.............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

NEWSLETTER OF LFMC • SANTA FE, NM SPRING 2011

NON-PROFIT ORG.U.S. POSTAGE

PAIDSANTA FE, NM

PERMIT 173

.............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

P.O. Box 5395 • Santa Fe, NM 87502

La Familia is pleased to announce that Dr. Linda Renner has been selected to be the new Dental Director at our new dental clinic replacing Dr. Jessica Brewster who is stepping down from her position of Interim Director. Before last year’s leave of absence, Dr. Brewster had directed LFMC’s dental operations for seven and a half years. She will continue to see patients on a part time basis.

Dr. Renner has been with LFMC since November 2010. She is a graduate of Eldorado High School in Albuquerque and New Mexico State University in Las Cruces. She received her dental degree at the University of Colorado School of Dentistry in Denver.

Dr. Renner spent over six years in the Indian Health Service in Nevada and Arizona and has spent the last ten years practicing dentistry at community clinics on the West Coast. Most recently she worked as an affiliate professor at the University of Washington in Seattle.

La Familia Medical Center

NEW Dental Clinic

There are occasions when it pays to think big. Touring the beautiful new “state of the art” dental clinic that opened in March at the Santa Fe Community College, it is obvious that the leadership at La Familia Medical Center and SFCC were thinking BIG.

As Jessica Brewster, DDS, Dental Director of LFMC, tells the story, the discussions between LFMC and SFCC began over five years ago. The need for expanded dental services at La Familia, especially for the uninsured and underinsured, was acute and there were thoughts of building a new clinic near La Familia’s Southside Clinic on Caja del Oro Grant Road. At that time, the wait for a first appointment was two months. The College had a training program for dental assistants but didn’t have enough dentists at its own dental clinic for its students to get the required variety of practical experience, so placements were made all over the community. What began as a casual conversation between Judy Jenkins, DDS, at LFMC, and Dr. Julie Good, Dean of the School Health and Sciences, has become an 8,000 square foot dental clinic.

According to Aamna Nayyar, DDS, Director of the Dental Program at SFCC, eighteen students a year are accepted into the Dental Assistant Program. With the new clinic, the students can train onsite instead of traveling to various practices in Santa Fe. “Their training will be more efficient and it will be in all three required areas, i.e., adult and pediatric dentistry and hygiene. The Santa Fe community is benefitting in several ways from this collaboration. There are more trained dental assistants who can earn a living wage while meeting the oral health needs of area residents.”

It has taken the efforts of many people to make this happen – including the Santa Fe voters. Several NM state legislators’ earmarked money totaling $850,000 a few years ago but an even bigger event was the passage of a $25 M bond issue to fund the construction of the SFCC School of Health and Sciences. Securing that funding was truly a joint effort with board members and staff at both LFMC and SFCC lobbying on behalf of the bond issue. The final significant infusion of dollars came from President Obama’s stimulus funds – a $1.2 M allocation.

The impact for Santa Fe area residents will be expanded services for adults and children in this beautiful new facility. “The importance of good oral health for people of all ages is often underestimated, “says Dr. Brewster, “but it is especially important for pregnant women and for children. We are thrilled that our patients will be able to get the care they need in the new clinic PLUS our clinic staff works very, very hard and they deserve a beautiful place to work,” Dr. Brewster added.

New Dental Director

Thanks to our good fortune in securing these federal funds, LFMC was able to donate our newest and best used dental equipment to El Centro Health Center in Espanola. Additional equipment from Alto Street has been donated to the Charities Anywhere Foundation and to a start up dental assisting program in Albuquerque.

It’s Working…Dental Screenings Show Results!!

For the past three years, LFMC dentists have done dental screenings at Salazar and Agua Fria Public Elementary Schools. This year Dr. Linda Renner, La Familia’s new Dental Director (see article page 1), is doing the screenings as part of our involvement in the Salazar Partnership. The Salazar Partnership is a non-profit organization that sponsors a variety of support services at the two schools, including tutoring and health and fitness programs.

