Darrick Nelson, MD

Medical Director

Originally from a small mining town in Arizona and a U. S. Army Veteran Dr. Nelson and his family recently moved to Silver City from Corpus Christi, Texas. Dr. Nelson obtained his medical degree from the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio. He graduated Magna Cum Laude from the University of Texas at Dallas with a Bachelor of Science degree in biology.

Prior to joining HMS Dr. Nelson was an assistant professor and core faculty member at Corpus Christi Family Practice Residency Program affiliated with Texas A&M University Health Science Center, Department of Family and Community Medicine where he was responsible for the training and supervision of residents in outpatient clinics, inpatient hospital, intensive care unit, newborn nursery, labor and delivery, including c-sections, high risk obstetrics, nursing home and indigent care.

Dr. Nelson completed a fellowship medical informatics and was physician liaison for implementation of electronic clinical documentation system with CHRISTUS Spohn Shorline Hospital.

Dr. Nelson has competed internationally on the U.S. Modern Pentathlon Team. He served in the U.S. Army for six years in Desert Shield and Desert Storm.

In 2005 he was awarded the Association of Medical Directors of Information Systems excellence in applied informatics.

In 2005 and 2007 he was awarded the faculty physician of the year, Corpus Christi Family Practice Residency Program.

Dr. Michael Johnson, MD

Assistant Medical Director

Dr. Michael Johnson is a board certified Family Practice physician. He received his Bachelor of Science degree in Zoology from South Dakota State University and a Masters of Science in Biology also from South Dakota State University. Dr. Johnson completed his medical degree receiving a Doctorate of Medicine from the University of South Dakota. He completed his Family Practice Residency at Southern New Mexico Family Practice Residency in Las Cruces, New Mexico. Dr. Johnson has worked as a laboratory technician and taught biology and chemistry to high school students in rural Kenya . In other accomplishments he has served medical missions to Haiti and Venezuela . Dr. Johnson has functional medical Spanish abilities. He currently serves as the Assistant Medical Director and has been a physician with Hidalgo Medical Services since August of 2002.

Dr. Donald Johnson, MD,

Dr. Donald Johnson, MD joined Hidalgo Medical Services in August 2005 as a pediatric physician. Prior to joining HMS, Dr. Johnson practiced nine years as a private physician with Gila Pediatrics. In addition to his distinguished career as a private physician, Dr. Johnson has served as the Chief of Pediatrics at Gila Regional Medical Center, Chief of Pediatrics at Borgess Medical Center and Pediatric Coordinator for the Southwestern Michigan Area Health Education Center.

Dr. Johnson is a member of the Michigan State Medical Society, the New Mexico Medical Society, and the New Mexico Pediatric Society. Dr. Johnson is certified by the American Board of Pediatrics, a Fellow of the American Academy of Pediatrics, and a Diplomat of the National Board of Medical Examiners. Dr. Johnson has held teaching appointments as a lecturer in Pediatrics with Tufts New England Medical Center in Boston Massachusetts. Dr. Johnson has been an Assistant Clinical Professor Department of Human Development at Michigan State University and Adjunct Clinical Professor of Pediatrics at Western Michigan University. Dr. Johnson received his doctorate of medicine from Northwestern Medical School.

Dr. Joyce Troxler, MD

Dr. Troxler, M.D., joined Hidalgo Medical Services in September 2008. Dr. Troxler is a bilingual family physician specializing in the full spectrum of adult and pediatric care, including obstetrics. Dr. Troxler graduated from the University of New Mexico with her B.A. in Biology and received her M.D. from East Tennessee State University. She completed her residency at the Mountain Area Health Education Center in Asheville, NC.

Originally from the mountains of Tennessee, Dr. Troxler has lived in New Mexico before and is excited to share the beauty of Grant County with her husband and 2 sons.

Dr. Naomi Clancy, MD

Dr. Clancy, M.D., is a bilingual (English/Spanish) board certified family physician practicing the full spectrum of family medicine with emphasis on women’s health, obstetrics and pediatrics. Dr. Clancy, raised in Santa Fe, New Mexico, received both her B. S. and her M.D. degrees from the University of New Mexico, graduating Magna Cum Laude. Dr. Clancy completed her residency at Providence St. Peter Family Practice Residency Program in Olympia, WA, focusing on rural health and obstetrical care, and received the program’s Family Centered Maternity Care Award upon graduation.

