Growing Our Own
Ben Shapleigh, M.D.
Caring for the Precious Newborns in His Hometown
Crayon markings on the wall, toys scattered around the house and seemingly never-ending noise and commotion: El Paso pediatrician Ben Shapleigh, M.D., has a vision for his young patients and their parents, and it’s a “beautiful mess.”
“You’ll be hard-pressed to find a more significant day in your life than when your child comes into this world,” Dr. Shapleigh said, explaining what drew him to the field of pediatrics.
The 2018 Foster School of Medicine graduate chose the subspeciality of neonatal medicine – the care of newborn infants – because he wanted to ensure the best outcome for parents’ new bundles of joy.
“For most families, everything goes well (with childbirth). But when it doesn’t, that day turns to fear and dread,” Dr. Shapleigh said. “To step into those scenarios and help that family … that filled my heart.”
His interest in neonatal medicine was sparked at the Foster School of Medicine during his OB-GYN rotations. While all of it was fascinating, the future Dr. Shapleigh was drawn to newborn care. That led to a pediatric residency, a neonatal ICU fellowship and his return to his hometown of El Paso.
“I’m blessed to be coming back to the community that raised me,” he said. “There’s a need to make a difference here.
Get to Know Dr. Ben Shapleigh
Foster School of Medicine
Class of 2018
Hometown: El Paso, Texas
Specialty: Pediatrics, neonatal-perinatal medicine
Practice and Location: Pediatrix Neonatology of Texas in El Paso, Texas
Residency: University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS)
Fellowship: Saint Louis University School of Medicine
“I’m blessed to be coming back to the community that raised me.”
— Ben Shapleigh, M.D.
Dr. Shapleigh at Match Day 2018 with his wife, Sarah.
Texas Tech Health El Paso Roots
Dr. Shapleigh’s connection to Texas Tech Health El Paso runs deep. His father, former Texas Senator Eliot Shapleigh, was among the visionaries who helped bring a medical school to our Borderplex.
The relationship was never something Dr. Shapleigh bragged about as a student. But he was always proud his family contributed to the success of the health sciences center in his hometown.
“I knew the medical school would be a foundational piece to transform our entire region over the next 50 to 100 years,” he said.
And he’s not the only doctor in his family to embrace Texas Tech Health El Paso’s mission. His sister, Zoe Tullius, M.D., is a neonatal specialist at Texas Tech Physicians of El Paso and an assistant professor in the Foster School of Medicine’s Department of Pediatrics.
“To come back and replant my roots here makes me feel like part of the Texas Tech Health El Paso tree that transforms our Borderplex community,” Dr. Shapleigh said.
Commencement 2018 with his father, former Sen. Eliot Shapleigh; Zoe Tullius, M.D.; and mother Lee Shapleigh.
Dr. Shapleigh was hooded by his sister, Zoe Tullius, M.D., a board-certified neonatologist and an assistant professor in the Department of Pediatrics.
Poster presentation with Thomas Gest, Ph.D., a former Foster School of Medicine faculty member.
Texas Tech Health El Paso Magazine, Fall 2025