Parents must sign consent forms for their children to be screened but every child at both schools sees a presentation on oral health and gets a new toothbrush.

The good news is that the program and screenings are producing results! Three years ago, fifty percent of the children who were screened needed urgent dental care, which might be an abscessed tooth or an adult tooth that was trying to come in but was obstructed. This year Dr. Renner reports that of 176 children screened at Agua Fria only 9 were in need of urgent care. Although the screenings at Salazar are not complete, so far 141 students have been screened and only 5 were in need of urgent care.

The final step in the process is a report to the parents on what dental care is needed. Deborah Stump, LFMC’s, School Health Educator, sends home a report and places follow-up phone calls to make sure each family is aware of their options for care.

In the lingering climate of economic uncertainties, our non-profit has weathered the prevailing winds of funding cuts and declining donations, concluding another fiscal year with a balanced budget.

When the State is declaring a budget crisis in medical assistance programs and the County projects budget cuts to the Indigent Care Fund, fulfilling our mission to provide excellent affordable healthcare to our community couldn’t be more important.

With credit to the hardworking and loyal employees and thanks to the diligent and compassionate efforts of the Board, La Familia

Medical Center is well-positioned to be the community’s healthcare safety net.

The business strategies of sustaining a balanced budget require strict adherence to the financial plan -- tight cash-flow management with steadfast cost containment even as personnel expenses and infrastructure needs increase; and broadening the development program -- like the immeasurable value gained in our personalized-letter fundraiser.

We have instituted measures to better secure patient payments for services. Although more than 50% of our total revenues originate from patients, the cost of providing services depends on optimizing restricted government grants and garnering private funding.

Providing community-specific services, strong local connections are vital to our economic sustainability. Trusting in La Familia Medical Center, ongoing support from The Brindle Foundation ensures affordable healthcare to the youngest and most vulnerable in our community. The strength of local support is affirmed in renewed donations from the Buckaroo Ball Foundation and The McCune Foundation; and the CEO Challenge Grant is being sustained by the generosity of a Santa Fe resident.

* * * * * * *

A concrete sign of our sustainability shows at the new facility for La Familia’s Dental Clinic on Richards Avenue, honoring LFMC’s bond with Santa Fe Community College to provide expanded dental services and health education. De principio a fin, La Familia has counted on the enthusiastic, tenacious directorship of Dr. Jessica Brewster. Newly elected to Chair the New Mexico Board of Dental Health Care, Dr. Brewster relinquishes her tenure as our Dental Director.

We are fortunate that Dr. Linda Renner has accepted the position of Dental Director of La Familia Medical Center. A tiempo para the grand opening, we look forward to Dr. Renner’s leadership presence.

John CassidyChief Executive Officer

O U R M I S S I O N

L A FA M I L I A M E D I C A L C E N T E R 2 T H E P U L S E • S P R I N G 2 0 1 1 L A FA M I L I A M E D I C A L C E N T E R 3 T H E P U L S E • S P R I N G 2 0 1 1

CEO’s MESSAGELa Familia Medical Center

is dedicated to providing excellent, affordable,

comprehensive medical, dental and health promotion services to

everyone in our community.

Officers

Chief Executive OfficerJohn Cassidy

Medical DirectorJames Lutz, MD

Dental DirectorLinda Renner, DDS

Board of DirectorsRamona Flores-Lopes

PresidentAndrew Montgomery, Esq.

Vice PresidentCharles Smith, MD

TreasurerBen Whitehill, MD

SecretaryCriceida Mendez, Member-at-Large

Jim FisherBill Lazar

Lourdes LopezRandy MurrayErnest Ramos

Curtis SchwartzMark Simpson

Jody SoperSharon Tison

NewsletterNancy Phillips

Director of Development/ Communications

Alto Street Clinic 1035 Alto Street

Santa Fe, NM 87501(505) 982-4425

Southside Clinic2145 Caja del Oro Grant Road

Santa Fe, NM 87507(505) 438-3195

La Familia Medical CenterDental Clinic

6401 Richards Ave.Santa Fe, NM 87508

(505) 984-5048

Health Care for the Homless818 Camino Sierra Vista

Santa Fe, NM 87505(505) 988-1742

Established in 1972, La Familia Medical Center is a not-for-

profit, 501 C (3) organization devoted to providing high quality, culturally sensitive

medical and dental services to the whole community.

