TTUHSC El Paso Department of Pediatrics Welcomes New Endocrinologist

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

May 31, 2023

EL PASO, Texas — Parents have a new local expert to turn to when it comes to diagnosing and treating childhood conditions like Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes, a rising problem among children. Michele Zerah, M.D., has joined Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center El Paso as an assistant professor in the Department of Pediatrics, and as a pediatric endocrinologist with Texas Tech Physicians of El Paso.

As a pediatric endocrinologist, Dr. Zerah brings world-class patient care and knowledge to Borderplex children and their families, allowing them to find treatment close to home and avoid costly trips to out-of-town specialists.

Pediatric endocrinology diagnoses and treats conditions affecting the endocrine glands and hormones of children and adolescents. As one of the very few pediatric endocrinologists along the U.S.-Mexico border, Dr. Zerah works with children up to age 18 with endocrine disorders of growth, puberty, thyroid, calcium metabolism and diabetes.

Board-certified since 1995, Dr. Zerah served as a pediatric endocrinologist at Presbyterian Hospital in Albuquerque from 2009 until 2017, when she was recruited to help build a new Pediatric Endocrinology Clinic at Providence Children’s Hospital in El Paso. After helping the clinic grow into a thriving organization, Dr. Zerah took a year sabbatical before choosing to return to El Paso and call our community home.

“I care deeply for the children in El Paso, Juárez and Las Cruces who are in dire need of my services,” said Dr. Zerah, who diagnoses and treats a rising problem among children: Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes. “It’s essential to have specialized pediatric endocrinologists in the area because early detection and management can greatly improve health outcomes and quality of life for those affected by these diseases.”

Nationally, 283,000 children and adolescents younger than age 20 – or 35 per 10,000 U.S. youths – were diagnosed with diabetes, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Because Hispanics are affected at a greater rate by diabetes, and the population in El Paso County is nearly 82% Hispanic, many of Dr. Zerah’s patients and their families are at risk.

Without a pediatric endocrinologist available in the El Paso area, children and their families would need to travel to Albuquerque, Austin, San Antonio and elsewhere to be treated by specialists.

“It’s important to have more pediatric endocrinologists in this area because of the size of our community, and many problems special to children should be treated by pediatric specialists,” said Dr. Zerah. “Children with diseases of the endocrine glands have chronic issues and shouldn’t have to travel hours for specialized care.”

In addition to her clinical practice at TTP El Paso, Dr. Zerah brings valuable research experience to TTUHSC El Paso, including her research at New York Hospital-Cornell University Medical Center, which focused on testing for disease using saliva-based hormonal testing and molecular testing of protein in different compounds of the adrenal gland. She applied that research to study congenital adrenal hyperplasia – a genetic disorder that affects children and adults’ ability to produce important hormones required for growth and development.

Dr. Zerah graduated with her medical degree from Paris 12 Val de Marne University. After medical school, she completed her residency at St. Luke’s Roosevelt Hospital. She completed her pediatric endocrinology fellowship and research at New York Hospital-Cornell University Medical Center. She has been an attending physician and assistant professor in pediatrics at Cornell University Medical Center, Stony Brook University, New York, and Long Island Jewish Medical Center in Manhasset, New York.

“My goal is to help recruit and prepare the younger generation of pediatricians and inspire the same passion I have for medicine, my specialty and our community,” Dr. Zerah said. “Together we can change the future of health in our Borderplex region, starting with the children.”

Dr. Zerah specializes in caring for children with short stature, thyroid disease, puberty issues, adrenal disease and congenital adrenal hyperplasia, disorders of sexual differentiation, Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes and prediabetes as well as disorders of bone metabolism, hypocalcemia and hypercalcemia. Appointments to see Dr. Zerah can be made by calling 915-215-5700.

 

About Texas Tech Physicians of El Paso

Texas Tech Physicians of El Paso is the clinical practice of the Foster School of Medicine. It’s the region’s largest multispecialty medical group practice, with over 250 specialists providing world-class patient care for the entire family at several locations across El Paso, while also providing a hands-on learning space for TTUHSC El Paso resident physicians and students.

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’s a designated Title V Hispanic-Serving Institution, preparing the next generation of health care heroes, 48% of whom identify as Hispanic and are often first-generation students.

Established as an independent university in the Texas Tech University System in 2013, TTUHSC El Paso is celebrating 10 years as a proudly diverse and uniquely innovative destination for education and research. According to a 2022 analysis, TTUHSC El Paso contributes $634.4 million annually to our Borderplex region’s economy.

With a mission of eliminating health care barriers and creating life-changing educational opportunities for Borderplex residents, TTUHSC El Paso has graduated over 2,000 doctors, nurses and researchers over the past decade, and will add dentists to its alumni beginning in 2025. For more information, visit www.ttuhscepimpact.com.