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Holy Cross Hospital Invites Taos County Veterans to 4th Annual “Brunch With the Bravest”

Wednesday, 11 November 2026, 1000–1130 hours

Holy Cross Hospital is proud to announce its 4th Annual Veterans Day Brunch, honoring the service and sacrifice of Taos County veterans. The “Brunch With the Bravest” event will be held on Veterans Day, Wednesday, 11 November 2026, from 1000 to 1130 hours in the Wheeler Peak Cafeteria at Holy Cross Hospital. All Taos County veterans are invited to this free brunch as a heartfelt thank you for their dedication and selfless service to our nation.

Over the past three years, the Veterans Day celebration at Holy Cross has become a treasured community tradition, bringing veterans together to share stories, reconnect with old friends, and enjoy a meal in their honor. This year’s event will once again be catered by the talented Dietary staff of Holy Cross Hospital, who are preparing a delicious brunch to show their appreciation for local veterans.

Holy Cross Hospital is one of the largest employers in Taos County, with over [560] dedicated employees, including [15] proud veterans who continue to serve their community through healthcare. The hospital is deeply committed to supporting those who have served, both as valued members of its staff and as patients within its care network. The event is a chance to recognize not only the veterans on the Holy Cross team but all veterans across our community.

Holy Cross Hospital accepts TriWest Veterans Health Care, expanding access to high-quality care for veterans in Taos County and reaffirming the hospital’s commitment to serving those who have served.

The hospital invites all Taos County veterans to join this celebration of camaraderie, gratitude, and community. Veterans from every branch of service are welcome. Please bring proof of service to the event to ensure proper recognition.

Event Details:

• When: Wednesday, 11 November 2026, 1000–1130 hours
• Where: Wheeler Peak Cafeteria, Holy Cross Hospital, 1397 Weimer Road, Taos, NM
• Who: All Taos County veterans with proof of service
• Cost: Free for all veterans

Healthcare Across Holy Cross Medical Center’s Clinics

In 1936, Mabel Dodge Luhan donated a house on La Posta Road to help bring hospital care to Taos. The Sisters of the Holy Family of Nazareth operated the small hospital, caring for a community whose needs would grow and change over the decades. Ninety years later, that donated home has become part of the story of Holy Cross Medical Center, a healthcare network serving families throughout northern New Mexico.

Holy Cross’s six outpatient clinics offer a wide array of services and specialized care right here in Taos. Alongside childhood checkups and pregnancy care, patients can access pacemaker checks, preventative visits, varicose vein procedures, kidney stone treatment, podiatry services, and orthopedic joint replacement. These are just a few examples of the care available locally, offering options that rural communities cannot always count on finding close to home.

“Some patients assume they need to travel out of town for specialized care, when they may be able to receive that care right here,” Amelia Espinoza, a Holy Cross clinic supervisor said. “Helping patients access the services they need while staying close to their families and support systems is something we take great pride in.”

For patients and families, local access can mean less time away from work, fewer travel expenses and the comfort of having family and friends nearby.

Holy Cross Orthopedics and Taos Orthopaedic Institute, with a Taos clinic on Gusdorf Road, treat conditions affecting the shoulder, hip, knee, and foot and ankle. Sports medicine services support people recovering from injuries and returning to activity.

Care includes treatment for arthritis, fractures, ligament and tendon injuries, and other conditions that interfere with daily life. Options range from injections and rehabilitation planning to joint replacement and other surgeries when appropriate.

Holy Cross is expanding into additional orthopedic specialties and strengthening its relationship with Taos Orthopaedic Institute to broaden local access.

At Holy Cross Primary Care, the focus is on building an ongoing relationship with a practitioner who can help with preventive care, everyday concerns and management of ongoing conditions. The team also works with specialists to coordinate treatment.

“We are deeply invested in the community we serve and have a shared goal of providing not only primary care but also co-management of care with external specialists to support accessibility,” said Zena Olguin, a Holy Cross clinical supervisor.

With four providers and practitioners and another expected to begin accepting patients in the next few months, the clinic is working to meet the continuing need for primary care in Taos. Teamwork, expanded training and improvements supported by Holy Cross’ new electronic medical record system are also helping increase patient capacity.

