WHO WE ARE
NMHPCA’s vision is a healthy, equitable, sustainable future for all New Mexicans.
NMHPCA’s mission is to mobilize New Mexico healthcare and public health professionals to advocate for climate solutions that protect health and promote equity.
Why NMHPCA?
View this presentation to learn more about who we are and why you should join and support NMHPCA.
Board of Directors
Paul Charlton, MD, MA
Chair
I am an Emergency Medicine Physician with the Indian Health Service, proudly living and working in Gallup, NM with my wife (Internal Medicine Physician) and two young kids. I currently participate in the University of Colorado Diploma in Climate Medicine, inspired by what other health professionals around the world are doing on climate issues and what we can accomplish in New Mexico as well.
My motivations on this topic are both professional and personal. As an avid climber I’ve watched the glaciated mountain environments I love in the Cascades and Karakoram Mountains change rapidly, accompanied by the disturbing effects of growing wildfires throughout the western US. The 2022 final straw for me was my wheezy, pitiful-looking 2 year old son requiring admission to the hospital for respiratory distress with continuous nebulizer treatments and a nasal cannula providing oxygen taped to his face. The prospect of my children growing up in a world with not only the physical geography irrevocably changed—barren after wildfires, parched of water, vanished glaciers—but with their personal health markedly decreased due to poor air quality, extreme weather events, conflicts over resources and massive population migrations, is what motivates me to help organize New Mexican health professionals around this topic.
Claudia Pratesi, PhD, MCRP
Chair-Elect
Dr. Claudia B. Pratesi is an Assistant Professor at the College of Population Health, UNM, with a focus on Environmental and Planetary Health issues. Her academic credentials include a Doctoral degree in Health Sciences, from Brazil, a Master’s in water resources, a master’s of Community and Regional Planning from the University of New Mexico, and a Bachelor’s degree in environmental studies from Eckerd College. Both masters programs focused on Environmental and Community Health issues. Dr. Pratesi's goal in life was to get a Master’s degree in Conservation Biology and to save animals in danger of extinction – more specifically, to save the sharks! However, she quickly realized humans were the animals in trouble and at risk of extinction.
During her doctoral program, she participated in several research topics and publications such as: Celiac Disease, Kawasaki Disease, the Presence of Microplastic in Drinking Water, the Presence of Microplastic in Sugar, Phenolic Lipid Extract, and the Assessment of BDNF in Autism Spectrum Disorder.
Melissa E. Riley, Ph.D.
Secretary
Dr. Melissa E. Riley, Ph.D. (Mescalero Apache), Director of the Native American Social Work Studies Institute at New Mexico Highlands University, Facundo Valdez School of Social Work. In addition to being a successful small business owner specializing in grant writing, program evaluation, and environmental and education-based services for government and non-government agencies, Dr. Riley has an extensive background in managing federal projects within the Department of Justice and the Office for Victims of Crime.
Dr. Riley has an outstanding reputation as a nationally recognized expert in victim services, focusing on assessing tribal program needs, evaluating training and technical assistance, and recording and analyzing performance measures for project sustainability. She has also developed curricula for various organizations, including the New Mexico Department of Health, Gallup Indian Health Services, and the University of Texas at Arlington, providing valuable expertise in teen dating violence, chronic health conditions, child welfare, and public health.
Her contributions to developing sexual assault protocols, behavioral health, social service policies and procedures, and other tribal multidisciplinary policies and procedures have been instrumental in enhancing victim service response and increasing prosecution. She has also designed and executed wrap-around services for tribal programs that serve community members impacted by alcohol, substance abuse, crime, and other social issues.
Carrie Shaver, DHA, IHC, FACHE
Treasurer
Dr. Carrie Shaver is an Assistant Professor of Health Management and Leadership at Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center. Dr. Shaver has a strong background in the social service sector and has experience administering disease prevention, treatment, and health and wellness programs. She endeavors to bridge gaps between traditional silos in healthcare and foster collaboration among healthcare professionals through Systems Thinking. By embracing this holistic framework, she aims to contribute to the development of sustainable, inclusive, and equitable healthcare systems. Dr. Shaver’s research centers around understanding and addressing the unique healthcare challenges faced by rural and frontier communities along the United States-Mexico border and countries within Latin America and the Caribbean.
Kenneth Reid, MBA, MHA, Doctoral Candidate
Tribal Affiliation: Isleta/Laguna Pueblo
Tribal Member: Pueblo of Isleta
I was born and raised on an Indian reservation, Pueblo of Isleta, New Mexico. I am the oldest of 5 children, all of which pursued a professional health and educational career. I am married and still continue to live on my reservation, with my wife and 6 grand-children that we have been raising for the past 4-5 years. I grew up with my grandparents who were farmers back in the days, growing their own crops such as corn, melon, chili, green beans, peanuts, squash, etc…I learned how to become a farmer and the value of growing our own crops back in the days. We had plenty of water for our crops, the soil was rich and full of nutrients and humus (organic matter) which are a necessity for plants and crops, but times have changed since then, and now we are all facing the ill effects of climate change.
I am working for Santa Clara Pueblo Tribe, and serving as their Director, Self Governance Department, which supports the Agriculture Department, Tribal Forestry Department, Environmental Department, Realty Department, Social Services, Tribal Courts, Law Enforcement, and a few additional projects. I am also the Chair of the Tribal Health Committee as well. I had worked for the Indian Health Service in the Bemidji (Minnesota) Area Office, as well as in their IHS Headquarters located in Rockville, Maryland. I’m a fellow with the National Rural Health Care Association, a Fellow with Eco-America, and also with the National Network of Public Health Institutes, ILPH. I'm also a new Board Member of NM Alliance of Health Councils. I have a Master’s degree in Business Administration- Health Care Management (MBA); Master’s degree in Health Administration (MHA); a Graduate Certificate in Non-Profit Organizational Management; and have been working on my PhD dissertation for my PhD in Health Care Administration.
