EL PASO, Texas (KFOX14/CBS4) — Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center El Paso and Texas Tech Physicians El Paso have brought on a new psychiatrist to address crucial mental health needs in the Borderland.

Psychiatrist Ahadullah Khan, D.O., an assistant professor of psychiatry, was named the associate program director for TTUHSC El Paso’s psychiatry residency program Tuesday.

At the TTP El Paso at Alberta clinic in central El Paso, Dr. Khan specializes in helping patients manage and overcome mood disorders, anxiety disorders and chronic pain, including musculoskeletal tension due to anxiety.

He also helps students navigate the stress of academic life.

El Paso is a wonderfully diverse community, and I look forward to caring for patients from all walks of life who may be struggling with their mental health,” Dr. Khan said. “There is a critical need for quality mental health care in our Borderplex region, and I’m proud to be part of a team that is helping individuals and families attain the happiness and health they deserve.

In his holistic approach to mental wellness, Dr. Khan incorporates the use of complementary and alternative therapies such as acupuncture, cupping and osteopathic manipulation to accompany the medications he prescribes.

According to TTUHSC El Paso, psychiatry is an underserved specialty nationwide, and the demand for psychiatrists is booming.

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As the country emerges from the COVID-19 pandemic, mental health care has become a significant issue in Texas, according to TTUHSC El Paso.

In 2021, more than 57 million adults in the U.S. — or about one in five — experienced mental illness, according to the National Alliance on Mental Illness.

TTUHSC El Paso said that Texas ranks 50th in the nation for mental health workforce availability.

Likewise, studies show that the mental health workforce shortage affects more people than primary care and dental workforce shortages combined, according to TTUHSC El Paso.

TTUHSC El Paso added that only 27 percent of mental health needs are being met in Health Professional Shortage Areas, such as El Paso.

In his role as faculty and mentor, Dr. Khan said he enjoys working with medical students and physician residents.

He has helped hundreds of them succeed on their board exams, including many who would have otherwise not made it through medical school or residency due to academic difficulties.

Dr. Khan earned his bachelor’s degree in the humanities from the University of Pennsylvania, before completing his medical education at Michigan State University College of Osteopathic Medicine in 2011.

He completed his osteopathic family medicine residency at McLaren Health System in Michigan and psychiatry residency at Kansas City University of Medicine and Biosciences in Missouri.

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