Holy Cross Surgical Specialties, located next to the hospital, brings together general surgery, urology, vein therapy and podiatry. Patients can receive consultations and treatment for concerns ranging from hernias and gallbladder problems to kidney stones and urinary conditions. Services also include varicose vein procedures and podiatry care for foot and ankle concerns.

The clinic connects evaluations, procedures and follow-up care. For appropriate general surgery procedures, surgeons use the hospital’s da Vinci 5 robotic surgical system to support minimally invasive techniques.

On Gusdorf Road, Holy Cross Women’s Health Institute provides care through different stages of life, including preventive visits, pregnancy care and treatment of gynecologic concerns.

Its two OB/GYN physicians also offer gynecologic surgery, including minimally invasive hysterectomy using the hospital’s da Vinci 5 system. The clinic has helped address the local primary care shortage by providing preventive and primary care services as well. Recent state support will help the institute recruit additional practitioners to better meet community needs.

Holy Cross Cardiology, in the Taos Professional Building on Weimer Road, helps patients understand and manage their heart health. Services include heart rhythm monitoring, pacemaker checks, heart failure care and testing to guide treatment.

The clinic is supported by advanced imaging at Holy Cross Hospital, including the Philips Incisive and GE Revolution Vibe CT scanners. The Vibe is designed to capture detailed heart images within a single heartbeat, including in some patients whose irregular heart rhythms make imaging more challenging.

HeartFlow Plaque Analysis adds another resource, using artificial intelligence to examine coronary CT images and help clinicians assess plaque buildup in the arteries supplying the heart. Together, these tools provide information that can help patients and practitioners make decisions about care.

For families with children, Taos Clinic for Children & Youth on Weimer Road offers preventive care, evaluation of childhood illnesses and support as children grow. Two physicians and two certified pediatric nurse practitioners serve local families. Circumcisions are also among the services available through the clinic.

The clinic is accepting new patients and offers same-day appointments, giving families a local option when a health concern needs prompt attention.

Making care available at each of these locations takes an entire team. Alongside practitioners and nurses, medical assistants prepare patients for visits, front desk employees manage appointments and questions, and coordinators help connect the many steps involved in treatment. A single visit may depend on several people working together, often behind the scenes, to help a patient get the care they need.

“So much of what our team does happens quietly, without recognition, but it makes a meaningful difference to patients and their families every day,” Espinoza said.

These employees are an essential part of local healthcare. They balance busy schedules, ongoing training and the needs of patients who may be worried or feeling unwell. Patience and respectful communication help create a supportive environment for everyone and recognize the people whose daily work keeps these clinics running.

Supporting that teamwork is Holy Cross’s new electronic medical record system, which is helping its outpatient clinics and hospital coordinate care more effectively. Work with other local clinics and providers is ongoing as teams improve communication between different medical record systems. Building these connections takes time and collaboration, but the effort will bring lasting benefits to the region, including better coordination among providers, smoother transitions for patients and a stronger healthcare safety net.

Building on the current range of services, Holy Cross is working to close remaining gaps in local care. Recent surveys highlight growing demand for primary care and Taos lacks a dedicated urgent care clinic. A Medical Office Complex now under construction next to Holy Cross Hospital will help address both needs, expanding primary care capacity and adding urgent care as another option for residents to receive care close to home. With further expansions possible in the future, the Medical Office complex could be home to additional specialized services not currently available locally.

“Our teams are doing an incredible job caring for our community, but we know there is a growing need for greater access to care in our community,” said James Kiser, CEO of Holy Cross Medical Center. “Our most recent Community Health Needs Assessment identified urgent care and expanded primary care as two of the region’s greatest needs. The new medical office complex being constructed on our hospital campus will help us address both priorities, streamline access to services, and further improve the quality of care we provide to the communities we serve.”

Ninety years after Holy Cross began in a donated home, its growth continues to reflect the needs of the region it serves. Expanding local services and improving how care teams work together can help more residents receive treatment without the added burden of traveling far from home. For families throughout northern New Mexico, the goal is better access to dependable care, supported by people who know and serve their community.

Paint Taos Pink This October

Throughout October, Taos will turn pink as local businesses, residents and community partners come together for Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Paint Taos Pink benefits Holy Cross Medical Center’s Cancer Support Services, with every dollar raised staying local to provide free support for individuals and families.

