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BCOM Faculty & Staff to Present at Advancing Tribal Healthcare Conference in Santa Fe

BCOM is committed to improving healthcare in tribal communities. Director of Simulation Sam Gutierrez, Chief of Staff Justin McHorse, and Hal Jr., a hi-fidelity simulation mannequin, presented last year at the Mescalero Apache School.

Several members of the BCOM faculty and staff will be presenting at the Advancing Tribal Healthcare: Improving Process and Performance in Native Country conference on Saturday, July 15 at Buffalo Thunder Resort & Casino in Santa Fe.

The conference is hosted by Owl Springs Consulting, an organization based in Bernalillo, New Mexico “dedicated to expanding the capacity and technical skills of Indian Health Services (IHS), Tribal 638 clinics, and other health care entities that serve the American Indian/Alaskan Native communities.”

Owl Springs says this is the first of hopefully many conferences aimed at strengthening healthcare services by providing training opportunities for local Tribal 638 healthcare and IHS facilities and their employees.

“Participation in events such as the ATHC is a great way to introduce communities to BCOM that may not yet know much about its existence and purpose. Most importantly, participation at such events is vital to building relations and support for expanding clinical opportunities for medical student rotations as well and growing future medical students in the community,” said BCOM’s Chief of Staff and Assistant Dean for Multicultural Inclusion Justin McHorse, who will be co-presenting at the conference with BCOM faculty members Nancy Minugh-Purvis, Ph.D., and Adela Lente, MD.

McHorse will also join BCOM’s Assistant Dean for Osteopathic Integration LeAnn D. Jons-Cox, DO, in a presentation on how Osteopathic Manipulative Medicine is a good fit for tribal communities. Dr. Jons-Cox will also lead a presentation on “Osteopathic Lymphatic Techniques.”

BCOM’s Hugo Vilchis, MD, an expert on population health, and psychiatrist Manuel Mota-Castillo, MD, will present on “Building a Healthier Community in Native Country.” Sam Gutierrez, BCOM’s director of simulation, will discuss “Advancing Tribal Healthcare through High Fidelity Medical Simulation,” and Oliver Hayes, DO, will present on “Building Partnerships with Native Communities for Medical Education.”

Owl Springs Consulting said, “With the combined efforts of our organizations, we will continue to improve healthcare services in the rural and underserved areas of New Mexico and beyond. We appreciate the opportunities for collaboration and commend all in their efforts to further improve healthcare in Native Country.”

Late and on-site registration for the Advancing Tribal Healthcare Conference is open through July 15. Registration complete.