About Pamela K. Blackwell, JD
Welcome to Word of Mouth NM. Pamela started this blog to help lift the veil on the dental shortage and access issue in New Mexico – a problem that isn’t getting enough attention.
She is deeply involved with dental access issues through her work at Health Action New Mexico, a statewide healthcare access and advocacy organization where she is the project director for oral health access. She works directly with state and federal agencies, legislators, and other organizations to develop and improve healthcare policy and access to healthcare services. She particularly enjoys educating the public and others on the implications of federal and state policy and their very important role in influencing policy decisions.
Originally from New Mexico, Pamela was a healthcare legislative assistant on Capitol Hill for Rep. Steve Schiff of New Mexico and Rep. Ralph Regula of Ohio and served in the legal department of a major hospital system. Also in Washington, DC, Pamela was the Associate Director for Federal Regulatory & Payment Policy for the American Association of Nurse Anesthetists (AANA). She is on the boards of the New Mexico Telehealth Alliance (NMTHA) and the YMCA of Central New Mexico, and is a member of New Mexico First and Women in Government Relations (Washington, DC).
Pamela earned her bachelors degree in journalism at Colorado State University and her JD at George Mason University School of Law in Arlington, Virginia. She lives in Albuquerque, NM with her husband and daughter.
