Contact Us
Development & Alumni Relations
UNM School of Medicine
Basic Medical Sciences Building
  - Rm 182B
MSC 08 4720
1 University of New Mexico
Albuquerque, New Mexico 87131

Telephone (505) 272-5112
Fax (505) 272-6581

Office of Development & Alumni Relations

La Tierra Sagrada, Spanish for "The Sacred Earth," was established in 1996 by Paul Roth, MD, Dean of the UNM School of Medicine, and is a member-driven organization dedicated to medical education, research, and healing. In creating this giving society, Dean Roth focused on bringing together members of the UNM medical community, it's partners, and the public to pool membership funds for greater impact.

Competitively Selected Community Grants

Annual contributions of the society's members support exceptional programs and/or cutting-edge research at UNM School of Medicine - all selected through a competitive review process.
Programs have the potential to impact health and health care across the state, the nation, and throughout the world.
Each selected project advances the relations between the School of Medicine community and the public communities it serves; provides outreach; improves health/health care; may support an innovative research project; actively involves medical students.
In addition, the project describes how its community-based partner(s) will be involved, and what resources the partners will contribute to the project.

Honoring the 2009 Community Grant Recipient

La Tierra Sagrada Society is proud to announce this grant is sponsored and fully funded by Posada Consulting, Inc, MarieAnn North, CEO, with a 100 percent match from the society.

School Influenza Immunization Program for Bernalillo, Sandoval & Valencia Counties Awarded $35,276 Lance Chilton, MD Associate Professor of Pediatrics - UNM SOM Anna Pentler, MPH, MBA Ex. Dir. NM Immunization Coalition Office of Community Health UNM Health Sciences Center

Following the recent CDC recommendation to immunize all school-aged children against influenza, a 2008-2009 collaboration of school and public health nurses, immunization activists, a UNM physician and a Kirtland Air Force Base physician developed a school immunization plan for New Mexico.

Highly successful, it immunized 35 percent of the child population at 76 schools statewide, including eight schools and 1,500 students in Albuquerque. It involved several medical and nursing students and community volunteers among the many dedicated to protecting children.

In this second year, 2009-2010, we plan to markedly expand the program in the Albuquerque metro area — three counties, 43 schools and 30,000 students — again involving medical, nursing, and pharmacy students. The educational component for students and site staff is essential to the program design. Vaccine is provided by the New Mexico Department of Health. Funding directly supports this effort at community solidarity and education for the all-important coordination of the numerous participating volunteers and providers.

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2009 Scholarship Recipients

Providing Scholarship Funds to Retain Our Brightest Students

La Tierra Sagrada Society Dean’s Endowed Scholarship

Heidi Hillesland          Class of 2010          $5,000 La Tierra Sagrada Society Dean’s Endowed Scholarship Heidi is a native of Silver City, NM. “Currently applying for internal medicine residency, I anticipate I will be completing a fellowship in infectious diseases following residency. I intend to become a physician scientist who works both as a clinician and researcher on a disease that disproportionately afflicts the poor.”

La Tierra Sagrada Society Member-Sponsored Scholarships

As a benefit of his LTSS Gold Level Member, Vance Masci, MD is the scholarship sponsor for Laura Caragol and Elaina Sandoval. Dr. Masci has been a member of the society since 2004.

Laura Caragol          Class of 2012          $2,500 Sponsored by Vance Masci, MD Originally from eastern Pennsylvania, Laura has called Edgewood, NM, home since she was eight years old. “My aspiration is to be an ophthalmologist. In the future, I seek to open an eye clinic for the medically underserved in Albuquerque. In addition, I hope to teach young, aspiring doctors, and medical professionals to educate their communities about eye health, and be involved in improving limited ophthalmology medical access around the state.”

Elaina Sandoval          Class of 2012          $2,500 Sponsored by Vance Masci, MD A native of Albuquerque, Elaina’s family is one of the founding families of Old Town. “Having my own children and seeing the many health issues that plague our young generation, I am moved to integrate more preventive medicine into our schools. One project involves a nutrition program that integrates healthy eating and exercise as a primary means of teaching math, reading, colors, and more. This would provide young children with a better foundation for health.”

La Tierra Sagrada Society Scholarships

Mary Seiler          Class of 2012          $2,500 LTSS Scholarship Mary is a native of Taos, NM. “I want to work in an environment that values health care equality — where people with nothing are treated as well as people with everything. I want to remember that I do not have to be a prisoner to policy, but I can help create it. Every one of my patients should feel that I provided them with the best care I could.”

Jessica M. Valdez          Class of 2011          $2,500 LTSS Scholarship Jessica is a native of Española, NM. “While volunteering at Camp Enchantment — a camp for children who have ever had cancer — an experience shaped my idea of medicine. I witnessed the excitement of kids running up to physicians like Dr. Stuart Winter with their arms open, giving and getting huge hugs. It made me realize just how important it is to be compassionate, intelligent, hard working, and caring. These are the qualities that make up a great doctor.”

Jamie R. Ruiz          Class of 2012          $2,500 LTSS Scholarship Jamie is a native of Albuquerque, NM. “This year I organized the El Salvador Outreach Project with a group of six medical students interested in the global demand for medicine. Our travels will take us to rural El Salvador, participating in public health initiatives, youth sports outreach, and HIV education. This type of work makes me feel like I belong in the medical field, and I enjoy sharing my passion with other students so that they may come to care deeply about people in need.”

Jesse Y. Howell          Class of 2011          $2,500 LTSS Scholarship Jesse is a native of Las Cruces, NM. “I hope to return to my roots in southern New Mexico and work in a specialty, such as dermatology, radiology, or ENT. After completing medical school, I look forward to practicing in that area of our state and continuing medical research activities as well as giving back to the community by volunteering time at St. Luke’s Health Clinic, which serves homeless and indigent populations.”

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Using 100% of annual membership donations, La Tierra Sagrada Society, directly benefits the School of Medicine through medical student scholarships and seed money for community research partnership grants, which can include new equipment and technology to keep our patient care and education programs at the cutting edge of science and medicine.

Since 2003, La Tierra Sagrada Society has contributed more than $398,000 in support of medical student scholarships and community-based grants.

How to Join

For more information about becoming a member, please call Joanne Branyon-Ward, Associate Director of Development, at 505.272.8413 or e-mail JBranyon-Ward@salud.unm.edu.