University Medical Center of El Paso is proud to announce Victor Waters, MD, JD, FCLM, as UMC’s newest Chief Medical Officer.
Dr. Waters has more than 35 years of experience in internal and emergency medicine and is board certified in Internal Medicine and Legal Medicine. He is a Fellow of the American College of Legal Medicine, a credential that requires a dual MD/JD degree, and he is admitted to the New York Bar.
“Dr. Waters brings a remarkable combination of clinical expertise, leadership experience and legal insight, with a proven record of excellence at Level 1 trauma centers nationwide,” said Jacob Cintron, President & CEO of the El Paso County Hospital District. “We look forward to the perspective and expertise he will bring to continue elevating the care we provide to our community.”
Most recently, Waters served as chief medical officer for Dignity Health Arizona’s West Valley and West Gate markets, where he led St. Joseph’s Hospital and Medical Center, a Level I trauma center and teaching hospital. He also co-chaired the hospital’s extracorporeal membrane oxygenation program. That experience is particularly valuable as UMC became the first hospital in the region to implement its own ECMO program in 2025.
“I was drawn to University Medical Center and the El Paso community because of the organization’s strong, stable leadership and its clear commitment to serving a highly complex and diverse population,” Waters said. “UMC represents a unique opportunity to apply my full skill set as a physician and attorney within one of the most mission-driven health care organizations in the country.”
Dr. Waters earned his undergraduate degree from Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island; his medical degree from Temple University School of Medicine in Philadelphia; and his Juris Doctor from Rutgers Law School in Newark, New Jersey.
Waters has published extensively in medical journals and received multiple awards for leadership and service. His honors include the Distinguished Healthcare Leader Award from the National Association of Health Services Executives’ Washington Metropolitan Area Chapter in 2015, the Martin Luther King Diversity Award at the 27th annual MLK Day Celebration in Paradise Valley in 2024, and the ElevateMD Award in 2025 for scholarly work and support of minority medical students.
A strong advocate for health equity, he has served as a member of the Dignity Health National Diversity and Inclusion Council, contributing to systemwide initiatives aimed at reducing disparities and improving outcomes for underserved populations.
Waters joins UMC following the retirement of Dr. Joel Hendryx, who provided leadership to the community for many years, including during the COVID-19 pandemic and after the Aug. 3, 2019 mass shooting.
“I have all the confidence in the world that Dr. Waters is going to continue to elevate this position with our physician colleagues and our caregivers. Under his leadership as chief medical officer, UMC will continue to improve our patient safety and care for our patients,” said Dr. Hendryx.
His arrival comes as UMC marks 111 years of service to the community and advances major initiatives, including progress on bond projects approved by voters in November 2024.
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