Prior to coming to Silver City, Dr. Clancy practiced four years in Socorro, NM as primary care physician and was on staff at Socorro General Hospital serving as family physician, hospitalist, Chair of the Medical Committee, member of Perinatal and Pediatric Committee, and a charter member of the Fetal Well-Being Committee.

Dr. Clancy, her husband, Raphael, a native New Mexican, and their two young sons were drawn to Silver City because of the quality of the schools, close proximity of the mountains, pleasant climate and the exciting practice opportunity with Hidalgo Medical Services. As a family they enjoy gardening, hiking, camping, and keeping up their young children.

Dr. Michelle Pahl, MD

Dr. Pahl is member of the HMS team. She specializes in the care of infants, children, adolescents and adults. She is a member of the American Academy of Pediatrics and the American College of Physicians.

Dr. Pahl grew up in Illinois and received a bachelor's degree in fine art photography from Columbia College in Chicago. She then worked in the field of commercial art in Chicago, New York City and Portland, Maine. Opting for a change in career paths, she pursued entry to medical school by first fulfilling the prerequisites at the University of Southern Maine in Portland. She was accepted to University of Vermont College of Medicine in 2001 and was also awarded the National Health Service Corps Scholarship. She completed her combined internal medicine and pediatric residency at Hershey Medical Center in Hershey, Pennsylvania.

Dr. Pahl currently lives in Silver City and is enjoying getting to know all that the area has to offer. An avid hiker prior to medical school, she is looking forward to exploring the natural beauty of the Gila region and spending time with her dogs.

Marlene Baska, PA-C

Marlene Baska joined Hidalgo Medical Services as a Physician Assistant specializing in Family Practice at the Cobre Health Center in February 2004. She has been a physician assistant since 1988, working in Arizona, New Mexico, Alaska, and Oregon. Marlene’s educational background includes a registered nursing degree from Lane Community College, in Oregon and certification as a physician assistant from the University Of Utah School Of Medicine.

Amanda Gray, PA-C

It was natural for Ms. Amanda Gray, who was originally from Virginia and who grew up in a military family to join the US Army when she graduated from high school.  While serving in the US Army, Ms. Gray worked as a med lab tech doing dental research.  Also, while in the military, Ms. Gray met her husband and they started a family.  The couple has two young children and a dog, Rufus.

After she left military service , Ms. Gray and her family moved to South Florida while she attended physician assistant school.  In August 2008, Ms. Gray received her Master's of Science degree as a physician assistant, graduating with honors from Nova Southeastern University located in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.  Ms. Gray gained expereince as a physician assistant working at a cardiology clinic specializing in general and interventional cardiology with electrophysiology.

During Ms. Gray's training, she spent time on a medical mission to Ecuador and reports that her expereince there was very gratifying.  Ms. Gray states she realized one of her passions was to work toward the goal of everyone having access to health care.  Ms. Gray is excited about the opportunity of being part of our community.

Meredith Moss, PA-C

Physician Assistant, Meredith Moss recently joined Hidalgo Medical. Prior to becoming a Physician Assistant, Ms. Moss worked in the data processing field for over 20 years. She has worked as a Physician Assistant, mostly in primary care, for the past ten years, and is committed to caring for medically underserved individuals. She studied to become a Physician Assistant at the University of Iowa in Iowa City, IA and received a bachelor’s degree from Alderson-Broaddus College in Philippi, West Virginia.

Ms. Moss worked in a frontier region in Alaska before moving to New Mexico in 2008.

Meredith Heidenfeld, PA-C

Meredith Heidenfeld joined the staff at Hidalgo Medical Services Med Square Clinic as a Physician Assistant in May 2004, specializing in Family Practice. Meredith has thirteen years prior experience as a physician assistant including family practices in New York, Ohio, and Arkansas. She received her BS degree as a Physician Assistant from State University of New York at Stony Brook.

