Note:
The 2010 Board elections will be held in January 2010.
President:
Gary Oppedahl
President
and CEO of TBAB Health Care Services. An Electrical Engineer
by degree, he started his career at Intel Corporation, where
he held various engineering and management positions. While
at Intel, Gary’s mother was diagnosed with a non-Hodgkin’s
lymphoma. This experience became a crash course in being a
caregiver within the medical and home health systems. Gary’s
career then took him from semiconductors, to semiconductor
lasers to laser medical devices from California to Ireland
and ultimately (with the birth of his Grandson here) back
to New Mexico, where he was the CEO of a laser medical device
company. In July of 2005, Gary formed TBAB (To Be A Blessing)
Healthcare Services. He is also a Managing Partner of 1-800-HomeCare,
a consortium of the highest quality healthcare services. He
is a member of the Board of Directors for Silver Horizons,
a senior support organization. He is a Big Brother in the
Big Brother program working with at-risk youth and volunteers
one day per week at “Noon Day” feeding the homeless.
Gary’s purpose in life is to be a blessing, reduce fear,
and promote peace of mind to all he encounters, and he is
blessed to be able to work at this to the best of his ability
every day.
President
Elect: Linda Lunn, RN
Linda
has had over 20 years experience in nursing. For the past
3 years she has been the Nurse Liaison for Heritage Home Healthcare
& Hospice in Albuquerque. In 2007 she served as Vice President
of the Rio Grande Chapter of CMSA and also as Program Committee
Chairman, guiding the selection of annual conference speakers
and the monthly chapter meeting speakers. Linda has full respect
for the stress and demands placed on case managers to utilize
all resources and maintain the health, safety, and quality
of life of the patient. Linda continues her work with CMSA
to promote the knowledge and professionalism of all case managers
and associates.
Vice
President: Michelle Tirado
Maj Michelle
Tirado has been in the Air Force 20 yrs. She has a wealth
of experience. Her current position is as the Chief Nurse
Executive, Medical Management Flight Commander and a Health
Care Integrator. She is responsible for the well-being of
the Nursing Staff. She is currently standing up the Med Mgmt
Flight with the UM, CM and DM. As a former private pilot she
has a BS in Aviation Administration, BSN, MAS in Aeronautical
Science with a minor in Human Factors. Her Certifications
are in Nursing Administration, Disease Management and Infection
Control. She is working on her Case Management Certification
through the ANCC.
Treasurer:
Linda Beaty
Lynda
has been a Social Worker since 1973 and a Case Manager for
the past 10 years. She currently works for HEALTHSOUTH Rehab
Hospital, in Albuquerque. She has worked at both, Select Specialty
in OKC, and HEALTHSOUTH. She is a licensed LISW, in New Mexico.
She has a Master of Science in Social Work from the University
of Texas in Austin. She is currently a member of NASW, since
1975, and of ACSW, with a specialty in both clinical and administrative
practice. Lynda is excited to be the Treasurer for NMCMSA!
Secretary:
Roberta Dillon
Roberta
is a year and a half new to New Mexico having spent all her
life on the east coast. In her 28 years of nursing she has
held positions from floor nurse to director of several home
health agencies to clinical instructor at two major universities.
Most of the last 20yrs of her nursing career has been working
with older adults in the community. She has been a member
of CMSA since she began her current position of Case Management
Coordinator at Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Mexico in early
2008. Her case management philosophy rests on compassion,
true listening and mutual goal setting with clients.
Board
Director: Beth Martin
Beth
has been a nurse for the past 29 years. She worked maternal
infant for 6 years at a private hospital in Birmingham, Alabama,
leaving to work in the home health field where she then started
marketing infusion therapy. In 1987 she went to work for a
managed care company doing utilization review and case management.
She moved to NM in 1999 and has worked for Cimarron, Molina
and Presbyterian Hospital. Presently she works for BCBS doing
case management for the federal employee program. She has
been a member of CMSA for the past 5 years and has been active
on several seminar committees.
Board
Director: Grace Daniel
Grace
has had over 20 years of experience in nursing. For the past
10 years she has held the position of RN Nurse Case Manger
at UNMH. She is currently assigned to the UNM Senior Health
Clinic. She recently earned her Certificate in Geriatric Care.
She is an active member of the Rio Grande Chapter of CMSA
and has served on the Membership Committee since 2007. Over
the last 4 years, she has served on the Board of Care Giver
Connection, planning the annual Care Conference through the
Department of Senior Affairs. Grace appreciates the lecture
offering, the leadership and the enthusiasm of the Rio Grande
Chapter of CMSA.
Board
Director: Elizabeth Ramos RN,
BSN, CCM, CNLCP, CPUR, F/ABDA
Elizabeth
Ramos has her floor-nursing experience in orthopedic, neurosurgery,
and rehabilitative medicine. She has worked as an inpatient
case manager for St. Joseph Rehabilitation hospital with brain
injury, spinal cord injury, and stroke patients. She transitioned
to insurance-based case management and into workers' compensation.
Her certifications are as a Certified Case Manager (CCM),
Certified Nurse Life Care Planner (CNLCP), Certified Professional
in Utilization Review (CPUR), and American Board of Disability
Analysis/Fellow (ABDA).
After
practicing as an independent workers' compensation case manager
and nurse life care planner for seven years, she transitioned
back to direct patient care. Currently, Elizabeth functions
as the Surgical Nurse for a skin cancer and reconstructive
surgeon. She was a part of establishing the Rio Grande Chapter
of CMSA, previously serving as Secretary, Vice President and
President
Past
President: Carla Metzner, BSN, RN, CCM
Carla
is a native of New Mexico, having graduated from the University
of New Mexico's College of Nursing in 1975. She received her
case management certification in 2005. She has a varied background
in medical and surgical nursing, and has worked for most hospitals
in Albuquerque. She worked at the VAMC for 20 years. She started
as a nurse case manager in Cardiac Rehab., then moved on to
work at UNM Hospital, Care Management Services. She has been
working as an outpatient clinic case manager at UNMH since
meeting her current supervisor, at the first CMSA meeting
she attended. Now being the Past Pres. of CMSA, she continues
to be a member of the Program speaker committee and the Seminar
committee. "I wasn't sure that I would like case management
when I started, but I have found it to be the most rewarding
work that I have done. It has given me the opportunity to
put my years of nursing experience to the best use, in helping
others. CMSA has been an invaluable resource and educator
in my current role."
