Health Sciences Center

The University of New Mexico Sandoval Regional Medical Center opened its doors to the community, during a weekend-long event celebrating completion of the new 72-bed Rio Rancho hospital. The public was treated to tours of the cutting edge hospital, as well as a pancake breakfast, kids activities and a health fair.

"The UNM HSC Office of Diversity is Proud to Welcome the Inaugural Diversity Visiting Scholar Professor Deleso A. Alford, J.D., LLM. Prof. Alford's research focuses on integrating innovative teaching methodologies that promote cultural competency, cultural humility, and diversity awareness amongst health professions schools and law schools by addressing issues of ethnicity, race, and gender, which impact healthcare delivery and patient rights, with particular emphasis on historically marginalized populations. "

You will find that our OT program offers a blend of traditional academic rigor and innovative learning experiences. We are located in the School of Medicine at the University of New Mexico, a research-intensive university. This creates an atmosphere of intellectual stimulation and discovery in the field of health care. The faculty within the OT program are nationally and internationally recognized for their research as well as their leadership in practice and education.

UNM's BA/MD degree program, a collaboration between UNM's College of Arts and Sciences and the UNM School of Medicine, aims to get more physicians practicing in rural and underserved areas of New Mexico. HSC TV first profiled the program and some of its very first students in 2009 ( http://youtu.be/V_c6Rd-IIHY ), as the program was just getting off the ground. Now fully funded and thriving, we check back with some of the same students we featured in our 2009 story, to find out how they're faring in medical school and how they hope to one day pay back the opportunity by practicing medicine in their home state.

"Faculty member Dr. Megan Thompson, along with students from the UNM College of Pharmacy, are heading to schools and across Albuquerque and other parts of New Mexico to warn young people of the dangers of prescription drug misuse and abuse. Dr. Thompson's novel approach to the seminar has not only grabbed the attention of the students who attend, but also the American Pharmacists Association, which recently honored her with the Generation Rx Award of Excellence."

Project ECHO (Extension for Community Health Outcomes) is an innovative telehealth program that invites primary care providers from rural areas of the state to consult with and seek advice from UNM specialists via weekly video conferences. The Chronic Pain and Headache Management TeleECHO Clinic is one of 15 ECHO clinics providing an important resource to primary care providers across the state.

"To better understand bone density, body fat composition and other variables that affect a wide range of health issues and disease, UNM's Clinical and Translational Science Center (CTSC) has acquired the state's only iDXA system, a new state-of-the-art body scanner. This research tool is but one example of UNM's commitment to its new Clinical and Translational Science Center. The CTSC, established at UNM thanks to a $23 million grant from the National Institutes of Health, offers researchers across campus valuable tools and technology to advance their work."

Whether it's because a parent suffers from dementia, a child has severe behavioral problems or a coworker is overwhelmed by depression, everyone in our society feels the impact of mental illness. And yet most people are hesitant -- or don't know how -- to talk about it. They don't know where to seek advice or from whom. Through a generous anonymous grant from a grateful family, The Institute for the Development of Education and Advancement of Science (IDEAS) in Psychiatry at the University of New Mexico was founded to remedy this information gap. Using both public and professional educational programs, we plan to bring our community the best and most up-to-date information available.

Researchers at the University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center and Sandia National Laboratories have teamed up to develop a portable biosensor, capable of quickly detecting pathogens like HIV, anthrax, hantavirus and influenza.

The Department of Pathology, in the University of New Mexico School of Medicine, is committed to improving human health through world-class research, education and patient care.

The University of New Mexico School of Medicine and UNM EMS Academy offer several austere and mountain medicine programs designed to prepare physicians, paramedics and other providers with the advanced skills needed to treat patients in the wilderness, under harsh environmental conditions. During a recent rescue drill in the Sandia foothills, members of the UNM Mountain Medicine Program and the Albuquerque Mountain Rescue Council teamed up to rescue an injured and stranded rock climber. The simulation offered rescue crews a chance to practice their skills, as well as an opportunity to offer some safety tips for outdoor enthusiasts.

A new exhibit, "Opening Doors: Contemporary African American Academic Surgeons," was on view at the Domenici Center for Health Sciences Education through March 29, 2011. The exhibit, which chronicles the careers of trailblazing African American surgeons, is also serving as a backdrop to an important discussion about race and medicine and social determinants in health. "Opening Doors" was developed and produced by the National Library of Medicine and the Reginald F. Lewis Museum of Maryland African American History and Culture, and it was brought to New Mexico by the UNM Health Sciences Library and Informatics Center.

The UNM Health Sciences Center's Dental Hygiene Program is the only such program in the country housed within a medical school. Offering the state's only bachelor's and master's degree programs in dental hygiene, the University of New Mexico is preparing students for successful careers in both private practice and public health care settings, as well as in research and teaching.

The UNM Department of Anthropology and the Health Sciences Library and Informatics Center have teamed up to create a new one-of-a-kind research tool that could help orthodontists all over the world better understand and treat their patients. The project was made possible by a retiring Albuquerque orthodontist, who donated nearly 30-years worth of patient records to UNM. More than 400,000 oral images, 20,000 x-rays, and thousands of other records - offering an in-depth look at Albuquerque's diverse population - have been de-identifed and compiled into a publicly accessible database.

The University of New Mexico's new Interprofessional Healthcare Simulation Center offers cutting edge simulation technology and a collaborative learning environment for medical, nursing, pharmacy and other health sciences students. Faculty, staff and students recently gathered for an open house to learn more about the new facility and to celebrate it opening.

The New Mexico Office of the Medical Investigator will soon move to its brand new state-of-the-art facility, designed to be among the most technologically advanced in the country. At a recent open house celebrating the new building, OMI officials led tours of the 60,000 square foot space and explained how the new facility would improve their investigative capabilities and would mean a safer, more environmentally friendly workplace for employees. The OMI was created by the state Legislature in 1972 and is a special program within the Department of Pathology at the University of New Mexico School of Medicine. The office is tasked with investigating all sudden, violent, unexpected or unexplained deaths in the state of New Mexico.

The University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center Physical Therapy Program recently transitioned from a master's level curriculum to a doctoral level program. In the process, the faculty have instituted a more integrated curriculum for first-year students.

As federal lawmakers debate the future of health care, the University of New Mexico College of Nursing is preparing students to participate in such policy debates. With support from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, the College of Nursing has launched a PhD program in health policy.