Office of Development & Khatali Alumni Relations
2009 Competitively Selected Grant Recipients
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.
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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.
2008 Competitively Selected Grant Recipients
Annual contributions of the society's members support exceptional programs and cutting-edge research at UNM School of Medicine
- all selected through a competitive review process.
These programs have the potential to impact health and health care across the nation and throughout the world. Each selected
project advances the relations between the School of Medicine community and the communities it serves; provides outreach,
improves health/health care, and/or supports 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.
The number of funded proposals selected for grant awards depends on the total of the annual gifts made by members.
Fit is Fun: The Tijeras Healthy Lifestyle Program
S. Yvonne Ellington, MPA, PA-C - Family & Community Medicine
S. Yvonne Ellington, MPA, PA-C ~ Rita Stevens Espalin
Awarded $7,841
Roosevelt Middle School (RMS) in Tijeras, NM, is the site of this after-school health and fitness program.
To address the childhood obesity epidemic at the community level, "Fit is Fun" will involve active participation
of UNM School of Medicine (SOM) medical students and physician assistant students in developing and supervising
physical activities and delivering presentations on health-related topics for RMS students. This program is a
preventive approach to promote healthy lifestyle habits for all children. The culmination is a fund raiser
"fun run"
for RMS. The active involvement of the UNM SOM students will provide a positive presence and interest in the health
of the Tijeras community.
Formative Assessment of Rural High Schools in Prevention of Cardiovascular Disease and Type 2 Diabetes
Alberta Kong, MD, MPH - Pediatrics
Mary Ramos, MD, MPH ~ Andrew Sussman, PhD, MCRP ~ Jim Schwar, PhD, MPS ~ Alberta Kong, MD, MPH ~ W. Gill Woodall, PhD ~ Seth Farnsworth, MS1
Awarded $5,290
This study will investigate rural key-stakeholders' perspectives of feasible and sustainable changes that
may be acceptable within the school environment to support high school students in achieving a healthier
lifestyle. Data from this project will be used to develop a school-wide cardiovascular disease and type 2
diabetes prevention study in response to the NIH Funding Opportunity Announcement, PA-08-074 Community Participation in Research (RO1).
Combining medical education and research, UNM School of Medicine partners with NM Dept. of Health, and Belen and Socorro High Schools.
It brings multidisciplinary UNM faculty and medical students into the community to promote health and
to learn from the community how to best deliver obesity prevention and intervention.
Metropolitan Homeless Project: An Opportunity for UNM Homeless Patients
Lily Velarde, PhD, MPA – Family &munity Medicine
Amy Clithero, MBA ~ Lily Velarde, PhD, MPA ~ Cynthia Arndell, MD ~ Julie Sierra, MD
Awarded $13,805
In the Albuquerque area, there is a critical need for respite care, which is defined as acute and
post-acute medical care for homeless persons who are too ill or frail to recover from a physical illness
or injury on the streets but not ill enough to require hospitalization. In partnership with the
Metropolitan Homelessness Project, this endeavor increases the number of respite beds for hospital
inpatients that are homeless. Not only does this save the University money, it improves the health
status of the marginalized population. This promotes the excellence of the SOM by using a service
learning approach to education and healthcare, and ties together education, service, and research.

Centralized Resources to Assist Rural EMS - The Rapid Sequence Airway Demonstration Project
Darren Braude, MD - Emergency Medicine
Darren Braude, MD ~ Mike Torres, RN, CFRN ~ Tim Bajema, MD
Awarded $15,188
Espanola Valley Emergency Medical Services (EVEMS) is the sole Emergency Medical Services (EMS) provider in the predominantly rural Rio Arriba County. There is a critical need to implement an advanced airway program, specifically using Rapid Sequence Airway (RSA). To support EVEMS, the project team will implement an RSA program and demonstrate centralized medical direction, education, and quality assurance resources. This includes the use of advanced technology, and can be used to facilitate the safe implementation of advanced procedures in the rural NM EMS setting.