New Mexico Department of Health

We did a crazy thing we did last Friday. BTI staffers Steinar, Kristopher and Bill worked with volunteers from the NM National Guard, Free Bikes 4 Kidz NM, and the NM Department of Health to build 200 bikes for children in the state foster care system – in just 8 hours. Massive kudos to Kristopher and Steiner, who were the day’s lead mechanics and instructors. They patiently mentored volunteers through all the finer points of bike assembly. By the end of the afternoon we may have even created a few new cycling enthusiasts. We’re super proud of how this effort turned out and to have the opportunity to work with New Mexico Governor Michelle Lujan-Grisham’s staff on this ambitious project to get more kids riding bikes!

Cabinet Secretary Patrick Allen has announced that Christopher Harris has been hired as the Marketing Public Education Outreach Director for NMHealth. Christopher has extensive experience in digital marketing, web development, email marketing, content development, social media, and marketing analytics. He previously served as the Director of Marketing and Communications for Build Change where he led a rebrand effort for the organization and overhauled audience segments and content strategy. Christopher also served as the Director of Engagement Marketing for the University of Colorado and also has experience as a web developer for the University and other clients. Prior to this, Christopher served as the Director of Marketing for the Davis Phinney Foundation where he increased donor engagement and retention. Christopher has also held marketing roles at The Water Research Foundation and the Colorado School of Public Health. Welcome to NMHealth Christopher!

NMHealth is grateful for all of the incredible nurses of New Mexico who work tirelessly to care for others. Join us in celebrating National Nurses Week by sharing a picture or a favorite story of a nurse who made a difference in your life! #ANANursesWeek #NursesMakeTheDifference #nurses #NewMexico

Applications are now open for the annual Golden Chile Awards! 💛🌶 The awards are open to all local farmers, food hubs, and food producers who participate in the NM Grown Program as well as schools, preschools, and senior centers that serve locally grown food in their #nutrition programs. Awards are given for a variety of activities such as establishing edible gardens, serving locally grown food in meals and snacks, providing gardening lessons and nutrition education, offering culturally appropriate lessons, and engaging staff, families and/or communities in NM Grown programming. Last year, 67 participants were recognized by state officials and NM Grown Coalition. The NM Grown Coalition is a network of public institutions, community-based organizations and individuals working together to strengthen community food systems across New Mexico. Applications for the Golden Chile Awards are open through May 31 with winners announced in August and an in-person ceremony October 24. More info at https://lnkd.in/ghTKF6x2 Links to apply: • Food Producer (Farmers/Ranchers) https://lnkd.in/gucnebbf • Food Hub https://lnkd.in/gBcfXzKk • Early Care & Education https://lnkd.in/gcw3R5BE • K-12 https://lnkd.in/gQPwqgxq • Senior Care https://lnkd.in/gG4MaSTd

Did you catch the NMHealth team at the The University of New Mexico KIVA Club's Nizhoni Days Pow Wow last weekend? Our mobile vaccination team was onsite providing adult flu and COVID vaccines while Tribal Liaison Janet Johnson and Tribal Alcohol Collaboration Consultant Toney Johnson distributed 250-gun locks to members of the community! Need help scheduling a vaccine appointment? Call the NMHealth Helpline at 1-833-SWNURSE (1-833-796-8773) or visit VaccineNM.org. Learn more about gun safety and order a free lock at SafeStorageNM.org.

Cabinet Secretary Pat Allen has announced that LeAnn Behrens has been hired as the Director of Operations for NMHealth. LeAnn has already started in the role and is quickly getting up to speed. LeAnn has extensive experience in the healthcare arena having worked for Anthem Health for more than 20 years. She served in several roles at the company including President of Anthem’s West Region Medicaid where she was responsible for all health plan operations and financial performance. She spent a significant part of her time at Anthem in roles focusing on the Texas Medicaid Health Plan. These included time as President, Chief Operating Officer, Vice President of Marketing and Director of Health Promotion. As result of her time at Anthem, LeAnn brings deep knowledge of Medicaid, Medicare, and State Disability Waiver Programs. She has extensive experience working with federal and state level government agencies as well as state legislative committees. LeAnn retired from Anthem in 2019 but returned to the workforce to help respond to the teacher shortage that followed the pandemic. From 2022-2023, she served as a Special Education Teacher in Santa Fe. Welcome to NMHealth LeAnn!

In a collaborative effort funded by the New Mexico Governor’s Food Initiative, the New Mexico Senior Farmers’ Market Nutrition Program, along with the Santa Fe Farmers Market Institute distributed 150 bags filled with fresh produce to seniors at the Mary Esther Gonzales Senior Center in Santa Fe last week. Additionally, 44 seniors each received $50 benefits to visit local farmers’ markets across the state to purchase fresh produce. Learn more about the Senior Farmers’ Market Nutrition Program and view a map of farmers’ market locations at https://lnkd.in/gyYBj_nv

New Mexico was recently recognized as a leader in hepatitis C elimination efforts. Several initiatives highlighted include: • NMHealth’s Hepatitis Program leading planning around Hepatitis C Virus elimination. • Project ECHO meetings that help connect primary care doctors with specialists resulting in hepatitis C treatment to patients. • The funding of elimination efforts in state prisons and the Peer Education Project which trains and counsels others about preventing infections and getting treatment. • Las Cruces Public Health Office pairing hepatitis C treatment with existing harm reduction services.

Spread the word! Healthcare system professionals can sign up for New Mexico Health Alert Network (HAN) alerts at https://lnkd.in/d9kYbidh Have questions or need assistance? Contact Magdalena.Karns@doh.nm.gov

NMHealth is working in partnership with the New Mexico Livestock Board and the New Mexico Department of Agriculture along with the USDA, FDA, and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on an investigation of illness among dairy cows in the U.S. More info can be found on our new webpage at https://lnkd.in/gEzkbND3