• Prof i les f rom La Famil ia Board of Directors •

Ramona Flores-Lopez began her ninth year on the Board of Directors in October. She has served as President of the board since 2007. Her volunteer work mirrors her professional career as the Fiscal Manager for the North Central Region for Presbyterian Medical Services where she

does policy research, monitors budgets and productivity.

When Ramona returned to New Mexico in 1977 following the completion of her studies in Urban and Policy Sciences at the State University of New York at Stony Brook, she went to work for the State of New Mexico. From 1985-1988, she did comprehensive health planning for the State and from 1988-1997 she worked for New Mexico Medicaid. Besides being responsible for creating and monitoring the Medicaid budget, one of her memorable accomplishments is working on the design of Medicaid managed care in 1996-97. From 1997 to 2002, Ramona managed the Long Term Services Division in the Department of Health. She retired from state government in 2002. In 2003, Ms. Flores-Lopez entered the for-profit world as an Executive Account Manager for Affiliated Computer Services, the New Mexico Medicaid fiscal agent. In 2008 she returned to work with community health programs.

La Familia has benefitted tremendously from Ramona’s extensive knowledge and experience in the delivery of health care. “I became a patient at La Familia because physicians in Santa Fe would not take Medicaid patients. So I registered at La Familia even though I had private insurance. Then I kept up with the progress at LFMC when I was with the State and several of the past CEOs told me they were just waiting for me to retire from the State so I could serve on the board,” Ramona reports. “I was happy to do it. I believe that primary care should available to everyone.”

Patients Learn to Manage Their Illness

Diabetes Educator, Carolina Flores, has just completed a pilot program for six high-risk or recently diagnosed diabetes patients. The program consisted of a series of three classes that focused on learning about the disease and the ways it can be managed. With a current caseload of 250 patients, working in a classroom setting has allowed Ms. Flores to reach more patients. Her first class responded favorably, describing the classes as “very useful.”

Dr. Ben Whitehill is serving his ninth year on the LFMC Board of Directors. He is a retired physician who was Clinical Director at the Indian Health Service in Santa Fe from 1983-1993. Previously, Dr. Whitehill had been the Chief Medical

Officer at the U.S. Penitentiaries in Atlanta, GA. and Leavenworth, KS.

From 1960-75, he worked as a missionary for the United Church Board of World Ministries, serving in Hong Kong. He worked in chest medicine, community health development and drug addiction rehabilitation. If you read Dr. Whitehill’s resumé, you might think he would have more free time if he went back to practicing medicine. His volunteer activities are many and varied. In addition to his service on the LFMC board, he volunteers in the reading program at Salazar Elementary School, prepares meals for the homeless at St. Elizabeth Shelter, serves on the board of Bread for the Journey, an organization that provides seed money for fledgling non-profits in Northern New Mexico and leads a Sunday Christian Fellowship group at the NM State Penitentiary. Only space constraints prevent including the complete list of Ben’s volunteer service. When asked why he donates his time to LFMC, Dr. Whitehill said that when he was asked to serve on this board he was very pleased. “The work [of La Familia] is so right.” Clearly Dr. Whitehill is the “right” man for the job of providing leadership to LFMC.

His commitment to helping the less fortunate in the community is crystal clear!!!!

