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Board of Directors | By-Laws

The New Mexico Assembly on School-Based Health Care

On January 26, 1999, a SBHC Advisory Group was formed. Jane McGrath stated that the goals of the meeting were to get to know each other working in the field, identify issues, prioritize and set up workgroups to address the issues facing SBHCs, and to start a chapter of the National Assembly for School Based Health Care. Discussion followed that there needed to be better coordination of services, increased mental health services, shared resources and program ideas, uniform policy, procedures and protocols, links with Medicaid, links with MCO’s, advocacy, an assessment tool to evaluate the role in the community and more education to the public about SBHCs.

Priorities were agreed upon: Funding streams, Policies and Procedures, Services, Evaluation, Role of the Office of School Health, SBHC and school integration, male involvement, advocacy and education and technical assistance.

There was discussion at the early meetings about funding streams with Managed care, Medicaid, SCHIPS, and other links with community grant funds. Debbie Birkhauser, APS liaison for school linked services, investigated the by-laws of various non-profits and was instrumental in getting boiler plate bylaws that would be appropriate. Subcommittees were formed at that first meeting. They were advocacy, funding, and policies and procedures. The first chairs were: Naomi Kisten, Maria Duran, Teresa Hartz, Janis Finelli, Melissa Rigg and Laura Sullivan-Gallegos. The proposal to start a chapter was passed without one “nay” vote.

The next meeting was April 20, 1999 in Santa Fe and the committees were all active. By June 1999, a Native American Committee was started in order to represent many needs and sites, by laws were voted on and the process of the election of officers was formulated
The first formal slate of officers in 2000 were Susan Brower, president, Lynette Summers, president-elect, treasurer, Celeste Franklin, secretary, Maria Duran. The first annual meeting was held on March 7. 2000. On December 15, 2000, the chapter was official!  After that time, the committees and issues surrounding SBHCs statewide were addressed.

Upon resignation of Susan Brower, Sue Gowing took over the presidency. By 2003, the Chapter submitted a proposal to the Frost Foundation to establish infrastructure for the Chapter (which was not received), became our affiliation with the National Assembly on School Based Health Care and had a current balance of $918.51 in the bank account! The first newsletter was published with a circulation of 96 copies. The first annual meeting in conjunction with the Head to Toe conference was April 16, 2003 at 5:15 pm.
  
At the annual meeting on April 14, 2004, the slate of officers were presented and voted upon. The term was from October 1, 2004-October 1, 2006. The officers were; President: Nissa Patterson, President-elect: Maria Duran, Secretary, Connie Kane, Treasurer, Susan Udall, NW Rep: Dr. Susie Johns, SW rep: Teresa Munoz. One year terms were: SE rep. Connie Creswell, Albuquerque, Deb Hart, and NE rep, Candice Bush. The Kellogg grant to support SBHCs for Native American students was introduced by JaneMcGrath, MD and in August 2004, New Mexico was chosen as one of 10 sites in the US.

This was the beginning of the Assembly’s relationship with New Mexico Voices. In December 2004, the first executive director of the NM Assembly was hired, Howard Spiegelman. The Board was expanded at the election at the Annual meeting in April 2006. In addition to the executive committee, 5 additional members were added to the Board. 

In February 2007, the Assembly hired its second full-time staff.  Debbie Birkhauser was hired as a Program Manager. At the Annual Meeting in April 2007, the bylaws were amended to reflect that the term for all Board members is 1 year, beginning July 1 – June 30.  An amendment was also approved by the members to allow 2 of the 6 at-large Board members to be appointed by the Board.  The remaining 4 members will be elected by the membership.