The Faculty

Northern New Mexico
Family Medicine Residency Program Faculty

 

Program Director

 

MARIO PACHECO, MD, Program Director and past founding director of the residency program, was born and raised in northern New Mexico. He is a graduate of the University of New Mexico School of Medicine, where he also completed a residency in Family Medicine and a fellowship in Health of the Public. He has worked at La Familia Medical Center since October 1989 and is a former member of St. Vincent Regional Medical Center Board of Trustees. Dr. Pacheco served as the medical director for the Pecos Valley Medical Center from 1992 to 1994 and medical director for the Health Promotion Bureau of the New Mexico Department of Health from 1994 to 1995. Dr. Pacheco spent 2000-2001 on sabbatical serving as a Robert Wood-Johnson Fellow in Washington D.C. Following his return to his native New Mexico; he spent a year serving as a public health officer prior to returning to his position as Program Director for the Northern New Mexico Family Medicine Residency Program. He is married to Diana Gonzales-Pacheco, has a daughter, Cecilia, and a son, Gabriel.

 

 

 

Faculty in Alphabetical Order

KAREN ARMITAGE, MD, completed a residency in pediatrics at the University of New Mexico. She is the Chief Medical Officer for the state of New Mexico with special interests in public health issues and health of communities. She facilitates the community projects for the Family Medicine residents and loves what she does.

 

 

 

 

 

 

JOAN CARRELLAS, MD, has been board certified since 1997. She did an intensive three month training program in nutrition and primary health care in Niger, Africa and studied in Scotland her junior year.  She earned her Medical degree from Wayne State University in Detroit.  She also has a BA in Government.   She has had Physician Licenses in Alaska, here she was the Director of the Emergency Department, and in Arizona.  She is married with 3 daughters.

 

 

 

RAYA CHYORNY, MD, was born in Russia but recieved most of her formal medical education in the United States.  She joined La Familia Medical Center after completing her residency through this program.  Her interests include international medicine, cross cultural exchange, preventative medicine (especially in the OB population), and pediatrics.  She also had an interest in Behavioral Health, and even practiced psychotherapy prior to becoming a physician. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

NEAL DEVITT, MD, graduated from Harvard University and Rush Medical College before completing his family medicine residency at Lutheran General Hospital in Des Plaines, Illinois. Dr. Devitt began practicing at La Familia Medical Center in 1984. He is Past-President of the New Mexico Chapter of the American Academy of Family Medicine.

 

 

 

 

ERIC GRASSER, MD, is one of the graduates of the Northern NM Family Medicine Residency Program of UNM.  He was a student intern at Stanford University Sports medicine Program and an assistant Coach of the Men’s lacrosse Team.  He earned his degree from Dartmouth Medical School in Hanover, NH in 2000.  His interests and activities include: travel, Iyengar Yoga, Ayurveda, nutrition, outdoor recreation.

 

 

 

 

 

 

GARY HARRIS, MD, is a graduate of the University of Nebraska College of Medicine. He completed his internal medicine residency at Wilford Hall USAF Medical Center and pulmonary fellowship at Southwestern Medical School in Dallas, TX. After 9 years in the Air Force and 25 years at the University of Texas Health Science Center in San Antonio he retired and joined LFMC to develop the Healthcare for the Homeless project.

 

 

 

SUE KATZ, MD MPH, Medical Director of La Familia and a member of the staff of La Familia since 1990. She is involved in quality management activities at the community health center. Dr. Katz graduated from the School of Medicine at the University of California, San Francisco, where she also earned an MPH degree. Her residency was completed in Family Medicine at the University of New Mexico. Bike riding, signing, and eating chocolate are her special interests.

 

 

 

 

ERIC MANSKE, MD, started his career as a Major in the USAF. He earned his Medical degree from Vanderbilt University School of Medicine in 1993. He did his internship and residency in OB/GYN at the University of Rochester Medical Center in New York. His most recent move was from Gallup, NM where he worked at the Gallup Indian Medical Center.  He started working for La Familia Medical Center in December 2997 with his wife Jennifer.

 

 

 

 

ALAN MARX, NP, PA Former Associate Medical Director at LFCM, Alan has had the privilege of being one of many providing care for the Santa Fe community since 1990. Alan received a BSN from Creighton University in 1984 and a Nurse Practitioner/Physician’s Assistant certificate from the University of North Dakota in 1989. He received a Master’s of Science in Nursing at Case Western Reserve in 1996. His work experience includes practicing as a registered nurse in primary care since 1984. He advocates for primary health care as a way to provide health for all in a comprehensive and humane manner

 

 

 

LUIS RIGALES, MD, is a graduate of the University of New Mexico School of Medicine.  Dr. Rigales is the academic director at La Familia for the Northern New Mexico Family Medicine Residency Program. He completed his residency at the Salinas Family Medicine Residency Program in Salinas, California. He is fluent in Spanish. Dr. Rigales joins LFMC from La Clinica de Familia Community Health Center in Las Cruces. He is a native New Mexican, married with two boys and enjoys spending time outdoors with family.

 

 

 

 

JOEL ROSEN, MD, moved to Santa Fe from Kayenta, AZ where he and his wife worked at the Kayenta Health Center.  Joel did his studies at University of CA and earned his Medical degree from Ben Gurion University in Bee Sheva, Israel. He is fluent in Hebrew and some of his volunteer work includes being and English tutor for Bodouin children in Southern Israel and working for the Flying Samaritans who took monthly trips to Baja Mexico to provide medical care to the local population.

 

 

 

 

 

 

MELISSA ROSEN, MD, Rosen received her Medical Degree from Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine in Cleveland, Ohio in May 2000. She is a 2004 Northern NM Family Practice Resident Program graduate. She started working for La Familia in January, 2006. Prior to medical school, she was part of the Japan Exchange Teaching Program for 2 years and has very basic language skills in Japanese, French and is conversant in Spanish. She is married with one son and a baby due in August, 2009. Her interests include rock climbing, mountain biking, Alpine skiing, travel and cooking.

 

 

 

 

 

FEN SARTORIUS, MD, graduated from McGill University in Montreal, Canada, and completed his residency in Family Medicine at the University of New Mexico. He has a Certificate of Added Qualifications in geriatrics and facilitates the geriatric curriculum for Family Medicine residents. He is in private practice in Santa Fe.

 

 

 

 

 

JESSICA SIMPSON-MANSKE, MD, is a board certified family practice physician who earned her medical degree from Vanderbilt University School of Medicine in and completed her residency training in family medicine at the University of Rochester (NY) in 1997.  she served as a Physician and Medical Director for “The Samaritan: A Healthcare Clinic for the Homeless” in Dayton, Ohio, before practicing as a staff physician at the Gallup Indian Medical center from 1999 through 2007.  She joined La Familia Medical center in January 2008.

 

 

 

 

JUSTINA TROTT, MD, is a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania. She is a board certified internist specializing in women’s health. As Director of Women’s Health services Family Care and Counseling Center in Santa Fe, she provides a required specialty rotation to the Family Medicine residents. In addition, she facilitates a regularly scheduled ongoing support group for the PGY II & III Family Medicine residents. Dr. Trott is an active participant in the curriculum and training experience for the Family Medicine residents.

 

 

 

 

 

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