ALBUQUERQUE OnFriday, June 14,the New Mexico Early Childhood and Education Department (ECECD) will present its inaugural Early Childhood Healthcare Champions of the Year award to four New Mexico healthcare providers in recognition of their above-and-beyond efforts to promote participation in Home Visiting and Family Infant Toddler (FIT) early intervention programs within the communities they serve. The first-ever recipients of the award were nominated by community members in recognition oftheir outstanding advocacy on behalf of home visiting and early intervention services, which support the health, development, and well-being of children and their families.

ECECD will present the New Mexico Early Childhood Healthcare Champion of the Year awards to:

Kimberly Talachyworks as a full-spectrum doula, lactation counselor, developmental specialist, trainer, and parent educator servingRio Arriba, Taos, and Santa Fe counties. Her background includes home visiting, early intervention, case management, teen leadership, child care, curriculum development, and group facilitation.She is a member of the New Mexico Doula Association and the Rio Arriba chapter of the New Mexico Breastfeeding Taskforce, which she formerly chaired.

Trista Hughes,DO, MPH, is a board-certified family medicine physician fromSocorro.Her areas of interest include full-spectrum family medicine, family-centered prenatal & obstetric care, and osteopathic manipulative medicine. She serves on several hospital committees and as the medical director for obstetrics at Presbyterian Medical Group Socorro. Trista feels fortunate for the privilege of caring for family members across multiple generations, while also helping bring the next generation into the world.

Amber-Rose Hawkinsis recognized for her work as a pediatric primary care nurse practitioner (CPNP-PC) inSilver City. Amber-Rose has made it her life mission to raise standards of care for pediatric patients across the care continuum starting, with an emphasis on prevention and healthy play promotion. Equity is a core value in her practice. Amber-Rose believes that every child deserves seamless access to quality, trauma-informed healthcare and seeks to utilize holistic, trauma-informed interventions in every interaction involving children or caregivers.

Siboney Rodriguezis a licensed social worker, certified lactation counselor, certified INNATE postpartum care practitioner, prenatal and infant loss (PAIL) advocate, and breastfeeding and baby care educator. A passionate birth and postpartum worker, Siboney operates her practice, Motherhood Wellness of New Mexico, inAlbuquerque. Siboney works as the Core Team Leader with the New Mexico Breastfeeding Task Force, supporting clinical and outreach efforts to improve lactation protection and promotion. Herwork promotes equitable health care access and birth and postpartum care that is supportive, culturally comprehensive, safe, and restorative.