Kristin Graziano, DO, MPH, FAAFP
Kristin Graziano is a lover of nature, time with friends and family, good food,
and adventuring. She is a family physician who spent most of her career with the Indian Health
Service in the rural southwest. She had the privilege of working and living on the Navajo and
Jicarilla Apache Nations, where she gained an intense appreciation for the strength and stories
of her patients and the beauty of their landscapes. Most recently, she worked at the
Presbyterian Medical Center clinic in Questa, NM.
While working as a family physician, she obtained her Master of Public Health at Emory
University and completed a teaching fellowship at the University of Arizona. She served as an
assistant professor of Family and Community Medicine at both the University of Arizona and
Dartmouth Giesel School of Medicine. In 2021, she completed a course of study in Narrative
Medicine at Columbia University and currently teaches this discipline to the residents at the St.
Vincent Family Medicine residency program in Santa Fe.
Dr. Graziano is passionate about social and environmental justice and the natural world. She
recognizes the inextricable link between climate and health and the urgency we face. She is
excited to lend her voice to the chorus of health professionals who are taking action for a
healthy, equitable, and sustainable future for all New Mexicans.
Outside of medicine, she enjoys hiking, cycling, cooking, camping, and writing.
She lives in Arroyo Seco with her wife, Joan, and their adorable and brilliant heeler mix rez dog,
Macy.
Staff
Nathaniel Matthews-Trigg, MPH, CEM, NMCEM
Nathaniel Matthews-Trigg is the Associate Director for Climate and Disaster Resilience at Americares, a health-focused international relief and development organization. Nathaniel is also an affiliate instructor with the University of Washington’s Center for Climate, Health, and the Global Environment. Nathaniel has extensive experience in integrating and operationalizing climate adaptation research into emergency management and public health emergency preparedness programs. He is a founding board member of the NMHPCA. Nathaniel was born and raised in Albuquerque.
Shelley Mann-Lev, MPH
Executive Director
I grew up in Los Angeles with smog-filled skies and beautiful beaches. After earning an MPH, I moved to Santa Fe 30 years ago and worked with DOH followed by 20 years as the Santa Fe Public Schools Prevention Coordinator and Director of the Santa Fe Prevention Alliance. I was President of NM Public Health Association and currently serve as a Prevention Consultant and public health advocate. Policy change, community and youth education, and access to healthcare and other services to improve the lives of all New Mexicans are my passions. I love
to sing, hike and be with family and friends, including my 90+ year old parents.
While I was an early environmentalist, my devotion to climate change started with the realization that the lives of my daughter and all children depended on ending our disastrous use of fossil fuels and other dangerous chemicals. Climate change was a looming and now immediate threat to public health and required action from people like me who cared about improving health.
Kelcie R. Creel, MPH
Program Manager and Communications Specialist
Kelcie Creel (she/her) is based in Albuquerque. She earned her Master of Public Health degree from New Mexico State University in 2023. She is part of the current cohort of the Tribal Data Champions Fellowship hosted by The University of New Mexico’s Center for Participatory Research, and she was a 2023 Health Equity Fellow with the Association of State Public Health Nutritionists.
Ms. Creel’s current projects include working with the New Mexico Social Justice and Equity Institute on the Workforce Development Program evaluation. Her research interests include Indigenous health equity and the impact of environmental health issues, particularly for communities in her home state of New Mexico. Kelcie finds joy in traveling with her husband, watching baseball, and playing Selena records for her two rescue cats.
Charles Goodmacher, MA
Policy Advisor
Charles Goodmacher is the founder of Do Good, LLC and brings his lifetime of professional experience (thirty years in New Mexico) working in a variety of positions to participate in the healing and repair of our broken world.
He started his professional career as an economic analyst for the Office of Management and Budget, City of New York. He then worked with non-profit issue education and advocacy groups on the West Coast and for the last thirty years in New Mexico. Charles’ varied experiences include five years as a legislative analyst for the New Mexico House Majority Leader, during which he served three of those years as Senior Majority Analyst. He also served as co-director of the New Mexico Legislative Campaign Committee, and as political director or campaign manager for numerous federal, state, and local political campaigns. Charles earned his BA in History from Reed College. He earned an MA in Urban Affairs and Policy Analysis from the New School for Social Research.
Work Groups
Work Group Leads:
Policy and Advocacy Work Group: Kristin Graziano and Paul Charlton
Healthcare Decarbonization Work Group
Please email nmhpca@gmail.com if you are interested in joining one of these groups.
The Medical Society Consortium on Climate and Health (MSCCH) is hosted by George Mason University Center for Climate Change Communication in collaboration with Sean N. Parker Center, Stanford School of Medicine.
Climate change is one of the most important issues of our time and has major health and healthcare implications. As some of the most respected professionals in America, doctors and nurses have a crucial part to play in raising awareness of the public about these issues. To facilitate the medical community’s awareness-raising efforts, the Medical Society Consortium on Climate and Health (Consortium) brings together associations representing over 700,000 clinical practitioners to carry three simple messages:
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Climate change is harming Americans today and these harms will increase unless we act;
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The way to slow or stop these harms is to decrease the use of fossil fuels and increase energy efficiency and use of clean energy sources; and
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These changes in energy choices will improve the quality of our air and water and bring immediate health benefits.
This is especially important to vulnerable Americans and communities who are experiencing a disproportionate impact today from climate change. View the summary of MSCCH here.
Visit the Medical Society Consortium on Climate and Health below.