(Silver City, NM - February 9, 2016)

Hidalgo Medical Services is pleased to announce and welcome Dan Otero as its new Chief Executive Officer. A lifelong resident of Grant County and no stranger to the healthcare field, Dan will formally commence his new duties with HMS on February 22, 2016. Mr. Otero brings more than 26 years of relevant yet diverse experience in healthcare as he transitions to HMS from his previous position as Chief Administrative Officer at Gila Regional Medical Center.

GǣWe welcome Dan's experience and leadership to the HMS community,Gǥ said Dr. Darrick Nelson, who has been serving as the Interim CEO for HMS and also serves as Chief Medical Officer and Residency Program Director. GǣI have had the pleasure of working closely with Mr. Otero in collaboration on issues between HMS and GRMC for almost three years now. I have personally always found him to be very supportive of HMS and our community. He always maintains the highest standards of honesty, integrity and transparency and these attributes will aid HMS in achieving our mission and vision. I can honestly say that having Mr. Otero join our team will help HMS continue to move forward in a positive direction!Gǥ

GǣOver my career I have worked either directly or indirectly with the entire healthcare continuum from caring for newborns to end-of-life care," Otero said. "I transitioned from clinical care into administration over fifteen years ago to help lead the way for those who are called to work directly with patients and their families, and build systems of support departments to help realize those efforts more effectively. The one aspect of my career that I find most important in everything we do is creating ways to truly provide holistic care models that are best described as 'patient-centric' or 'placing the patient at the center of everything we do.' I learned early in my career that this is accomplished through caring for those who care for the patients and building efficient and effective systems of care delivery, and when we do those well, that caring patient-centered culture naturally transitions to our patients, clients and their families.

"I was drawn to HMS because their mission is aligned with providing holistic care through their comprehensive care delivery model that includes primary care, behavioral health, dental services and family support," he continued. "As citizens of Grant and Hidalgo Counties, we are extremely fortunate to have HMS here to provide these critically needed services. It is my personal goal to work collaboratively with HMSG