Jeannie Ross, Director of Community Health Services at Holy Cross, has overseen the program and Paint Taos Pink for nine years. Her passion and commitment to her department and the program inspires those around her, reflecting a deep appreciation for both the people the program serves and the community that makes it possible.

“October is a month when the whole country focuses on breast cancer, and it’s also a time to rally around people experiencing cancer,” Ross said. “Paint Taos Pink combines education, outreach and an opportunity to support a wonderful local service. It shines a light on Taos Cancer Support Services and the free help available.”

The program provides travel assistance, meal support, support groups and patient navigation. In a rural region where specialized treatment often requires traveling outside the community, these resources help ease the practical and financial burdens of cancer care.

“Cancer touches all of us in some way, whether through a parent, a friend, a coworker or a neighbor,” Ross said. “Paint Taos Pink shows people experiencing cancer how much this community cares about them and reminds them that support is here.”

Paint Taos Pink is a month-long community campaign that brings together local events, restaurant fundraisers and awareness activities to support Taos Cancer Support Services. Residents can participate by attending an event, dining at a participating restaurant, entering the raffle or donating directly. This year’s activities include:

• Oct. 2 | Pink Happy Hour: Daleee at KTAOS, 5–7 p.m.
• Oct. 18 | Heart Light: A Fall Sound Journey for Healing with Jennifer Manhoff at Aura Fitness, 5 p.m.
• Oct. 24 | Zumba: Taos Spa and Tennis Club, 1–3 p.m.
• Oct. 25 | Posing in Pink: Yoga in honor of breast cancer awareness with Aura at Aura Fitness, 9 a.m.
• Oct. 31 | Taos Cares raffle drawing: Chances to win prizes while supporting local people facing cancer.

Participating restaurants will also donate a portion of proceeds on designated days:

• Oct. 3: Pizaños
• Oct. 7: Gutiz
• Oct. 15: Aceq
• Oct. 19: Taos Tap Room at Taos Mesa Brewing
• Oct. 30: Martyrs Steakhouse, lunch only

“Many of these restaurants and businesses have been part of Paint Taos Pink for years, and I’m humbled by their commitment,” Ross said. “They show up year after year, without hesitation. Supporting these businesses is another way to recognize the generosity they continually show our community.”

The Town of Taos and tea.o.graphy are providing month-long support. The Town’s “Wednesdays We Wear Pink” initiative encourages residents to wear pink every Wednesday in October. Its Taos Business Challenge invites businesses to decorate offices, facilities and workspaces with pink and breast cancer awareness decorations.

To enter, businesses can email photos or videos of their decorated spaces, along with contact information, to taosyouth@taosnm.gov. Participants may also request an in-person visit. Winners will be announced and prizes delivered Friday, Oct. 30.

“We’re excited about the Town’s extra involvement this year,” Ross said. “I’m looking forward to seeing people wearing pink on Wednesdays around town and businesses finding creative, fun ways to decorate and spread awareness.”

October is also a good time for people who are due for a mammogram to schedule one. Holy Cross Hospital offers Genius 3D mammography, providing advanced breast imaging close to home. You don’t need to leave Taos for a state-of-the-art 3D mammogram. Patients can speak with their healthcare provider about screening and a referral, or visit www.HolyCrossMedicalCenter.org for more information.

“This is a program for our community, supported by our community,” Ross said. “Without that support, we couldn’t provide these services. I’m grateful to everyone who contributes. These are real resources for people experiencing cancer, and they show how this community takes care of its own.”

For event details, donations and raffle information, visit PaintTaosPink.org.

State Funding to Help Sustain Women’s Health Services in Taos

Holy Cross Women’s Health Institute has been selected to receive up to $2.2 million from the New Mexico Health Care Authority to help stabilize access to women’s health and obstetrical care for the Taos region. The three-year grant will support staffing, equipment upgrades and the long-term sustainability of essential local services.

The award comes through the state’s Rural Health Care Delivery Fund, a program designed to help stabilize essential medical services in rural communities. During an October 2025 special session, state lawmakers appropriated $50 million from the General Fund and expanded the program to help sustain existing rural healthcare services. Holy Cross’s three-year funding period is scheduled to run from Sept. 1, 2026, through Aug. 31, 2029.

