Douglas Ziedonis, MD, MPH, Executive Vice President for Health Sciences, CEO, UNM Health System | University Of New Mexico Health Sciences Center
Rosario Medina, PhD, FNP-BC, ACNP, CNS, FAANP, FAAN began her tenure as the 12th dean of The University of New Mexico College of Nursing on June 3, 2024. She brings more than 43 years of active nursing experience and decades of academic leadership to the role. Just over two months into her role, Medina already has significant plans to grow the College and its reach across New Mexico.
As dean, Medina plans on building academic programs to prepare a highly diverse workforce and evidence-based clinical environments for student experience and research. She aims to develop collaborations to create clinical enterprises for the College of Nursing. These clinics will not only serve New Mexico communities but also create new clinical placements for nursing students and provide a place for nursing research. Medina also intends to expand the College’s nursing research with a focus on benefiting New Mexico communities by addressing health disparities and chronic illnesses.
"I know that I'm coming into a highly energized, passionate College of Nursing that has a history of being innovative," said Rosario Medina. "I see my role as one of continuous networking, understanding and bringing resources to build the College’s future and encourage curiosity and passion to propel the profession of nursing forward in all facets."
Currently focusing on learning about the College, university, and state, Medina plans to visit various locations across New Mexico to meet with partnering educational institutions and clinical sites while gaining insights into community needs.
Before joining UNM College of Nursing, she served as the associate dean of clinical and community affairs at the University of Colorado-Anschutz College of Nursing in Aurora, Colorado. There she had executive oversight of more than 140 faculty and staff in multiple faculty-managed clinical enterprises serving Denver metro and rural Colorado areas. These included five midwifery practices, a campus community primary clinic, three integrative federally funded health centers, and two pediatric primary care clinics focused on caring for underserved populations.
Medina held various educational leadership roles at the University of Colorado including associate dean for academic affairs for graduate programs; assistant dean for graduate nursing responsible for 15 master’s programs; assistant dean for graduate student affairs; and director of the Doctor of Nursing Program. She also promoted pathway programs into nursing and served as a mentor to aspiring nurses.
As a family nurse practitioner for 25 years and researcher, Medina has become an expert in understanding underserved populations with extensive knowledge in community-based research aimed at changing practice to positively influence healthcare outcomes in underrepresented groups. Her research focuses on health beliefs, values, needs of underserved Hispanic populations particularly in screening and prevention of chronic diseases; medication-assisted treatment for opioid use disorders in Colorado’s underserved frontier and rural counties; and impacts from shifting to tele-health during COVID-19.
