2023

Dr. Adam Acevedo: Born and raised in Santa Clara, CA. He obtained his Bachelor of Science in Biology from the University of Portland in Portland, OR and went on to receive his DDS from the Arthur A. Dugoni School of Dentistry in San Francisco, CA.

Administrative Chief Resident, University of New Mexico Department of OBGYN

Public Health Analyst. The New Mexico State Lead for the National Health Service Corps. He is employed by the Bureau of Health Workforce, Health Resources and Services Administration. He has a BS degree in Legal Studies from the American Military University, Charles Town, West Virginia

Dr. Cuttrell is a retired dental faculty of the University of New Mexico; volunteer lawyer member of New Mexico Medial Review Commission. He attended dental school at the University of Texas Dental in Houston Texas. After 10 years in private dental family practice in Amarillo TX he sold the practice to attend a residency as a dentist in a medical anesthesiology residency program at Illinois Masonic Medical Center. He accepted a teaching position in Cleveland OH with Saint Luke’s Medical Center. He provided anesthesia for dental and medical cases at Saint Luke’s Hospital Lutheran and Fairview Hospital. During the time in Cleveland he became a volunteer faculty with Case Western Dental School. He moved to Albuquerque in 2001 and was part of the faculty to begin the residency program in 2004. He retired in 2023.

Mr. Daniel is Vice President of Business Development & General Counsel for Presbyterian Medical Services (PMS), a community health center headquartered in Santa Fe, NM operating 50+ clinics and numerous other health and human service programs including Head Start/Early Head Start, programs serving the developmentally disabled, senior centers, pre-K and home visiting programs.

Senior Vice President for Public Policy and Research at the National Association of Community Health Centers (NACHC). He lead the public policy division at NACHC, which includes Federal Affairs, Grassroots Advocacy, Policy and Regulatory Affairs, and Policy Research departments. He has a BA Degree in Political Science and a Master of Arts Degree in Political Management from The George Washington University, Washington DC.

Jeremiah Dye, DDS
BIO
Dr. Dye is the Program Director for the Dental Program at First Choice Community Healthcare. He attended dental school at the University of Colorado School of Dental Medicine in Aurora, CO. He received his BS and MS in Entomology from Texas A & M University in College Station, TX.

Assistant Professor
Addiction Division
Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences
University of New Mexico School of Medicine
Albuquerque, NM

Ms. Nicole Gallegos is the Coordinator of the Dental Hygiene Program at First Choice Community Healthcare. She received her Bachelor of Science in Dental Hygiene from the University of New Mexico. She helped develop medical/dental integration program at First Choice HOP (Hygienist on the POD) program at four medical sites. She is a clinical public health dental provider providing services in rural areas since 2008.

Dr. Vanessa Garcia: Was born and raised in Albuquerque, NM. She obtained her Bachelor of Science in Biology and Chemistry from the University of New Mexico. She received her DMD from Western University of Health Sciences.

Dr. Hamilton is the Lead Pediatrician and Clinical Supervisor at First Choice Community Healthcare.  She received her MD from the University of New Mexico and her BA degree in Environmental Studies from Pomona College in Claremont CA.  She completed her medical residency in pediatrics at UNM and has been practicing as a board certified general pediatrician in a Federally Qualified Health Center since 2014.

Dr. Harleen Juneja: Was born and raised in Ontario, Canada. She obtained a BA with a double major in the medical sciences and classical studies from Western University in London, Ontario, Canada. She received her DDS also from Western University

Dr. Larragoite attended dental school at the University of California in San Francisco CA. He has been in private practice dentistry for 23 years, on call dentist for 20 years and a healthcare consultant for 10 years.

Jacqueline C. Leifer (Jacki) counsels national, regional and state primary care associations, and serves as General Counsel to the National Association of Community Health Centers, Inc. Jacki also advises hundreds of federally qualified health centers (“FQHCs”) and other community-based healthcare providers, health center–controlled networks and managed care companies. Jacki handles a variety of corporate matters, including corporate formation and restructuring, consolidations and affiliations between and among FQHCs, local health departments, health systems, hospitals, rural health clinics, private group practices, oral health providers and behavioral health providers.

Katharine Martinez earned her master’s degree in public health from New Mexico State University and undergraduate degree in dental hygiene from the University of New Mexico.   Katharine is widely recognized for her role as an oral health educator in a hospital setting.  Katharine has created a role that incorporates an oral health professional to be a part of the multidisciplinary team that has led to improving patient treatment outcomes and decreasing hospital acquired infections.

Tiffany Maxey is a physician assistant who was born in Wyoming but raised in Silver City, NM, and graduated from Silver High School. She received a Bachelor of Science in Kinesiology from New Mexico State University in Las Cruces, NM as well as a minor in Biology. She then went on to receive her master’s as a physician assistant from Tour Medical School in Henderson, NV where she graduated top 10 in her class.

Dr. Pablo Medina was born and raised in Houston, TX. He obtained his Bachelors of Science in Biochemistry from St. Mary’s University and his Masters in the Biomedical Sciences from the University of the Incarnate Word School of Osteopathic Medicine, both located in San Antonio, TX. He received his DDS from UT Health San Antonio School of Dentistry.