The allocation came as rural healthcare practitioners faced workforce shortages, rising operating costs and uncertainty surrounding future Medicaid funding. The state program is separate from the federal Rural Health Transformation Program established under legislation commonly referred to as the “One Big Beautiful Bill,” although both seek to address challenges facing rural healthcare. Holy Cross submitted its application for the state grant earlier this year and will also evaluate relevant federal funding opportunities as they become available.

Holy Cross Women’s Health Institute is one of the specialty clinics operated by Holy Cross Medical Center. The clinic’s regional importance was a key consideration in the award. It is the only OB/GYN practice within a 50-mile radius with hospital privileges and is a primary source of prenatal care, labor and delivery, reproductive healthcare and gynecological services for the Taos region.

“When care is not available locally, I have seen what happens,” Casey Smith, MD, an OB/GYN at the institute, wrote in a letter supporting the application. “Women drive hours for appointments. Families scramble to find childcare, take time off work, and shoulder costs they cannot afford.”

Dr. Smith, who joined Women’s Health Institute in 2023, and Dr. Siggins, who joined in 2025, form the core of the institute’s OB/GYN team. Together, they have helped preserve access to obstetrical and gynecological care in Taos while providing trusted, compassionate care to women and families throughout the region.

The grant will build on their work by supporting the retention of the institute’s current care team and recruitment to support up to two more practitioners. Funding may also support nurses and other clinical staff. Retention incentives and professional support will promote staff well-being, continuity of care and more sustainable call schedules. The grant will also fund equipment upgrades to support reliable, high-quality care.

With additional clinical capacity and stronger resources, the institute will be better positioned to maintain services and expand appointment availability. This includes access to preventive services such as annual wellness visits, breast exams, Pap smears, STI screening, family planning and contraceptive counseling. The funding will also help sustain prenatal and postpartum care, obstetric imaging, urgent gynecological care and office-based procedures such as biopsies, colposcopies, hysteroscopies, LEEP procedures, polyp removal and contraceptive implant insertion and removal.

The grant’s scope of work estimates that approximately 2,800 people will be served during the funding period. The first year will focus on strengthening staffing and access to baseline services. By the second year, Holy Cross projects a 20% to 30% increase in patient volume as staffing and operational capacity improve. These efforts will support the broader goal of maintaining dependable access to preventive, reproductive and obstetrical care into the future.

“Holy Cross is honored to receive this support,” James Kiser, CEO of Holy Cross Medical Center, said. “Our Community Health Needs Assessment identified access to primary care as one of the public’s most important needs. Women’s health and preventive services are critical parts of meeting that need and are essential for our community. This grant will help expand access at Women’s Health Institute, allowing more women to receive high-quality care, right here in Taos.”

Patients who need surgery can also receive a range of minimally invasive gynecological procedures locally. Drs. Smith and Siggins utilize Holy Cross Medical Center’s da Vinci 5 robotic surgical system to perform hysterectomies, oophorectomies, salpingectomies and ovarian cystectomies. The system gives surgeons enhanced visualization and precision, and minimally invasive procedures can mean smaller incisions, less pain and faster recovery for some patients.

Keeping these services in Taos can reduce the need for multiple trips to Santa Fe or other distant communities for consultations, procedures and follow-up visits. Local access can also ease the costs and logistical challenges associated with transportation, childcare and time away from work.

The grant is ultimately intended to serve as a bridge to a more stable and sustainable local women’s health program. By supporting a dependable workforce, upgrading equipment and preserving essential services, Holy Cross aims to protect access to care today while building the capacity to meet the community’s needs in the years ahead.

Learn more about Holy Cross Women’s Health Institute at TaosWomensHealth.org

Medical Office Building Groundbreaking

A groundbreaking ceremony was held on July 30, 2026, marking an important step in the development and construction of Holy Cross Medical Center’s new Medical Office Building. Located on the hospital campus, the new facility will expand access to primary and urgent care services while helping build a lasting legacy of care for a healthy future.

Thank you to Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham, Senator Roberto “Bobby” J. Gonzales, Representative Kristina Ortez, Taos County, and the Town of Taos for working together to support local healthcare!