• LFMC DONOR LIST •Founder ($10,000+)Brindle FoundationBuckaroo Ball FoundationCEO Challenge GrantMargaret Buckman & Jason KnutsonSalazar PartnershipSanta Fe Community FoundationThornburg Charitable FoundationWal-Mart Foundation

Benefactor ($5,000-$9,999)Dominic & Domanica FoundationsNan Schwanfelder Dr. and Mrs. Charles Smith

Patron ($2,500-$4,999)The Abeles FoundationBarker Welfare FoundationCaroline BurnettA Charitable TrustChurch of the Holy FaithSharmon Hoffman Memorial Golf

TournamentLas Campanas Community FundLiberty RanchPaul B. & Elise W. Schmidt

Patron ($1,000-$2,499)AnonymousBruce BoleneWilliam Carson & Georgia Sims

CarsonDr. Cornelius Dooley & Suzanne

DooleySally Jeanne EvansFirst Presbyterian ChurchElizabeth Gutierrez & Richard

SchoeglerMontgomery & Andrews, P.A.New Mexico Bank & TrustThe Nordemann FoundationMario Pacheco & Diana Gonzales-

PachecoPNMDr. Patrick Quinn & Stacy QuinnRichard Rosenstock & Mary FreiJudie RosnerBeverly Russell & Louis RoseSam’s ClubVictoria Lee SealeThe United Church of Santa FeUnited Way Combined Federal

CampaignUnited Way Northern New MexicoUnited Way of Santa Fe CountyWal-Mart - EspanolaWells FargoNancy Meem WirthWomen’s Seder Santa Fe

Sponsor ($500-$999)Atocha Mobile Home ParkLaughlin & Rene BarkerElisabeth Barkey, MDDr. & Mrs. Harold BrownDenman and Associates, Inc.Ruth DillinghamRamona Flores-Lopez & Ernest LopezVickie GabinRobert Glick & Jaquelyn HelinDavid Grusin & Nan NewtonHoffman-Bravy Charitable Fnd.Gloria HollowayRobert I. HowesJoyce IdemaMary KarshisStuart & Elizabeth KauffmanE. Donald & Dr. Janet KayeBill & Marcy LitzenbergEsther & Ralph MilnesMargaret Montgomery LuntAnders RichterKaran & George RuhlenSanta Fe Association of RealtorsTori & David ShepardSimon Charitable FoundationForrest & Jean SmithEllen StellingAllan & Mary SwartzbergRon Van Amberg & Lisa LashleyRichard WallenCarol WarrenCarmela & George Winneberger

Supporter ($250-$499)AnonymousBoudinot AtterburyMichael BatenAndres & Doris BatoKaren & Raphiel BenjaminJames BuchananDiane BrooksJohn CaskeyMichael CondonTom DillenbergLee & Judy DirksLinda DonnelsPaul GoldingViola & Arturo GonzalesPatrick A. HansonAnne HarrisEllen & Bruce HerrDr. Norman KaczmarekBill & Margo KellerDaniel T. Kelly, Jr.Dr. Paul KovnatBarbara Lenssen & Keith AndersonSandra P. LowryBarb & Michael Mason

Thomas MerlanDaniel & Vera MetzgerA. Scott & Cathryn A. MillerFrederic & Arlyn NathanThomas & Bonnie OlsonBetsy & Steven RobesonLori & Michael SeligsonCindy SimonettiSharon TisonPatricia P. TrumbullJoan & Clifford VernickFrances Diemoz & Alan WebberDrs. Michael Whiting & Debbie VigilDaniel & Jane Yohalem

Supporter ($100-$249)Paul Abrams & Abigail AdlerAlbertson’s Community PartnersH. Clark AndersonAvelina BardwellJared & Michelle BarliantGreg & Lisa BemisJerome & Susan BernsteinStuart M. BluestoneKaren BohnhoffMurray & Cindy BrottNick & Pamela BuffingtonTish Butler & FamilyRichard & Leslie CarpenterCastro’s RestaurantJune & Tom CatronSaul & Anne-Lise CohenRobert & Karen CopelandDressman’s GiftsJames DuncanJean C. EddyJim FisherMarvin J. GodnerDonald & Lorraine GoldmanByron GoldsteinAnthony & Barbara GrahamKenneth Keith GrayDrs. Robert & Elin GrossmanEric Blinman & Melissa HagstrumElizabeth HancockSharon Franco & Joe HayesMargaret & Alan HillDr. Thomas M. HolmesHome Team Santa FeKatrina & Greg HuffakerBill & Denise JohnsonFrank & Jennifer JohnsonNorman’KaplanCynthia & Ed KleinerTeresa Sanchez & Norman KoppelBette KronskyDonald & Jean LammRoberta V. LeedsEddie Lewis

