Today’s Healthy Community

This week on Today's Healthy Community, host Rebekka VanNess speaks with Dr Robert Rhyne, Professor and Vice Chair for Research in the Department of Family and Community Medicine at the University of New Mexico School of Medicine. They discuss the Opioid Crisis in New Mexico and a UNM project seeking candidates from Southwest New Mexico to participate in a study of how pain patients self administer medical cannabis and its […]

This week on Today's Healthy Community, host Rebekka VanNess speaks with Bernalillo County District Attorney Raúl Torrez on issues of childhood mental health and how neglected, abused, and traumatized children often become derailed into the criminal justice system. Born and raised in Albuquerque, Raúl Torrez is a former federal prosecutor and senior adviser in President Obama’s Department of Justice. Working for nearly a decade as an Assistant U.S. Attorney, Assistant […]

This week on Today's Healthy Community,  Rebekka VanNess interviews Dr Molly Faulkner and Dr Bob Phillips on the opioid epidemic, and the need to educate high school and college students on career opportunities in mental and behavioral health fields. Dr Molly Faulkner is an Assistant Professor, Nurse Practitioner and Clinical Social Worker in the Division of Community Behavioral Health at the University of New Mexico Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral […]

On this week's installment of Today's Healthy Community, host Rebekka VanNess interviews Dr Stasia Ruskie, PhD and RN on the concept and application of Comprehensive Healthcare as a means of improving health outcomes. What is Comprehensive Healthcare? Dr. Ruskie began nursing career in ER, quickly realized impacting public health was the best way to improve America’s health. She wound up pursuing a PHD in nursing research at the University of […]

In this installment of Today's Healthy Community, your host, Rebekka VanNess, interviews Dr Mark Epstein, Chief Medical Officer of True Health New Mexico. As Chief Medical Officer at THNM, and most recently as New Mexico Health Connections’ founding CMO, Dr Epstein leads a multidisciplinary Medical Management team securing highly coordinated care for their members.  He and his team implement the companies’ programs in support of care model innovation. Prior to […]

This week, Today's Healthy Community host Rebekka VanNess interviews Dr David Friedman, surgeon and health advocate here in New Mexico and beyond.  He has been engaged with the military and Indian Services as well as civilian practice in Boston and here in New Mexico. Born in New York, Dr Friedman did his undergrad, graduate, and medical school studies at Tufts University in Boston.  He did his residency in the San […]

On this installment of Today's Healthy Community, host Rebekka VanNess has a conversation with Dr Lucinda Miner - Deputy Director of the Office of Science Policy, Engagement, Education and Communications at the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute (NHLBI). Dr Miner is a leader of the Institute’s efforts to develop and provide science-based information to ensure that NHLBI’s research is both useful and implemented.  Prior to joining NHLBI, Dr Miner […]

This week on Today's Healthy Community, host Rebekka VanNess interviews Pete Fronte, CEO of Altura Studies and Research on clinical studies, what they are, and why should you care Did you know that there are different types of research and not all research involves medication? Pete Fronte is the founder and President/CEO of Altura.  He shares why research, all types , are so important to the future of healthcare and […]

This marks the debut of Today's Healthy Community with your host, Rebekka VanNess featuring an interview with Dr Barbara McAneny, noted oncologist and president-elect of the American Medical Association. Goals of the American Medical Association and how Health Literacy Affects Us All Barbara L. McAneny (Mak-A-Nen-Nee), MD, a renowned oncologist from Albuquerque, New Mexico, is the president-elect of the American Medical Association. Her one-year term as president will begin in […]