In 1969, a new approach to health care took shape in Estancia, New Mexico. The town had no physician, and families often had to travel 60 miles to Albuquerque for care. That changed when Martha Schwebach completed a pilot program at The University of New Mexico, becoming the nation’s first Family Nurse Practitioner—a role that would go on to reshape health care in rural communities.
Physicians at UNM recognized a problem: children were showing signs of untreated infections because no local provider was available. Schwebach was the perfect solution. She was educated across every department—pediatrics, radiology, surgery and family medicine—to assess, diagnose, prescribe and treat.
Schwebach became the model for a profession that continues to grow.
The UNM College of Nursing is actively preparing a new generation of providers. They are developing the advanced skills and dedication necessary for advanced practice nurses to deliver quality patient care where it’s needed most.
– Christine Cogil, DNP, MPS, RN, FNP-BC, FAANP, UNM College of Nursing FNP Program Director
“The medical profession met the nursing profession, and they said, ‘We see a problem — let’s solve it,’” said Schwebach’s daughter, Cyndi Schatzman, who is also a registered nurse and UNM College of Nursing alumna. “Mom was right there in the middle of it—dipping her own X-rays, reading them by hand, treating patients who might’ve gone without care otherwise. That collaboration was so beautiful and rare.”
At Hope Medical Center in Estancia, Schwebach cared for families across Torrance, Santa Fe and Bernalillo counties. She treated emergencies and provided long-term care for chronic illness, often in homes where she was as trusted as family. She even helped a young woman deliver her baby when reaching a hospital wasn’t possible.
“She didn’t just treat the body,” Schatzman said. “She treated the soul. She sat beside people as they were dying. She counseled families, vaccinated children, helped grandparents manage their medicine. Health care was her ministry.”
By 1977, Schwebach opened the Moriarty Medical Clinic, later expanding to the Central New Mexico Medical Center. She continued to advocate for independent practice and prescriptive rights for nurse practitioners, often traveling to Santa Fe to testify.
Her work helped pave the way for New Mexico to become one of the first states to grant Full Practice Authority, allowing NPs to provide care to the full extent of their education and training.
“She was a woman of excellence in everything she did,” Schatzman said. “Even at 85, her mind was sharp. She remembered every patient story, every rotation. She believed in preventive care and the power of education. Her legacy is one of wholeness—of helping people understand how to stay well.”
Martha Schwebach, third from right, meets President Gerald Ford as one of Ten Outstanding Young Women of America in 1974. Photo courtesy Cyndi Schatzman.
Martha Schwebach. Photo courtesy Cyndi Schatzman.
Martha Schwebach. Photo courtesy Cyndi Schatzman.
Martha Schwebach at Hope Medical Center in Estancia, NM. Photo courtesy Cyndi Schatzman.
Martha Schwebach receiving the New Mexico Center for Nursing Excellence Legend Award in 2023. Photo courtesy Cyndi Schatzman.
Schwebach’s achievements were recognized at the state level and beyond. In 1974, President Gerald Ford named her one of Ten Outstanding Young Women of America. She later received the Governor’s Award for Outstanding New Mexico Women and the New Mexico Center for Nursing Excellence Legend Award in 2023.
Today, nurse practitioners are an essential part of the health care workforce. More than 431,000 NPs practice across the United States, with nearly 70% certified as family nurse practitioners, according to the American Association of Nurse Practitioners.
“The same health care provider shortage that sparked the nurse practitioner movement is again impacting New Mexico,” said Christine Cogil, DNP, MPS, RN, FNP-BC, FAANP, UNM College of Nursing Family Nurse Practitioner program director. “In response, the UNM College of Nursing is actively preparing a new generation of providers. They are developing the advanced skills and dedication necessary for advanced practice nurses to deliver quality patient care where it’s needed most.”
This fall, more than 70 nurse practitioner students started at the UNM College of Nursing, including more than two dozen future family nurse practitioners, continuing the legacy Schwebach helped create.
“She was a gem from UNM,” Schatzman said. “From the medical school to the nursing school, both poured into her. What was once so rare that people couldn’t quite define it, has now become the standard of care.”
This week, as we celebrate National Nurse Practitioner Week under the American Association of Nurse Practitioners’ theme Trusted Voices, Proven Care, the UNM College of Nursing honors Schwebach and the foundation she built for the profession.
She dedicated her career to bringing affordable, quality health care to rural New Mexico, setting an example of what’s possible when care begins in community. Her legacy reminds us that by responding to the needs of our neighbors, New Mexico continues to set the precedent for the rest of the country.
Applications are open for the UNM College of Nursing’s nurse practitioner programs. Learn how to take the next step in your nursing career here.