Alexander & Karen LorussoB. Joyce LovettDr. Beryl LovitzGreg LowerWillam & Susan MacGillivrayGeorgia MaryolMarlene & Marvin MaslowBill & Marnie McCarthyLynn McKelvey & Glenn DickterRoger H.& Ellen MillerSharon & Tony MitchellDr. Wallace MulliganBarbara & Michael OggVeronica O’Halloran & Joseph

BisagnaClarice K. PickPojoaque GamingWilma & Richard RappThomas & Kathie ReedRobert RothsteinBuddy & Irene RoybalAngelina Vera & Dr. Raphael ShapiroAbe & Marian SilverThomas SpierEmil SpiroDavid & Carolyn StupinTesuque Glass WorksDr. Mai TingHarold TrujilloJoseph & Bernadette ValdesMarg VeneKlasenSean WeinerBen & Carolyn WhitehillDr. Rollin Whitman & Cheryl

WhitmanEdward & Rachel WilliamsWilson Transfer & StorageGeorge & Nancy YankuraMel & Barbara YostMatias & Emeline Zamora

Friend (up to $99)David AndersonJoseph & Anna AnnonLouis & Sarah BachrachRobert E. BayerFrederick N. & Mary E. BenderStefanie BeninatoMarilyn BennettMary BirdJoyce BlalockCharles Aldrich & Susan BlochBonnie & JB BloughChris & Carol CalvertCelia & Al CastilloPerry & Janine CooleyCharlotte CulbergMelanie Greer DeasonLarry & Angie DelgadoCarl & Freya DiamondGriffin & Lynn Dodge

David & Rebecca DonohueBex & Ambrose FerberGeraldine FiskusWilliam & Jean FlemingDoris Francis-ErhardReese & Anne FullertonHenry & Silvia GonzalesMarcella O. GonzalesMary Louise GrawRobert GriffithClaire GrossmanJames HallquistNancy HayesRoger & Louise HillMarian HubbyAnn & Rudolf HunzikerJacqueline JadrnakCharles Janson-LapalmeMary M. KaneBarbara KatzAlfred R. KoellePatricia Arscott La FargeLourdes LopezSusan MacMillanJohn & Barbara MartinRobert & Marsha McCormickPhilip & Karen MilsteinBen & Lara MorrowCharles Anderson & Riette MuglestonThomas E. MurphySarah NossIsabel L. OrtizBill PanagakosEugenia ParryPeaceful WindRoger & Marie PetersonSusan PhillipsLewis PollockRobyn Powell & Bruce FortCasandra PokopiofEsther RapoportBeth ReichEthel RobertsDoris RosenJames & Kim RubinSanta Fe Friends MeetingJane & Donald SauerMr. & Mrs. Richard SaunierJudith R. SeltzerVicki SewingSusan & Tom SimonsTim & Evelyne TaylorSteven WeinerEllen Zieselman

In-KindLa Montanita Food MarketTrader Joe’s Border’s Books & MusicGirl Scouts New Mexico TrailsWayne Steen, State Farm AgentJohn Askwith

StaffJeanell Abeyta Priscilla BaldonadoJanice Lynn Bellet John Cassidy Dolores Fidel Dr. Gary Gibin Peggy Gonzales Diana Gonzales-Pacheco Dr. Gary Harris Dr. Sue KatzAndrea Lopez Dr. James LutzBernadette Pacheco Rina Pelaccio Aaron Perez Marisol Santiago-PerezMarjorie PoppAnna Rayne-Levi John Roybal Joyce Vaughan Carmela Winneberger

Gifts in Memory Lourdes Lopez In Memory of Jose O. Ortiz In Memory of Arthur

“Dinty”RomeroPerry & Janine Cooley In honor of Craig Cooley

Gifts in HonorBarbara Katz In honor of Kathy AbelesMary Louise Graw In honor of Miriam HoganMary M. Kane In honor of Sharon & Gene

