A host of influential leaders from across New Mexico toured the UNM Health Sciences Center of Excellence for Orthopedics & Rehabilitation and Sandoval Regional Medical Center (SRMC) in the early morning hours of Thursday, Nov. 2.
This collaborative event was sponsored by Leadership New Mexico, a 501(c)(3) non-profit that provides executive leadership training for New Mexico's current and upcoming leaders.
The visit was the second stop as part of Leadership New Mexico’s 2023-2024 Core Program, which includes six different sessions that target a specific issue affecting the state. This session focused on health care delivery in New Mexico.
This year’s cohort, made up of 46 leaders across the state, heard from experts at the Center of Excellence, SRMC, and the Health Sciences Rio Rancho Campus about the challenges and opportunities facing health care in New Mexico.
It is always an honor to share aspects of our work at UNM Sandoval Regional Medical Center and the Health Sciences Rio Rancho Campus. As leaders, we are always learning something new every day. We are grateful we were invited to contribute new learnings to this year's Leadership New Mexico class.
"It is always an honor to share aspects of our work at UNM Sandoval Regional Medical Center and the Health Sciences Rio Rancho Campus,” said Jamie Silva-Steele, RN, BSN, MBA, FACHE, President and Chief Executive Officer of SRMC and Executive Director of the Health Sciences Rio Rancho Campus.
“As leaders, we are always learning something new every day. We are grateful we were invited to contribute new learnings to this year's Leadership New Mexico class."
The cohort had a fully packed schedule when they arrived in Rio Rancho, where they were greeted by Silva-Steele and Adrian Larson, Chief Operating Officer at SRMC.
Following introductions, the group began their tour of the Center of Excellence.
Christina Salas, PhD, MSc, shared her innovative research on orthopedics and rehabilitation. The leaders were also able to see the development labs, cadaver lab, and a plethora of engineering tools, including 3D printers.
Then, the agenda moved outside where the group learned about Lifeguard, who discussed their air emergency services and the different aircrafts that safely transport patients all across New Mexico.
Michael Richards, MD, MPA, senior vice president for clinical affairs at the Health Sciences Center, walked the class through the current state of health care both nationwide and across New Mexico.
Lastly, a final presentation about UNM’s College of Nursing educational efforts in Rio Rancho was delivered by Laura Burton, PhD, Associate Director of Business Operations of the Health Sciences Rio Rancho Campus.
After this intense, but instructive crash course, the leadership class loaded their bus for the rest of their tour in Sandoval County.
Each of these influential leaders returned to their respective communities by the end of the week. However, their time at these world-class institutions will empower them to make more well-informed decisions about healthcare where they serve.
The Center of Excellence, SRMC, and the Health Sciences Rio Rancho Campus played an integral role in developing these leaders to make a difference in their own communities.
“At the end of the day, these are individuals who love New Mexico, this is their home,” shared Diego Espinoza, director of Leadership New Mexico.
“They want to make New Mexico a better place to live and work. And we have to make sure that our leaders understand the issues - and the key facts behind the issues - which will hopefully create meaningful conversations that lead to impactful decisions in the state.”