Board of Directors Introductions

Jennifer Sandoval, CCA, CPC, CRC

President

Jennifer resides in Santa Fe. She was a ballet dancer for ten years and was diagnosed with Associated Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension (aPAH). While focusing on her health, she worked as a planner for a multi-county government agency and then as a freelance bookkeeper. With the personal experience with her health challenges and the knowledge gained she desired a transition into health with a focus on health information management and began to dip her toes into the HIM world, as an HIM technician. In Spring 2023, Jennifer received a master’s in health informatics administration (MS-HIA) from the University of Maryland Global College and works as a health informatics contractor.

She desires to continue working with agencies and organizations that further their efforts and focus on interoperability and developing programming that marries clinical health needs with social services.

Jennifer is married and enjoys watching and supporting her two-step “teens” play sports. When she is not attending the kid’s activities, you can find her regularly skiing at Ski Santa Fe during ski season and practicing Yoga year-round. She especially enjoys her downtime with her husband cruising or strolling around the Santa Fe Plaza and Canyon Road and traveling.

Glenda Rivera, MBA, CCA

President-Elect

Hi, my name is Glenda Rivera and I am a native in this beautiful state. I have 4 step-children and 12 grandchildren that live in Lubbock, so I go back and forth often so that keeps me quite busy. I believe that our path in life is fast and try to take any opportunity to make a memory.

I have been in the Healthcare Finance industry for over 30 years now and have worked in about every facet of the Revenue Cycle. I continue to learn new stuff and love Healthcare because there is always something different. I have been the Billing Director of UNM Health System in Albuquerque since 2019 and before that was the Revenue Cycle Director for Mountain View in Las Cruces for 15 years.

I am so excited for the upcoming year to engage our members to make your membership something to be proud of and works for you!

Bobbie Jo Romero, CCA

Treasurer

My name is Bobbie Jo Romero I live in Las Cruces, NM.  I have 4 young adult children and 4 bonus in-laws and 8 grandchildren.  I enjoy long walks, hiking, camping, biking, baking and spending time with my family.

I began my journey in Health Information back in 2013 when I attended my local University and graduated with an Associates of Applied Science in Health Information Technology in May of 2015.  I have been a Remote Coder since 2016 and have been coding for the Hospital Outpatient facility side. I am currently coding for Sturdy Memorial Hospital which is in Attleboro, Massachusetts.

I became a part of the NMHIMA Board in July 2022 as a Nominating Committee Member and enjoyed being part of such an amazing Committee.  I recently accepted the position of Treasurer and am excited to continue being part of an amazing committee with an incredible group of ladies. We have some new and exciting opportunities and experiences that I am very enthusiastic and eager to be part of.

Melanie Grant, RHIT, CPC, CPMA

Member-At-Large

Melanie Grant, RHIT, CPMA, CPC, resides in Albuquerque, NM, with her son and 3 cats. She enjoys spending time with her son and singing karaoke when not working. Melanie has worked for many years in the local LGBT+ community with non-profits and youth leadership groups, both in and outside of healthcare. She is a member of the National Society of Leadership and Success and will be graduating in 2024 from WGU with honors for her BA in HIM.

Starting in 2006, Melanie’s journey in HIM began with an office administrative position at a local dental insurance office. Although she was going to school for accounting at the time, she found a passion for claim processing which led her into other insurance-based coding positions and eventually took her into the education spectrum after many years of working alongside extern students and training providers in proper documentation quality and coding guidelines.
Now, as an educator for CNM, Melanie teaches students in various areas of health information technologies, business, and office management, with a strong focus on medical coding and reimbursement concepts of HIM. She has also been a public speaker on many topics in medical coding and documentation for a variety of organizations and independent training and is available on YouTube as a resource to new HIT professionals.

As a member-at-large, Melanie hopes to be able to provide valuable insight, guidance and resources to NMHIMA’s board and members alike. She offers both her experience and collaborations to NMHIMA in hopes that it will allow our local chapter and state to re-establish its membership growth and involvement with anticipation of the changes we face post-covid.

Gail Fuller

Member-At-Large

Hi, I am Gail Fuller, and I live in Las Cruces. I enjoy traveling, seeing, and trying new and exciting things. I enjoy life. I am an Assistant Professor at Dona Ana Community College/New Mexico State University. I teach in the Health Information Technology Program. I am excited to be a part of a student’s journey into the healthcare field. I worked as a medical biller and coder for more than 18 years. I prepare students as well as non-students to sit for the national exam. It is so exciting to have a student tell me they passed. I am also a strong advocate for healthcare and our state.

Krysia Weaver

Student Leader for Student Membership

My name is Krysia Weaver, I live in Cedar Crest New Mexico, and I am currently pursuing an associate degree in health information management. I began my journey toward the health information field in 2020 when I decided to transition from massage therapy to explore options in the healthcare industry. I have a deep interest in anatomy, physiology and healthcare, these interests coupled with a talent for medical terminology, planning, organizing and advocacy have led me to dive deeper into the HIM field. My role as student board member began Fall of 2022, working with the other HIM professionals on the NMHIMA board is teaching me about project management, team building, AHIMA principles and HIM networking. It is a wonderful experience belonging to a team of people from all corners of New Mexico working together to benefit our state. My goal is to assist HIM students in connecting with HIM professionals and continue absorbing skills in Health Information.