Brian Edwards, M.D., FACP assistant professor at TTUHSC El Paso’s Foster School of Medicine
Newswise — El Paso, Texas – Texas Gov. Greg Abbott this spring appointed Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center El Paso’s Brian Edwards, M.D., FACP, to the state’s Correctional Managed Health Care Committee. His term on the state committee will expire on Feb. 1, 2025. The committee coordinates the development of statewide policies for the delivery of health care within the criminal justice system.
Dr. Edwards is an assistant professor at TTUHSC El Paso’s Foster School of Medicine, where he serves as program director of the Internal Medicine/Psychiatry Residency Program and associate program director of the Internal Medicine Residency Program.
In addition to his role at TTUHSC El Paso, Dr. Edwards is a practicing internist at Texas Tech Physicians of El Paso where he delivers world-class patient care at its Alberta location. He specializes in diabetes mellitus, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, chronic kidney disease, chronic liver disease, osteoporosis, osteoarthritis, joint pain, lower back pain, chronic heart disease, seasonal allergies, upper respiratory infections, hypothyroidism, preventative health care, urinary tract infections, depression, heartburn (GERD), asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
The CMHCC was established by state legislature in 1993 to address the rising costs and operational challenges involved in providing health care to prisoners in the Texas Department of Criminal Justice.
"As someone from El Paso, I’d like to use my presence on the committee to learn more about the issues surrounding health care that are particular to those in correctional facilities throughout the region, and be a local voice to address those issues," Dr. Edwards said. "I’d like to pass this knowledge on to our medical residents. With more familiarization of the correctional system and correctional health care, I'll make positive contributions with my experiences and insight as a hospitalist and academic physician.”
Dr. Edwards said some challenges appear to be the management of chronic conditions, management of mental health/substance abuse issues, and the size of the prison population relative to that of the nursing staff. Other challenges include the management of geriatric conditions given that the inmate population tends to face conditions seen in geriatric patients at a younger age.
The TDCJ’s Correctional Managed Health Care program is a partnership between the TDCJ, TTUHSC in Lubbock, and the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston. UTMB is the health care provider for TDCJ facilities in Eastern and Southern Texas, and TTUHSC is the health care provider for facilities in West Texas.
About Dr. Brian Edwards
Dr. Edwards has worked in TTUHSC El Paso's Department of Internal Medicine since 2018. He is certified by the American Board of Internal Medicine and is a fellow of the American College of Physicians. Dr. Edwards received a Bachelor of Science in chemistry with environmental science from the University of Western Ontario, a Master of Science in chemistry from McMaster University, and a Doctor of Medicine from Wayne State University School of Medicine. He completed his residency in internal medicine at Wayne State University School of Medicine/Detroit Medical Center.
About Texas Tech Physicians of El Paso
Texas Tech Physicians of 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. As the medical practice of the Foster School of Medicine, the physicians who comprise TTP El Paso each hold faculty appointments at the school, where they teach the next generation of doctors who will serve the Borderplex region and beyond.
About Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center El Paso
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 also the only health sciences center on 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.
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