Steven G. Meilleur, Ph.D. is President and CEO of PRAXIS Management Solutions, LLC, a virtual training and consulting firm with a team of expert, and experienced associates specializing in human resources, organizational management, risk management, strategic and operational planning, Organizational Development, and more, in the public, private for-profit, and private non-profit sectors.

Born in Hawaii and raised in New Mexico, Clarie brings a deep passion for New Mexico youth, specifically their mental health autonomy and equity. She has years of successful project management experience, including STEAM and SEL programs to underserved youth in rural areas. Clarie joined New Mexico Department of Health, Office of Student and Adolescent Health in 2022 as the Statewide Youth Suicide Prevention Coordinator. Clarie is also a Crisis Mentor with the Concussion Legacy Foundation.
Clarie has four grown children, a new grandbaby and two playful pups.

In Clarie’s free time she enjoys time with her kidos, travel, museums and kayaking with her dog Merlin.

Ethan Novikoff is the Quality Improvement/Quality Assurance Director at HMS. He has a Master of Public Health from New Mexico State University and a Bachelor of Science in Environmental Health Science from Bowling Green State University. Prior to joining HMS, Ethan had a career in the field of Environmental Health, working in both the private and public sectors in the disciplines of air quality management and hazardous waste management. After relocating to New Mexico, Ethan began working at a private practice, where he realized his passion for rural healthcare. Outside of work, Ethan is a musician, adobe builder, and a father of two young children. Ethan is proud to call Silver City his home and loves getting to make a difference in the community through his work at HMS.

Dr. Golden Ofoh: Was born and raised in Houston, TX. She obtained her Bachelor of Science in Biomedical Sciences from Texas A&M University in College Station, TX. She received her DMD from LECOM School of Dental Medicine.

Dan Otero is the Chief Executive Officer at Hidalgo Medical Services and has been with the organization since February 2016. Dan brings 32 years of healthcare experience to his role at HMS. He started his career as a pre-hospital and hospital clinical provider, specifically working as a Paramedic. He has held the positions of Director of Education, Quality Management, and Patient-Centered Care.

Originally from Denver, Dr. Timothy Petty earned his Bachelor’s degree in music at University of Tulsa and a Master’s in music from University of Texas at Austin. He received his DMD from the University of Pittsburgh School of Dental Medicine.

Medical Director, Acqua Recovery Center

Dianne K. Pledgie is a Partner and Compliance Counsel with the firm’s Health Law practice group. Dianne advises health centers on implementing effective compliance programs and addressing top compliance risk areas. She develops and manages the array of compliance resources offered through the firm’s learning website, learning.ftlf.com. A former Compliance Officer at a health center, Dianne understands the challenges that health centers face in achieving and maintaining compliance.

GLS Grant Manager / Office of School and Adolescent Health, NMDOH

Dr. Rosa Rodriguez was born and raised in Northern Nevada. She received her Associates of Science in dental hygiene from the College of Southern Nevada. She went on to obtain a Bachelor of Science in Biology from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. She also holds a Masters in Biomedical Science from Larkin University in Miami, Florida. She received her DMD from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas.

Dr. Sorna Sarker was born in Bangladesh and raised in Connecticut. She attended University of Connecticut for a Bachelors of Science double degree in Molecular/Cell Biology and Philosophy. She spent one year before dental school to volunteer with AmeriCorps to help underserved communities, then obtained her DMD from University of Connecticut School of Dental Medicine.

Dr. Samyak Shah was born and raised in Sanford, Florida. He attended the University of Florida for a Bachelors of Science in Agricultural and Biological Engineering with a specialty in Biomechanics. He then received his DDS from NYU College of Dentistry.

Certified Family Nurse Practitioner: Family Medicine Dept. Rio Rancho, NM UNM Sandoval Regional Medical Center

Doug has served as Executive Vice President for Presbyterian Medical Services in Santa Fe, New Mexico since 2000; he first joined the organization in 1995. In his current role, Mr. Smith provides operational oversight of the organization’s more than 100 programs statewide, including approximately 50 Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHC), Head Start/Early Head Start and other community-based collaborative projects.

Vernetta Walker, J.D., is president and CEO of Walker & Associates Consulting, Inc., specializing in customized solutions for nonprofit organizations to maximize impact through exceptional leadership and creating equitable organizations. Vernetta has deep experience in the nonprofit sector, having worked with hundreds of organizations over two decades, nationally and globally. Prior roles include serving as chief governance officer and senior advisor on diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) for BoardSource, the leading organization for nonprofit governance best practices; associate general counsel for the Maryland Association of Nonprofit Organizations; foundation advocacy counsel for the Alliance for Justice; and director of the Administration of Justice Grants for the Florida Bar Foundation. Vernetta also practiced law as a litigator for several years, before pursuing her passions in the third sector.

Dr. Helena Wu was raised in El Paso, TX. She obtained her Bachelor of Science in Biology from the University of Texas: San Antonio in San Antonio, TX. She received her DDS from the University of Texas: San Antonio School of Dentistry.