TisonLaughlin & Rene BarkerFrederic & Arlyn Nathan In honor of Andy

MontgomerySusan MacMillan In honor of Barbara HuntRobert Bayer & Rozanne Oliver In honor of David Anderson

& Phoebe GirardLisa Freeman In honor of Bill Lazar and

Lyn Rosen

In the lingering climate of economic uncertainties, our non-profit has weathered the prevailing winds of funding cuts and declining donations, concluding another fiscal year with a balanced budget.

When the State is declaring a budget crisis in medical assistance programs and the County projects budget cuts to the Indigent Care Fund, fulfilling our mission to provide excellent affordable healthcare to our community couldn’t be more important.

With credit to the hardworking and loyal employees and thanks to the diligent and compassionate efforts of the Board, La Familia

Medical Center is well-positioned to be the community’s healthcare safety net.

The business strategies of sustaining a balanced budget require strict adherence to the financial plan -- tight cash-flow management with steadfast cost containment even as personnel expenses and infrastructure needs increase; and broadening the development program -- like the immeasurable value gained in our personalized-letter fundraiser.

We have instituted measures to better secure patient payments for services. Although more than 50% of our total revenues originate from patients, the cost of providing services depends on optimizing restricted government grants and garnering private funding.

Providing community-specific services, strong local connections are vital to our economic sustainability. Trusting in La Familia Medical Center, ongoing support from The Brindle Foundation ensures affordable healthcare to the youngest and most vulnerable in our community. The strength of local support is affirmed in renewed donations from the Buckaroo Ball Foundation and The McCune Foundation; and the CEO Challenge Grant is being sustained by the generosity of a Santa Fe resident.

* * * * * * *

A concrete sign of our sustainability shows at the new facility for La Familia’s Dental Clinic on Richards Avenue, honoring LFMC’s bond with Santa Fe Community College to provide expanded dental services and health education. De principio a fin, La Familia has counted on the enthusiastic, tenacious directorship of Dr. Jessica Brewster. Newly elected to Chair the New Mexico Board of Dental Health Care, Dr. Brewster relinquishes her tenure as our Dental Director.

We are fortunate that Dr. Linda Renner has accepted the position of Dental Director of La Familia Medical Center. A tiempo para the grand opening, we look forward to Dr. Renner’s leadership presence.

John CassidyChief Executive Officer

O U R M I S S I O N

L A FA M I L I A M E D I C A L C E N T E R 2 T H E P U L S E • S P R I N G 2 0 1 1 L A FA M I L I A M E D I C A L C E N T E R 3 T H E P U L S E • S P R I N G 2 0 1 1

CEO’s MESSAGELa Familia Medical Center

is dedicated to providing excellent, affordable,

comprehensive medical, dental and health promotion services to

everyone in our community.

Officers

Chief Executive OfficerJohn Cassidy

Medical DirectorJames Lutz, MD

Dental DirectorLinda Renner, DDS

Board of DirectorsRamona Flores-Lopes

PresidentAndrew Montgomery, Esq.

Vice PresidentCharles Smith, MD

TreasurerBen Whitehill, MD

SecretaryCriceida Mendez, Member-at-Large

Jim FisherBill Lazar

Lourdes LopezRandy MurrayErnest Ramos

Curtis SchwartzMark Simpson

Jody SoperSharon Tison

NewsletterNancy Phillips

Director of Development/ Communications

Alto Street Clinic 1035 Alto Street

Santa Fe, NM 87501(505) 982-4425

Southside Clinic2145 Caja del Oro Grant Road

Santa Fe, NM 87507(505) 438-3195

La Familia Medical CenterDental Clinic

6401 Richards Ave.Santa Fe, NM 87508

(505) 984-5048

Health Care for the Homless818 Camino Sierra Vista

Santa Fe, NM 87505(505) 988-1742

Established in 1972, La Familia Medical Center is a not-for-

profit, 501 C (3) organization devoted to providing high quality, culturally sensitive

medical and dental services to the whole community.

