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Alumni

 It was a privilege to have each of these amazing people served at Casa de Salud. We truly appreciate their dedication and wish you all the best in their future endevours! 

Steve Cuevas

 

Casa de Salud has taught me not only clinical skills but also life skills. Thanks to working at this clinic, I now possess phlebotomy skills, triage skills, and know how to interact with patients in a positive and helpful manner. Before the clinic was even open, everyone (including the physicians because they so strongly believed in the cause) pitched in to help paint, lay down tile, install doors, etc. Casa de Salud is also a unique and interesting clinic since they are able to bring together allopathic medicine and alternative forms of medicine in a harmonious and respectful way that makes any patient feel comfortable. Patient care does not need to be expensive but every patient should receive respect, be listened to, and should be involved in the decision for healthcare whatever it may be. Casa de Salud has made a positive impression on me and I will take and use these skills for when I start medical school in September 2011 and will be more open-minded after have worked at such a great medical clinic that provides affordable healthcare for all.Steve Cueva is now a medical student at University of Medicine and Health Sciences St. Kitts.

Marion Cook 

 

After many years as an Outward Bound instructor in Montana and Mexico, I came to New Mexico with the hope of finding community and returning to school. I started as a work study volunteer and stayed at Casa de Salud for over three and a half years. In addition to clinical skills and invaluable mentorship from clinicians, I gained valuable experience overseeing lab and public health contracts, participating in governance and board meetings, running a harm reduction site, and hiring and training new staff. I was lucky to be a part of developing the Apprentice Model under the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation grant, and am excited to know that my work will benefit the clinic as well as the health care systems that we will go on to build careers in for many years to come. Now a medical student at UNM, I continue draw inspiration from my time at Casa de Salud.

Elena Gandara

 

 

My name is Elena Gandara and I am a junior Biology student at UNM. I moved to Albuquerque two years ago from my hometown of  Las Cruces, New Mexico. I am very close to my family as most of my extended relatives live in Las Cruces. My family is from Santa Barbara, Chihuahua, a small mining town south of Chihuahua City. I grew up being very aware and very proud of my Mexican heritage and I love having shared experiences with other apprentices and clients from the clinic. Working at the clinic has been an amazing experience for me. I feel as though I am giving back to my community and giving back to my people. It has been wonderful to be a part of so many people’s healing experience. My favorite part of the job is listening to people talk openly about their health issues and life stories with me. It is truly humbling to have a complete stranger put their trust in you in order to let healing begin. In addition to volunteering my time at the clinic, I am a member of UNM’s Initiatives to Maximize Student Diversity Program (IMSD) and I have been involved in biomedical research for almost two years now. I am currently in a lab researching Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD). In a year or so, I hope to apply to medical school or graduate school in order to pursue my love of medicine or my love of research.

Kate O'Donnell

 

For the last 10 years, Kate´s interest and involvement in language rights and health care have been nurtured in El Salvador, Guatemala, and Mexico. Most recently this passion lead her to finish a BA in Spanish and Portuguese from UNM in which she focused on Spanish sociolinguistics and language rights in health care. She is most interested in language rights and health issues along linguistic, cultural, and legal borders, places in which creativity, blending, and descrimination thrive. Kate is currently working toward certification as a Spanish and English medical interpreter, and hopes to extend this certification to Portuguese. Working at Casa de Salud has given her the oportunity to do what she likes most: provide health services to underserved communities in their own language.

German Zapata

 

My name is German Zapata Jr. and I am a student at the University of New Mexico. I am studying to obtain a bachelors degree in Biochemistry and another one in Spanish. I started at the clinic in 2010. It has been my pleasure to work in an environment where there isn’t only one way to heal, but various methods and therapies from different healing disciplines that blend together so that patients can better benefit from all that our providers have to offer.

Sara Mitchell

 

 

I grew up in Albuquerque and studied conservation biology at Colorado State University. If I could have a super power, I would be able to make it snow whenever I wanted (so that I could ski whenever I wanted!) I am currently applying to medical school at UNM. I hope to serve underserved and underrepresented communities here in the state when I graduate.

Kate Reinhart

 

I was born and raised in Albuquerque, NM. I graduated from the University of Denver with a B.S. in biochemistry and biology, and I will be beginning my graduate studies in biomedical sciences at UNM in the fall of 2013. I began volunteering at Casa de Salud, and specifically with the Freedom to Heal (FtH) program, in August of 2012. I joined the FtH initiative because the program addresses opiate addiction, an illness that is often ignored by society and the healthcare system. The program allows me to witness patient transformations facilitated by a compassionate team of physicians and healers. In my graduate work, I hope to research drug addictions and their impact throughout the brain and body. Ultimately, I plan to apply to medical school through a combined PhD/MD program with the prospect of continuing to help substance abuse populations in both bench and bedside settings.

Jennifer Prosser

 

Jen Prosser is a practicing herbalist and educator. In addition to volunteering with the Freedom to Heal program at Casa de Salud, she runs Sunstone Farm and Learning Center at her farm in the South Valley, offering consultations and workshops relating to Permaculture, urban homesteading, medicinal herbs and more. Jen keeps goats, chickens, bees, the occasional pig, and grows food year round. She loves the warm, caring environment at Casa and is excited to participate in and learn more about the practice of integrative medicine offered here.

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  • Anna White

  • Chris Bustos

  • Crystal Luna

  • Iric Guthrie

  • Jaime Leanos

  • John Luna

  • Leopoldo Nunez

  • Zane Maroney

  • Caroline Muraida

  • Tristen Ashley Adams

  • Vanessa Acosta

  • Janet Roybal

  • Karen Garcia

  • Andres Aigla

  • Lizzet Castillo

  • Oscar Mendez

  • Tomas Valerio

  • Patricia Estrella

  • Rebecca Rico

  • Ruth Duarte

  • Susan Muraida

  • Noe Carrete

  • Hadley Pope

  • Juan Soche

  • Zach Weiss

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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