As Sandoval County continues to grow, so does the need for specialty care and advanced surgical services. The team at The University of New Mexico Sandoval Regional Medical Center-A Campus of UNM Hospital (SRMC) is making that happen for those patients, close to home.
Every year, surgical teams at SRMC and UNM Hospital in Albuquerque perform more than 24,000 surgeries. Because of the hard work and dedication of surgeons like Anna Lise Koenig, MD, PharmD, patients living in Sandoval County also have access to world-class surgical care at SRMC.
“Some of the services we offer here at Sandoval Regional Medical Center are urology, vascular surgery, oncology, breast surgery, gynecology and orthopedic surgery,” Koenig said. She has been a general surgeon at SRMC since 2020 and does elective general surgery as well as acute care surgery for patients.
Over the last decade, SRMC has continued to increase services, including new technology like surgical robots Mako and Di Vinci Xi that assist surgeons in the operating room, allowing for less pain and faster recovery with good outcomes, Koenig said.
She added, as a smaller hospital, there are some surgeries offered at SRMC that many patients don’t even know can be done so close to home. “People are surprised to know that we're a bariatric center of excellence.”
SRMC has the largest team of bariatric surgeons in the state, and the program was recently recommended for reaccreditation under the Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery Accreditation and Quality Improvement Program for meeting national safety standards for bariatric facilities.
“For patients that used to have to go to UNM Hospital in Albuquerque, they can now stay here at SRMC to receive their care,” Koenig said.
She also said SRMC’s size makes it easier for patients to navigate parking, which can alleviate stress.
SRMC continues to grow, and we continue to improve the capabilities that we can offer the local community. It means a lot to know that the people that live around this area have access to excellent medical care.
- Anna Lise Koenig, MD, PharmD, General Surgeon, SRMC, Assistant Professor of Surgery, UNM School of Medicine
“That makes family visiting and getting out of the hospital a lot easier for our patients, especially after having major surgery,” Koenig said. “We also can follow up with the patients here at SRMC, meaning our patients don't have to fight the traffic to get into Albuquerque when they live on this side of the metro area.”
Removing even one more obstacle, like parking and travel is crucial to providing better medical care to that part of the state.
“As Rio Rancho and surrounding communities continue to grow, it's really important that we have access to care nearby,” Koenig said. “SRMC continues to grow, and we continue to improve the capabilities that we can offer the local community. It means a lot to know that the people that live around this area have access to excellent medical care.”
Even though SRMC is smaller, being a campus of UNM Hospital means it has the support of the state’s only Level-I trauma center, and Koenig wants patients to know this means they will always get the best care possible.
“I'm part of the team with UNM Hospital in Albuquerque and the specialty surgeons there,” Koenig said. “If I need specialty assistance with the proper care for a patient that can't be done here, we can transfer the patient to Albuquerque, and if we just need advice or recommendations on these more complex patients, we can get that as well.”
Still, Koenig handles a wide variety of surgeries on a regular basis.
“On an average week here, I'm doing multiple general surgery cases at SRMC,” she said. “That can include general surgeries like gallbladder removals, hernias, colon surgery, peritoneal dialysis catheters, soft tissue surgery for things like soft tissue masses, and breast surgery.”
Koenig also takes on several acute care surgeries for patients who come in with immediate problems such as appendicitis, cholecystitis and perforated bowels.
She said helping New Mexicans get and stay healthy is something that’s important to her, and she wants to continue delivering more for them.
“What brought me to New Mexico was the beautiful weather and landscape out here, the people and the accessibility to the outdoors, as well as the need for medical practitioners.”
At SRMC she’s able to help fulfill that need for patients living in Sandoval County in a hospital that’s close to home.
