paso, The University of Texas at El Paso’s School of Pharmacy and William Beaumont Army Medical Center.

 

“Our Poison Center hotline is a vital resource not only for the residents of West Texas, but to the many healthcare professionals who also call us for advice and guidance with their patients,” said Dr. Salvador Baeza, Director of UMC’s WTPC. “We look forward to serving our community for many more years.”

WTPC services 36 counties across West Texas, including El Paso, Midland/Odessa and San Angelo.

 

If you think someone has been poisoned, call WTPC right away at 1-800-222-1222.

 

To learn more about the West Texas Poison Center, visit umcelpaso.org/PoisonCenter