UNM Cardiologist Named Deputy Health Secretary

Dr. Abinash Achrekar joins New Mexico Department of Health

Abinash Achrekar, MD, an associate professor of cardiology at The University of New Mexico School of Medicine, has been named deputy secretary of the New Mexico Department of Health.

Achrekar says the state's poor health statistics led him to accept the position. He will oversee most of the population health programs, as well as legislation that comes out of the Department of Health.

Achrekar, who is the immediate past president of American Heart Association of New Mexico, said he thinks he can have a real impact.

"I think there is a lot of low-hanging fruit that really could be acted on," Achrekar said. "Reducing adverse childhood events, that would be No. 1, along with decreasing diseases of despair -- such as suicidiality -- and opioid and alcohol abuse."

He added it is an extreme honor to be named to the position.

"It's a point in my career where I felt I wanted to care for more than just the patient in front of me, but the community that these patients come from," Achrekar said.