News Room

New Mexico Medical Review Association (NMMRA) Earns Roadrunner Recognition from Quality New Mexico

Albuquerque, NM-The New Mexico Medical Review Association (NMMRA) received 2005 Roadrunner Recognition from Quality New Mexico on April 6 at its 2006 Annual Conference and Awards Ceremony. Quality New Mexico, the state's quality award program, is modeled after the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award Program. NMMRA is one of 10 New Mexico organizations and businesses to receive 2005 Roadrunner recognition for demonstrating, through commitment to and implementation of quality principles, significant progress in building sound quality processes.

In 1998, NMMRA achieved Piñon recognition and in late 2004 decided to pursue Roadrunner recognition. Dan Jaco, NMMRA's Chief Executive Officer said, "It's a great honor to receive this prestigious recognition, which is a reflection on our high-quality staff. As a statewide health care quality improvement organization, this recognition affirms our commitment to quality principles and processes. Working to improve health care for all New Mexicans also entails working to improve the quality of our own internal processes as well and we are excited to be on this journey."

Six NMMRA staff members also serve as Quality New Mexico examiners and participate in reviewing applications from organizations and businesses all over the state. These examiners constitute NMMRA's Quality New Mexico Application Team. They are Christine Beechhold, MA; Carlene Brown, MPH, CPHQ; Sheila Conneen, PhD, MPH, RN-C; Patricia Gonzalez, BUS; Tim Voskuil, MS, CQM, CQE and Bruce Whitman, MS.

NMMRA's mission is to improve the quality and protect the integrity of health care in New Mexico through collaboration, partnerships, contracts, education and direct actions. Its core values are Integrity, Excellence, Respect and Customer Service.

NMMRA is a not-for-profit, physician-sponsored organization that is New Mexico's federally contracted Medicare Quality Improvement Organization and Medicaid External Quality Review Organization. The organization works with health care providers, consumer and health care organizations, and state and federal agencies to improve the quality of health care in New Mexico.