Candidate Bios

Current Employment:
HIM Educator
Central New Mexico Community College

Previous Positions:

2017-current: Health Information Management instructor with Health Information Technology (HIT) and Health Services Management (HSM) programs. 2017-2018 moved from part-time instructor to full-time faculty.

2013-2018: Clinical Documentation and Coding Specialist and Educator for the Clinical Documentation Quality Assurance (CDQA) department with Presbyterian Medical Group (PMG).

Education:

2023 | July: Anticipated graduation with honors as a member of the National Society of Leadership and Success (NSLS) (ΣAπ) for BA in Healthcare Information Management (HIM) with Western Governor’s University (WGU)

2018 | August: Obtained AAS in Health Information Technology (HIT) from Central New Mexico Community College (CNM)

HIM Association Activities:

2018-2022 Speaker for numerous conferences with NMHIMA, ThinkPINK!, BBHIMA, and Badger Healthcare Associates in various coding and documentation education sessions.

2019-Current: Founding/Executive Board Member with the NM Black Cat Cultural Center, a local 501(c)3 which focuses on providing space, education, and services in performing arts, culture, and community for LGBT+, Youth, and all demographic groups.

Roles including healthcare services in HIM for areas of leadership and finance:
2019-2022: Served as treasurer/ CFO
2019-2022: Director of Health and Wellness focusing on developing areas including programs such as “Happy Stages” (therapy through theater arts), mental health and LGBT+ support groups, and various free services and resources for all members of our community.

2022-current: VP of Outreach and Youth Leadership programs.

Bio:

I am an educator with over 17 years of experience in healthcare, administration, and education. I started from the grass-roots working in customer service and administration for a local dental insurance office, then worked my way through medical insurance, claims and denials, billing management, and finally, roles in policies and procedure writing, intermingled with coding and education. I have been a coding specialist for nearly my entire career and an educator through either higher education or coder and provider education for the past 13 years.

I believe that my work with the NM Black Cat has given me the experience and understanding of the intricate details that go into a 501(c)3 and its importance to our communities. From this experience, I see myself as an innovative leader who is willing to identify my team’s strengths to meet healthcare needs throughout New Mexico, allowing us to see growth, education, and advancement within our vast field.

Current Employment:
AR and Billing Director
UNM Hospitals

Previous Positions:

2019 to Current: UNM Hospitals Director of Billing

2003 to 2018: Mountain View Regional Medical Center multiple positions throughout the years from Admitting to Case Management to Revenue Cycle Director

Education:

MBA, University of Phoenix

Bio:

I currently am an NMHIMA Board member and would like the opportunity to be President-Elect. I have an MBA, as well as over 30 years of leadership experience in Revenue Cycle. I have been fortunate over the years to have worked in every facet of the Revenue Cycle, which has afforded me many opportunities to problem solve, implement process improvement, and strategic planning, which is needed to be successful. I am currently the Billing Director for UNM Health Systems and this position gives me an opportunity to forensically resolve Billing issues that are related to Coding. I believe that HIM is an absolute partner to Patient Financial Services and together build a stronger and successful Revenue Cycle. I would bring a well-rounded Revenue Cycle expertise to any issues that arise and would appreciate consideration to become a part of this community by serving on the NMHIMA Board as President-Elect to build a very successful team that will provide great knowledge and resources to the HIMS community.

Current Employment:
Assistant Professor
New Mexico State University-DACC

Previous Positions:

Assistant Professor, Health Information Technology NMSU-DACC 8/2019 to Present
Instructor, Health Information Technology NMSU-DACC 2014-2019
Medicare Coordination of Benefits Rep 1-2014 to 9-2014 & Adjunct Instructor 1-2010 to 8-2014
Business Office Asst Mgr. Casa de Oro Nursing and Rehabilitation2011-2014
Lead Medical Billing Specialist, Mountain View Regional Medical Center 2-2003 to 1-2011

Education:

New Mexico State University-Las Cruces, New Mexico-Bachelor of Business Administration December 2004
New Mexico State University-Associate in Pre-Business December 2002
Also attended: the University of Maryland-University Park, El Paso Community College, and International Business College.

HIM Association Activities:

Assist my school in learning more about HIM, what it is etc.
Mentor & Tutor students in HIT/HIM
Organize workshops on National exams, give practice exams
Coding tutoring with students seeking to study.
Volunteer at Foodbank

Bio:

Professional development of HIM- I attend several workshops offered by AHIMA and AAPC
Worked in Healthcare for 18 or more years.
Maintain relationships with HIM directors and managers in my area.
Advocacy in healthcare. Doing more research in this field because it is of great interest to me for our state.

Current Employment:
Remote OP Coder
Sturdy Memorial Hospital

Previous Positions:

Remote OP Coder for Gryphon Healthcare 2021-2022
ED Charge Coordinator for Memorial Medical Center 2020-2021
Remote OP Coder for Memorial Medical Center 2016-2020
Administrative Assistant to CMO for Memorial Medical Center 2015-2016
Treatment Foster Parent for Families & Youth Inc. 2003-2017

Education:

Associate of Applied Science-Health Information Technology, NMSU, May 2015
Certificate in Medical Billing, NMSU, May 2015
Associates Degree Secretarial Administration, NMSU, Jan 1995

HIM Association Activities:

I am currently serving on the NMHIMA Board as Nominating Committee Since June 2022, Actively participating in all activities, and will continue supporting my fellow Committee Candidates.

Bio:

Reliable, Organized, Time Management skills, Active Listener, and team player.