Leigh Caswell serves as Vice President of Community and Health Equity with Presbyterian Healthcare Services (PHS) where she directs initiatives, strategy, and operations that support the community health priorities and health equity strategy across the system. This work includes systems change initiatives, building programs, convening cross sector partnerships and leveraging grant and private funds for greater collective impact on barriers to health in communities across the state. The Food Farmacy, Accountable Health Communities, the Healthy Here Wellness Referral Center, the Community Health Worker and Peer Support Specialist program, and the Health Equity program, are a few of the programs Leigh has helped develop to promote disease prevention, increase health equity, and enhance the quality and effectiveness of clinical interventions at Presbyterian.

Tyson Coriz is of the Corn Clan from Santo Domingo Pueblo. He is a Preventionist/Advocate/Trainer/Consultant locally and nationally.  From his first internship at Johns Hopkins Center for Indigenous Health, He has developed a deep commitment to enhance culture equity, diversity and inclusive approaches. He has been acquiring experience and knowledge in the provision of public and behavioral prevention for 16 years.  He has experience in project development, implementation, leadership and oversight. Tyson has experience in establishing effective partnerships with positive outcomes reaching planned goals.

Pamela Galegos is COO at the United Way of North Central New Mexico (UWCM). Pamela has strategically moved the UWCNM into the center of statewide efforts to better reach and serve New Mexicans. Through her position and her work with the Collaborative Pamela supports the creation of a statewide community resource information exchange, which is a critical foundation for a successful statewide resource and referral system.

Pamela is both nationally connected and locally grounded and is a strong, and knowledgeable advocate for efforts to engage New Mexicans across the state in an inclusive, effective network of care.

Javier Guerrero serves as a Community Coordinator at Families and Youth Innovations Plus. Raised in southern New Mexico, he combines a love for his community with a strong commitment to public health and psychology. Starting with a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology, Javier developed a passion for supporting others through life’s challenges, which has led him to pursue a Master’s in Public Administration to deepen his impact in public health.

When not working, Javier finds balance in the outdoors, hiking and practicing yoga as part of his mindfulness journey. Rooted in a dedication to helping others and connecting with nature, he approaches each day with enthusiasm, working to foster meaningful relationships and create positive change.

Dr. Maggie Gunter is an experienced medical sociologist and health services researcher who has worked in health research for more than 40 years.  Most recently, she served as Senior Advisor for Population Health and Outcomes Research at SYNCRONYS (previously known as LCF Research), the non-profit organization she founded in the 1990’s, which now staffs and operates New Mexico’s statewide health information exchange (HIE) network.  For 22 years, Dr. Gunter was the Founding President of the organization, which is now named SYNCRONYS, and led groundbreaking disease management research there in the 1990s and helped incubate the NM Health Information Collaborative, the state’s HIE, in 2004. Dr. Gunter’s research has emphasized: (1) the design, implementation, and evaluation of interventions and innovations to improve health care quality, cost effectiveness, health disparities, and patient outcomes in “real-world” settings; and (2) the creative and effective use of large population -based healthcare databases in answering key health research questions. As a medical sociologist, she has had a long-term interest in identifying, understanding, and addressing health disparities and improving health equity among vulnerable populations. Following her retirement from what was then known as LCF Research in2013, Dr. Gunter served as Director of Medical Outcomes Research at the non-profit Lovelace Respiratory Research Institute for five years, prior to her return to LCF Research (SYNCRONYS) from 2019-2024. She currently serves on three Boards: The New Mexico Telehealth Alliance, The UNM La Tierra Sagrada Society, which provides scholarships for UNM medical students and allied health students to help reduce their debt upon graduation, and the Comagine Health Board of New Mexico, whose mission is to improve health care delivery in New Mexico.  Dr. Gunter received her PhD in medical sociology at the University of Pittsburgh.

Christine Hollis, MPH, MPS, a strategic health communication/social marketing planning specialist, has collaborated and built capacity with, trained, and assisted community-level coalitions, non-profits, schools, healthcare and government agencies implement a wide variety of successful programs in the U.S. and overseas. Results include: improved maternal/child health in developing nations; increased use of public health services by populations facing disparities; a national social marketing plan to address children’s mental health; and a statewide, stakeholder-driven design to transform/improve New Mexico’s health system.

Dan Jennings has worked simultaneously for 28 in public education and 20 years in state corrections as an educator, technologist and data analyst. Dan is a national certified trainer for aha! Process and is executive director of HagermanForward, a non-profit working to bring helping organizations together to build resources for individuals in poverty. He is also a board member with Emerge Solutions helping to create a learning community for Investigators, Facilitators, Trainers, and Anti-Poverty Organizations. He currently is a Hagerman town councilor and leads the 100% Chaves County Initiative with a mission to ensure every family can access high quality services in ten sectors to support trauma-free childhoods, resilient families, and well-resourced communities.