Video Transcript:

James Kiser, CEO, Holy Cross Medical Center:

Hi, I’m James Kiser, CEO of Holy Cross Medical Center. This has been a journey in the making.

We heard from you through the Community Health Needs Assessment that primary and urgent care was your number one need. Thanks to Senator Gonzales for securing the funding, we’re now building a medical office building to do just that.

We’ll have 30 exam rooms, urgent care, and access to primary care. It’s necessary to help keep our public healthy.

Thank you for your support. I also want to thank the Town of Taos for its assistance with permitting, and particularly Taos County for helping make this work. It’s been a wonderful collaborative project. It’s been very complicated and complex, and it will continue to be going forward, but together we will win. Thank you.

Brent Jaramillo, Taos County Manager:

The Holy Cross Medical Office Building represents facilities that are going to benefit the residents of Taos County and the region. They’ll provide much-needed medical exam rooms, as well as doctors and nurses who will provide services for our community.

Darlene Vigil, Taos County Commissioner:

I am super excited to be here today and to actually see what happens when collaboration takes place. Today is a testament to partnership and collaboration.

I think the community of Taos should be very excited to see what happens when we all come together.

Roberto “Bobby” J. Gonzales, New Mexico State Senator:

I just want to say that this is a very important day for Taos—and not only for Taos, but also for the region this medical service is going to serve.

We’re very honored that this is now a reality and that we are here today for the groundbreaking ceremony. The important part is the service it will bring to the people of the entire region in this part of the state.

Medical Office Complex Update

Holy Cross Medical Center CEO James Kiser provides an update on the progress of the new Medical Office Complex planned for the Holy Cross campus on Weimer Road.

Video Transcript:
Hi, I’m James Kiser, CEO of Holy Cross Medical Center.

I wanted to share some information given what was in the paper last Thursday regarding the state calling back $22.5 million. I was aware of it beforehand, but as you all know, we’ve worked hard with the support of Senator Roberto “Bobby” J. Gonzales. He’s helped us secure funding over the past three legislative sessions for a new medical office complex. Our Community Health Needs Assessment identified access to primary care and urgent care as the number one healthcare need in our community.

He told us to come see him, and during the 2024 legislative session, he secured $15 million for Phase One of a medical office building that would house primary care and urgent care.

Since then, in 2025, he was able to secure an additional $7.5 million, which provided an extension on that initial $15 million. Then, during the 2026 legislative session, he secured another $12 million for the so-called second building, Phase Two, which would bring the project to nearly 40,000 square feet of medical office space on the Holy Cross campus.

The way the funding works is that it comes through the state’s General Fund in House Bill 2, with the county serving as the fiscal agent. So everything has to flow through the county.

We knew those funds had to be encumbered quickly, so our Holy Cross Board allocated $1.5 million for architectural design before the funds even became available on July 1, 2024, so we would not miss a deadline. The funds had to be spent by the following legislative session in January. A deadline for an extension was missed, and those funds were not spent.

Long story short, we have to come together—the Town, the County, and Holy Cross. We have to pursue getting these funds reappropriated during the next legislative session. There is a remote chance there may be a special session called by the Governor this year, and if that happens, we will pursue that opportunity as well. I have spoken with the Senator regarding that.

The good news is that we do have access to the $12 million appropriated during this last session, so we are moving forward with the first building. We have received formal approval from the New Mexico Health Care Authority. We had hoped to hold a groundbreaking ceremony this Thursday, July 9, but the Senator was unable to attend, and he has been paramount in making this project possible.

As soon as his schedule allows, we will hold the ceremony. Hopefully—and I’ve been saying this for a few years now—we’ll be breaking ground soon, ideally next month in August.

Again, to summarize, we are moving forward with the $12 million and the initial building for primary care and urgent care. We look forward to the teamwork between the Town of Taos, Taos County, and Holy Cross to make this vision a reality. With the guidance of Senator Roberto “Bobby” J. Gonzales, we are going to work diligently during the next legislative session with the Governor and her staff to seek reappropriation of the $22.5 million so we can complete the project as intended, with approximately 40,000 square feet of new medical office space.

Thanks for all that you do. Stay safe.

Monthly Video Update

In an effort to help our community understand the changes happening in health care and at the hospital, we will be posting regular updates from the administration at Holy Cross Medical Center to help share information with the public.