• Prof i les f rom La Famil ia Board of Directors •

Ramona Flores-Lopez began her ninth year on the Board of Directors in October. She has served as President of the board since 2007. Her volunteer work mirrors her professional career as the Fiscal Manager for the North Central Region for Presbyterian Medical Services where she

does policy research, monitors budgets and productivity.

When Ramona returned to New Mexico in 1977 following the completion of her studies in Urban and Policy Sciences at the State University of New York at Stony Brook, she went to work for the State of New Mexico. From 1985-1988, she did comprehensive health planning for the State and from 1988-1997 she worked for New Mexico Medicaid. Besides being responsible for creating and monitoring the Medicaid budget, one of her memorable accomplishments is working on the design of Medicaid managed care in 1996-97. From 1997 to 2002, Ramona managed the Long Term Services Division in the Department of Health. She retired from state government in 2002. In 2003, Ms. Flores-Lopez entered the for-profit world as an Executive Account Manager for Affiliated Computer Services, the New Mexico Medicaid fiscal agent. In 2008 she returned to work with community health programs.

La Familia has benefitted tremendously from Ramona’s extensive knowledge and experience in the delivery of health care. “I became a patient at La Familia because physicians in Santa Fe would not take Medicaid patients. So I registered at La Familia even though I had private insurance. Then I kept up with the progress at LFMC when I was with the State and several of the past CEOs told me they were just waiting for me to retire from the State so I could serve on the board,” Ramona reports. “I was happy to do it. I believe that primary care should available to everyone.”

Patients Learn to Manage Their Illness

Diabetes Educator, Carolina Flores, has just completed a pilot program for six high-risk or recently diagnosed diabetes patients. The program consisted of a series of three classes that focused on learning about the disease and the ways it can be managed. With a current caseload of 250 patients, working in a classroom setting has allowed Ms. Flores to reach more patients. Her first class responded favorably, describing the classes as “very useful.”

Dr. Ben Whitehill is serving his ninth year on the LFMC Board of Directors. He is a retired physician who was Clinical Director at the Indian Health Service in Santa Fe from 1983-1993. Previously, Dr. Whitehill had been the Chief Medical

Officer at the U.S. Penitentiaries in Atlanta, GA. and Leavenworth, KS.

From 1960-75, he worked as a missionary for the United Church Board of World Ministries, serving in Hong Kong. He worked in chest medicine, community health development and drug addiction rehabilitation. If you read Dr. Whitehill’s resumé, you might think he would have more free time if he went back to practicing medicine. His volunteer activities are many and varied. In addition to his service on the LFMC board, he volunteers in the reading program at Salazar Elementary School, prepares meals for the homeless at St. Elizabeth Shelter, serves on the board of Bread for the Journey, an organization that provides seed money for fledgling non-profits in Northern New Mexico and leads a Sunday Christian Fellowship group at the NM State Penitentiary. Only space constraints prevent including the complete list of Ben’s volunteer service. When asked why he donates his time to LFMC, Dr. Whitehill said that when he was asked to serve on this board he was very pleased. “The work [of La Familia] is so right.” Clearly Dr. Whitehill is the “right” man for the job of providing leadership to LFMC.

His commitment to helping the less fortunate in the community is crystal clear!!!!

.............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

NEWSLETTER OF LFMC • SANTA FE, NM SPRING 2011

NON-PROFIT ORG.U.S. POSTAGE

PAIDSANTA FE, NM

PERMIT 173

.............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

P.O. Box 5395 • Santa Fe, NM 87502

La Familia is pleased to announce that Dr. Linda Renner has been selected to be the new Dental Director at our new dental clinic replacing Dr. Jessica Brewster who is stepping down from her position of Interim Director. Before last year’s leave of absence, Dr. Brewster had directed LFMC’s dental operations for seven and a half years. She will continue to see patients on a part time basis.