Darwyn Largo is a member of the Navajo Tribe, born and raised in Crownpoint, New Mexico. He is a graduate of Haskell Indian Nations University, a Tribal College and University. Darwyn’s experiences growing up on an American Indian reservation and attending an inter-tribal college enticed him to pursue a Master of Public Health degree from the University of Arizona, Zuckerman College of Public Health, where he graduated from in 2022. Darwyn was a research coordinator with Seven Directions, and helped develop the Indigenous Social Determinants of Health (ISDOH) webpages and training.

Roberto is the Health Equity Director, Public Health Division at New Mexico Department of Health

Emily McRae (she/they) is the Director for the Information and Special Projects Department with the Center for Health Innovation Public Health Institute. With a background in Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and spatial data systems, Emily loves the intersection of art and science inherent with mapping. She is passionate about data sovereignty, equitable and representative data, and data for public health. Emily is grateful for the opportunity to work with and learn from so many who support a diversity of health outcomes across New Mexico.

Kyra Ochoa is a Deputy Secretary at the New Mexico Human Services Department, soon to be Health Care Authority. She has previously served as Director of the Community Health and Safety Department and Director of Community Services for the City of Santa Fe, Health Care Assistance Program Manager for Santa Fe County, Evaluator and Grants Coordinator for Taos Health Systems, and Community Engagement Specialist for Bernalillo County Place Matters. She holds a Master of Public Health with a concentration in Health Management, Administration, and Policy from New Mexico State University. She has deep commitment to community health and a passion for health system improvement. She believes in creating a strong safety net for those in need, and that New Mexico’s greatest resource is people who help people. She was born in New York City, raised in Taos and Santa Fe, and now lives in Santa Fe with her husband and three children.

Jessica Osenbrügge, (she/her) Co-Senior Director of Programs, has been serving since 2018 at Roadrunner Food Bank of New Mexico (Roadrunner) managing the Health and Wellness Initiative. In this effort, Jessica leads strategic partnerships and collaborations between Roadrunner and food distribution partners throughout New Mexico including the healthcare delivery system and advances concepts with food and nutrition security, health equity, and drivers of health.

‍

Maya Stefanovic, MPH, PMP, is the Executive Director for Health Equity at UnitedHealthcare NM, where leveraging data and analytics is one important strategy for addressing environmental health inequity. Maya is looking forward to furthering the collaborative work being done through this committee to advance health equity by finding systematic ways to reduce health-related social needs of New Mexicans.

Terri Stewart, MS HCA, MT (ASCP), Chief Executive Officer & President, SYNCRONYS, has thirty years of experience leading complex not for profit healthcare organizations in the State of New Mexico. Prior to joining the New Mexico HIE, Ms. Stewart held executive leadership positions with TriCore Reference Laboratories and the New Mexico Cancer Care Alliance. In these roles, Ms. Stewart has been involved with building multi stakeholder collaborative organizations. Terri previously Chaired the New Mexico Cancer Council and participates in local and national associations.  Ms. Stewart is a graduate of Leadership Albuquerque. SYNCRONYS is the designated health information exchange (HIE) for the state of New Mexico and is a not for profit with a multi stakeholder diverse board of directors.

As the COO at findhelp, Jaffer is focused on helping all people in need through growing partner and customer impact within their communities. Across government, healthcare, education, employers and more, connecting seekers to meaningful programs with strategic investment and technical innovation is Jaffer's passion.

‍

Hello everyone! My name is Vanessa al Rashida and I am a general internal medicine physician in the Rio Rancho/Albuquerque area.  I completed my medical degree at the University of Missouri- Kansas City 6-year BA/MD program and attended internal medicine residency at the University of New Mexico.  I completed my Master of Public Health degree at the University of Illinois at Chicago with a concentration in Health Policy and Administration with a certificate in Health Disparities Research.  I currently hold leadership roles in multiple local and state organizations in New Mexico including the Greater Albuquerque Medical Association, New Mexico Medical Society, and the New Mexico Social Work Board of Examiners.  I am involved in educating medical students as part of the community faculty at the University of New Mexico.  I am engaged in the community by organizing multiple community events that contain services such as health and dental screenings, health education, and access to health resources.  My focus includes motivating patients to be their best selves and live their best lives, eliminating health disparities, and promoting health policies that prioritize accessibility and affordability to the health care system.  Additionally, I love the fine arts, hot-air ballooning, bowling, playing volleyball, horseback riding, and trying her hand at new things.  Looking forward to getting to know you and working together to make New Mexico a better place to live and receive health care for all.