EL PASO, Texas — Texas Tech University Health Sciences El Paso is putting together a team of health care heroes who will run toward danger to save victims of violent crimes before the scene is clear.

The newly formed TTUHSC El Paso Tactical Medicine Program includes the first Tactical Medicine Fellowship in Texas, and the fourth nationally. The fellowship is a one-year program, and a new fellow will be chosen every July.

Tactical medicine is a specialty in which health care providers, in this case physicians, respond to critical incidents to provide first aid to victims, law enforcement or anyone else at an on-going crime scene. This new program can save lives because when rendering aid in a mass violence situation, minutes can make the difference between life and death.

Stephen Schwartfeger, M.D., is the first doctor who has been accepted into the fellowship. He is also a graduate of the TTUHSC El Paso Emergency Medicine residency program. For the next six months, he will train at the El Paso Community College Law Enforcement Academy and graduate with full police credentials.

“Being the first fellow means there will be trial and error components to work through, and having the opportunity to provide direct input into how the program will develop is an invaluable aspect to being the first fellow,” said Dr. Schwartfeger, who is also studying for his emergency medicine board certification. “The specific appeal to tactical medicine is being able to work with and alongside law enforcement. It’s a way of giving back to them and the community at the same time.”

Once Dr. Schwartfeger completes his police training, he will begin working with the rest of the Tactical Medicine team, which consists of four Texas Tech Physicians of El Paso doctors. The team is led by Robert Root, D.O., an emergency medicine specialist who spent four years as an emergency medicine doctor in the U.S. Army.

As the medical practice of the Foster School of Medicine, the physicians who comprise TTP El Paso each hold faculty appointments at the medical school, where they teach the next generation of doctors.

“We will be delivering health care to individuals who are caught in dangerous environments, such as gunshot or stabbing victims,” said Dr. Root, who was deployed in Afghanistan and stationed at William Beaumont Army Medical Center prior to joining TTUHSC El Paso. “We will bridge that gap between police and paramedics, who have to wait about three to four blocks away until the scene is cleared and declared safe by officers. In certain situations, a patient needs medical care while the scene is still active and there’s still a potential danger.”

Dr. Root said tactical medicine is a small but growing field in many metropolises across the country, including Dallas, San Antonio, and Houston, but this will be the first regionally. They are currently working with the El Paso Police Department’s SWAT team, but Dr. Root would eventually like to provide 24/7 coverage for all El Paso law enforcement. He envisions a relationship where the Tactical Medicine team would regularly train with law enforcement teams, provide on-scene support during dangerous situations, and help teach life-saving techniques to officers in the region.

“We’re trying to help in the best way we can. Unfortunately, there are people out there who try to hurt our communities through mass violence,” Dr. Root said. “These incidents aren’t new, but they are more salient. El Paso’s experience in 2019 shows us that it can happen here, and we need to be prepared. We’ve all heard the motto ‘El Paso Strong,’ and this program is a concrete action to make El Paso stronger.”

As the program grows, Dr. Root hopes there will be more physicians and fellows added to the team. Currently all the physicians on the Tactical Medicine team are emergency medicine doctors, but he said any specialty that has experience with trauma injuries are welcome. He would also like to include cross training with paramedics and fire departments. Dr.Schwartfeger added that he hopes to be a part of that expansion.

“El Paso has a large and diverse law enforcement community due to its position with the border. There are many opportunities for us to work with multiple agencies and help elevate the medical training and support we can offer the law enforcement community,” Dr.Schwartfeger said.

“Hopefully after completing the fellowship, I’ll continue working with the program and its development, while also working as an emergency medicine doctor, learning and growing as a physician, and providing emergency care to this wonderful community.”

TTUHSC El Paso is the only health sciences center on the U.S.-Mexico border and serves 108 counties in West Texas that have been historically underserved. It is the only health sciences center along the U.S.-Mexico border designated as a Title V Hispanic-Serving Institution, preparing the next generation of health care heroes, 48% of whom identify as Hispanic and are often first-generation college students.

TTP El Paso is the region’s largest multispecialty medical group practice, with over 250 specialists providing world-class patient care right here at home. Our physicians are dedicated to excellence and committed to caring for Borderplex patients at convenient locations across the city so families never need to leave the region to find the latest medical and treatment opportunities.