UNM-LA News:
The next UNM-Los Alamos (UNM-LA) “A Day in the Life Of …” speakers are Elizabeth “Liz” Ortega, ADN, RN, and Susie Edwards, DNPc, RN. The talk will take place from 2–3 p.m., Thursday, Nov. 13, on the UNM-LA campus in room 203 as well as via Zoom. Community members are welcome to attend. Los Alamos High School students are encouraged to participate during their WIN time via Zoom.
Elizabeth “Liz” Ortega, ADN, RN, is a home health and hospice executive director with extensive background in emergency, med/surg, skilled and geriatric nursing and more than 14 years of healthcare experience. She obtained her Associate of Nursing degree in the spring of 2012, from Central New Mexico Community College, working her way through nursing school as a Certified Nursing Assistant at Princeton Place Rehabilitation and later working her way to nursing manager.
In 2015 Elizabeth moved to White Rock with her family and began working on the med/surg unit at Los Alamos Medical Center, eventually transferring to the emergency department. In the spring of 2021, she found her calling as a home health and hospice nurse at Los Alamos Visiting Nurse Service, worked her way up the ladder as the clinical manager and in May 2025 was appointed interim executive director. Outside of work, Liz enjoys spending time with her husband and 18-year-old daughter, camping, hunting, hiking, traveling, and crafts, not to mention caring for three crazy dachshunds.
Susie Edwards, DNPc, RN, is a home health and hospice clinical manager with an extensive background in emergency and geriatric nursing and has more than 20 years of healthcare experience. She is obtaining her Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) in Family Nurse Practitioner from New Mexico State University in Las Cruces, NM, in spring 2026, has earned her Bachelor of Science in Nursing from The University of New Mexico in Albuquerque, NM, and received her Bachelor of Liberal Arts from Bowling Green State University in Bowling Green, Ohio.
Susie is an enlisted U.S. Airborne Army veteran and served as an emergency room LPN on Operation Bright Star in Mubarek Military City Egypt, and Grafenwoehr, Germany. Outside of work, Susie is a volunteer board member of Barranca Mesa Pool and is a regular attendee of 100 Women Who Care. She enjoys spending time with her husband and 8-year-old daughter, caring for her dachshund, turtle and Savannah cats, exercising (hiking, running), traveling, and crafts.
The new career development series titled “A Day in the Life Of …” is a six-week series that introduces different speakers from various career backgrounds.
The final “A Day in the Life Of …” speakers will be Josh Stringer and Matt Schmidt, from Los Alamos Schools Credit Union on Nov. 20.
Interested parties can visit losalamos.unm.edu/community/a-day-in-the-life-of.html for updates. Those who want a Zoom link can email Brittany Carpenter at brcarpenter@unm.edu.