Photos and article by Charlie McKee
HMS Health Center Day 2014
HMS Health Center Day
HMS's bold new Silver City building, opened in February 2013, announces Health Center Day.
HMS Health Center Day
HMS Billing Department and Maintenance Department staff (left to right), Mary Ann Terrazas, Stephanie Shields, Sammy Molina, and Stephanie Phillips, show off their skills as chefs, cooking hamburgers and hot dogs for attendees.
HMS Health Center Day
Red-shirted HMS staff are ready to answer questions and provide health screening on Pope Street in Silver City, as well as at the clinics in Bayard, Cliff, Mimbres and Lordsburg.
HMS Health Center Day
Registered Nurse Lori Walin (standing) takes Chief Medical Officer Dr. Darrick Nelson's (seated) blood pressure. Nelson seemed to remain remarkably calm during the procedure.
HMS Health Center Day
Charlie Alfero (left), HMS Executive Director, displays his multi-faceted talents, entertaining Health Center Day visitors along with his strumming friends, Jeff Ray (center) and Greg Renfro (right).
HMS Health Center Day
Silver City Co-op's Community Outreach Coordinator, Carolyn Smith (left) and HMS's Internal Medicine and Pediatrics Dr. Michelle Pahl (right) offer nutritious and healthful snack and beverage alternatives to visitors.
HMS Health Center Day
Silver City HMS staff (left to right), Elva Quimby, Family Suport Services; Melanie De La Garza, Clinic Coordinator; Tiffany Howard, Medical Assistant; and Peggy Thevenot, Operations Support, welcome the community with their beautiful smiles.
On Wednesday, Aug. 20, Hidalgo Medical Services (HMS) welcomed the community at its five clinics in Silver City, Cliff, Bayard, Mimbres, and Lordsburg to a joint celebration of "Health Center Day." Booths were set up, and red-shirted HMS staff and local businesses were ready to help people with free health screenings, information about insurance and Medicare, nutrition advice, and much more – not to mention free lunch.
Carmen Maynes, Director of Family Support Services, stated that, in addition to celebrating its patients and their family members, Health Center Day was organized in conjunction with National Health Center Week to recognize HMS's community partners who collaborate in improving the health of the community. Maynes reported that HMS offers quality medical, dental, mental health, and family support services to the community. She also highlighted HMS's role as a teaching health center for tomorrow's physicians with its new medical residency training program established in 2013.