Jill Steidl, PA-C

Jill Steidl received her BS and Physician Assistant Certification from King’s College in Pennsylvania, where she was awarded Magna Cum Laude for academic and clinical excellence. She came to New Mexico in March 2004 and has practiced at the HMS Med Square clinic and Cliff/Gila Clinic for the last year, where she has provided care in the specialty area of family practice. Prior to that, she practiced family medicine in Pennsylvania.

Liana Ryan, PA-C

Liana Ryan is returning to Silver City after completing her education as a Physician Assistant at the University of New Mexico. She has lived in Silver City most of her life. She is a graduate of Cobre High School and Western New Mexico University. Liana has a special interest in women’s health and alternative medicine and has additional training through Planned Parenthood of New Mexico.

Jennifer White, FNP, CNM

Jennifer Wilson is a Family Nurse Practitioner as well as a Certified Nurse Midwife. She received her Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree from Middle Tennessee State University in Murfreesboro, Tennessee in 2001. She went on to attend Vanderbilt University’s dual program in Nurse Midwifery and Family Nurse Practitioner in Nashville, Tennessee. In 2005, she earned her degree from Vanderbilt University as a Nurse Midwife and Family Nurse Practitioner.

Jennifer has practiced in at a birth center in Texas, and most recently in a large public health hospital in Denver, Colorado, before relocating to Silver City. She has delivered over 300 bouncing babies and enjoys working at Hidalgo Medical Services where she can provide care for the whole family- not just the moms and babies. Born and raised in Mississippi, Jennifer enjoys music, especially the blues. She sings and plays guitar in her free time. Happy to be here in Silver City, she also enjoys hiking, biking and seeing the sights in New Mexico.

Shauna McCosh, FNP, CNM

Shauna McCosh is a Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP) and Certified Nurse Midwife (CNM). She grew up in Tucson, Arizona and then completed her BA at New York University in Spanish and Political Science. During that time she studied in Madrid, Spain and Washington, DC. After graduation, she worked in community health education in Mexico, Santa Cruz, California and Albuquerque. She trained to become a Licensed Midwife in El Paso, TX in 1995 and then moved to Silver City to start a home birth practice. She welcomed babies into the world in Grant and Luna Counties for nearly 10 years before deciding to go to nursing school.

She earned her RN at Samuel Merritt College in Oakland, CA and worked at the County trauma center as an ER nurse. She returned to Silver City and worked as a hospice nurse while continuing her education to become an FNP/CNM through the Frontier School of Midwifery and Family Nursing. She did much of her hospital birth training at Phoenix Indian Medical Center. She joined HMS in April of 2008, and primarily practices at the Cobre High - School Based Health Center. She also spends one day of the week at both the Mimbres and Lordsburg clinics, focusing on women’s health and pediatrics. Shauna also teaches for the nursing department at WNMU.

Scott Hanson, PA-C

Scott Hanson is originally from Salt Lake City, UT. He received his undergraduate degree in political science from Westminster College in Salt Lake City, UT. He then worked as a firefighter/paramedic for 4 years before going to the University of New England in Portland, Maine for physician assistant school. Scott just graduated in 2010 and is excited to begin his career with HMS in Silver City. Scott and his wife are both very excited to be living in Silver City. They enjoy hiking, biking, camping, and spending time with their dog.

Julie Fitzgerald, PA-C

Originally from Michigan, Ms. Fitzgerald and her family moved to Silver City from Oregon in 1994.  Julie completed her Bachelor of Science degree in chemistry at Western New Mexico University, graduating with high honors.  Julie is a graduate of the Physician Assistant program at the University of New Mexico, where she participated in several community health projects, including healthcare for the homeless.  Before pursuing her lifelong dream of practicing medicine, Julie was a home visitor with First Born Program of Grant County.  She also gained valuable experience as the supervisor of a clinical lab and has experience as a medical researcher in the areas of breast cancer, melanoma, kidney stones and osteoporosis.  Now that she is back in Silver City, Julie is looking forward to forming partnerships with her patients in getting healthy and staying healthy.  Ms. Fitzgerald enjoys treating the entire family.