Letter from the ED
I’m honored to announce that the Albuquerque Health Care for the Homeless Board of Directors selected me to lead the agency. I came to Albuquerque Health Care for the Homeless as the Medical Director in January of 2010. Since then, I’ve felt as if I’ve “come home” professionally. The services are holistic and client-centered which is how health care services should be.
For the past 35 years, I’ve been in the health care field. After almost 20 years in nursing, I returned to school and earned a medical degree from UNM. As a physician, I’ve worked in settings that provided health care to people who did not have ready access to care. Those settings included First Choice Community Healthcare and Public Health with the State of New Mexico. For me, the work at Albuquerque Health Care for the Homeless is a direct representation of my passion to serve those who are least likely to have access to health care.
During my year as Medical Director for Albuquerque Health Care for the Homeless I worked with staff to streamline and maximize the scheduling process, increase access to outreach services, and improve the overall flow of the clinic. The aim was to increase both client and staff satisfaction which is a best-practice for achieving positive health outcomes in the target population. I look forward to continuing these efforts across the agency.
Albuquerque Health Care for the Homeless has a solid tradition of delivering health care services to people experiencing homelessness and with my medical background; I will connect with important partners to transition clients to more mainstream medical care. I will also continue the social justice focus of ending homelessness by working with the Board of Director’s Advocacy Committee. Both focuses are important. While it is important to deliver quality health care, we also want to continue the fight to end homelessness. As the leader of Albuquerque Health Care for the Homeless, my goal is to continue the work on both fronts. I invite you to join me in my desire to end homelessness.
You, too, can find your own way of making a difference, at any level, right now.
* You can support direct care by holding a collection drive for sunscreen this summer.
* You can generate awareness about homelessness and expand the base of support for the AHCH response by organizing a grassroots summer fundraiser.
* You can change the structures and systems that perpetuate homelessness by educating yourself about policy options and engaging in advocacy on related issues – whatever you care about most – from health care reform and access, to housing affordability, to decent incomes.
For more information, click here and here.
Winona Stoltzfus, MD, Executive Director