Dr. Renner has been with LFMC since November 2010. She is a graduate of Eldorado High School in Albuquerque and New Mexico State University in Las Cruces. She received her dental degree at the University of Colorado School of Dentistry in Denver.

Dr. Renner spent over six years in the Indian Health Service in Nevada and Arizona and has spent the last ten years practicing dentistry at community clinics on the West Coast. Most recently she worked as an affiliate professor at the University of Washington in Seattle.

La Familia Medical Center

NEW Dental Clinic

There are occasions when it pays to think big. Touring the beautiful new “state of the art” dental clinic that opened in March at the Santa Fe Community College, it is obvious that the leadership at La Familia Medical Center and SFCC were thinking BIG.

As Jessica Brewster, DDS, Dental Director of LFMC, tells the story, the discussions between LFMC and SFCC began over five years ago. The need for expanded dental services at La Familia, especially for the uninsured and underinsured, was acute and there were thoughts of building a new clinic near La Familia’s Southside Clinic on Caja del Oro Grant Road. At that time, the wait for a first appointment was two months. The College had a training program for dental assistants but didn’t have enough dentists at its own dental clinic for its students to get the required variety of practical experience, so placements were made all over the community. What began as a casual conversation between Judy Jenkins, DDS, at LFMC, and Dr. Julie Good, Dean of the School Health and Sciences, has become an 8,000 square foot dental clinic.

According to Aamna Nayyar, DDS, Director of the Dental Program at SFCC, eighteen students a year are accepted into the Dental Assistant Program. With the new clinic, the students can train onsite instead of traveling to various practices in Santa Fe. “Their training will be more efficient and it will be in all three required areas, i.e., adult and pediatric dentistry and hygiene. The Santa Fe community is benefitting in several ways from this collaboration. There are more trained dental assistants who can earn a living wage while meeting the oral health needs of area residents.”

It has taken the efforts of many people to make this happen – including the Santa Fe voters. Several NM state legislators’ earmarked money totaling $850,000 a few years ago but an even bigger event was the passage of a $25 M bond issue to fund the construction of the SFCC School of Health and Sciences. Securing that funding was truly a joint effort with board members and staff at both LFMC and SFCC lobbying on behalf of the bond issue. The final significant infusion of dollars came from President Obama’s stimulus funds – a $1.2 M allocation.

The impact for Santa Fe area residents will be expanded services for adults and children in this beautiful new facility. “The importance of good oral health for people of all ages is often underestimated, “says Dr. Brewster, “but it is especially important for pregnant women and for children. We are thrilled that our patients will be able to get the care they need in the new clinic PLUS our clinic staff works very, very hard and they deserve a beautiful place to work,” Dr. Brewster added.

New Dental Director

Thanks to our good fortune in securing these federal funds, LFMC was able to donate our newest and best used dental equipment to El Centro Health Center in Espanola. Additional equipment from Alto Street has been donated to the Charities Anywhere Foundation and to a start up dental assisting program in Albuquerque.

It’s Working…Dental Screenings Show Results!!

For the past three years, LFMC dentists have done dental screenings at Salazar and Agua Fria Public Elementary Schools. This year Dr. Linda Renner, La Familia’s new Dental Director (see article page 1), is doing the screenings as part of our involvement in the Salazar Partnership. The Salazar Partnership is a non-profit organization that sponsors a variety of support services at the two schools, including tutoring and health and fitness programs.

Parents must sign consent forms for their children to be screened but every child at both schools sees a presentation on oral health and gets a new toothbrush.

The good news is that the program and screenings are producing results! Three years ago, fifty percent of the children who were screened needed urgent dental care, which might be an abscessed tooth or an adult tooth that was trying to come in but was obstructed. This year Dr. Renner reports that of 176 children screened at Agua Fria only 9 were in need of urgent care. Although the screenings at Salazar are not complete, so far 141 students have been screened and only 5 were in need of urgent care.

The final step in the process is a report to the parents on what dental care is needed. Deborah Stump, LFMC’s, School Health Educator, sends home a report and places follow-up phone calls to make sure each family is aware of their options for care.