Our Team

Jennifer Bartz

President of the Board of Directors

Treasurer

"Love recognizes no barriers. It jumps hurdles, leaps fences, penetrates walls to arrive at its destination full of hope." Maya Angelou

Jennifer has a BA in Psychology from UW Madison, which included many pre-medicine classes. She also took one quarter of classes at Rosalind Franklin University in pursuit of a Master’s in Physician Assistant studies. After her studies, Jennifer worked importing paper medical charts into the EPIC software, and then as an Account Manager with a large publishing firm. While her education is useful, her most important skill sets came from caring for her medically complex son, James who passed away in December 2018 at four years old. Not only did Jennifer advocate strongly within the New Mexico medical system, but she also managed his care in multiple health systems including several specialists in Denver, Colorado. When James passed away in an adult hospice facility in Denver, Jennifer’s saw first-hand how beautiful and supportive this type of facility can be for patients and families when passing away at home is not an option. She hopes to engage old and new resources in the community to better support children and families with similar needs.

Dr. James Bartz

Research Specialist for Board of Directors

James has a PhD in photonics from Oklahoma State University and a Bachelor of Science in Physics from the University of Wisconsin. He conducted his doctoral research at Landauer, Chrystal Growth Division. His doctoral research focused on development and application of a new type of radiation detector, Fluorescent Nuclear Track Detectors, for proton, heavy ion, neutron dosimetry in medical and research applications. James authored or co-othored over 15 publications in peer-reviewed journals and enjoys studying new research topics. Since 2013, James has worked for a national laboratory where he serves as project lead for a challenging multi-year project with a large team.

As a father of a medically complex child, who passed away at four years old, James has learned about the challenges medically complex children, their families and communities experience. Through study and participation as a board member of Hero’s Path Palliative Care, James strives to make a positive impact on research, training, quality of care, and quality of life for children with life limiting illnesses.

Dr. Korie Leigh

Board of Directors, Director of Family Services

“There is always light. If only we’re brave enough to see it. If only we’re brave enough to be it.” - Amanda Gorman

Korie Leigh, PhD, CCLS, CT holds a doctorate in psychology, masters in public health and thanatology, and bachelors in child development and child life. Korie is a practicing certified thanatologist and certified child life specialist and has spent over 17 years working in pediatric palliative and hospice care providing psychosocial and grief support to children and their families. Currently, Korie is an Associate Professor and Program Director for the Thanatology department at Marian University. She also works individually with children and families in her private practice.

At Hero's Path, Korie facilitates our family support groups and provides individualized psychosocial care to families. Korie's first book is set to be published in early January of 2023. The forthcoming book is called: What Does Grief Feel like? and is written to help young children navigate and understand the experience of grief.

Audrey Lee

Board of Directors for

Hero's Path Palliative Care

"Throw Kindness Around Like Confetti"

Audrey Lee is currently pursuing a bachelor's degree, looking to practice medicine.

Audrey has been involved with working with children with medical complexity from a young age and is fluent in sign language.

She has been involved with leading the Teen Council for Hero's Path since she was in High School, and transitioned into board leadership in college. She volunteers at many of Hero's Path's respite and educational events where she is many of the children's favorite caregiver! Audrey has a very warm, cheerful presence that makes every child feel welcome and like they are the most important person in the room.

Audrey will continue to change the world, one person at a time.

Dr. Janis Gonzales

“Parenthood is about raising and celebrating the child you have, not the child you thought you would have. It’s about understanding that they are exactly the person they are supposed to be and that, if you’re lucky, they just might be the teacher who turns you into the person you are supposed to be.” (Joan Ryan)

Janis Gonzales is a mother, author, pediatrician, and public health physician with expertise in health policy and administration. Her interests include children with special healthcare needs, hospice and palliative care, prevention of adverse childhood events, and advocating for health equity. Janis currently works as the Maternal Child Health Director in the New Mexico Department of Health. She received her MD from the University of Illinois, her MPH from the University of New Mexico, is Board Certified by the American Board of Pediatrics and was previously Board Certified in Hospice and Palliative Care. She is a longtime Fellow of the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), received the 2017 Early Childhood Champion “Unsung Hero” Award from the AAP, and was appointed in 2019 to the UT Austin Prenatal to Three Policy Center Advisory Council. She is the current President of the NM Pediatric Society (NM Chapter of the AAP) and the Vice President of the NM Perinatal Collaborative. She is the mother of three children, including one who had Down Syndrome and passed away from leukemia, and the author of “Lessons from a Gentle Life: Reflections on Love, Loss, and Healing.” She lives in Santa Fe, NM with her children Placido and Liesl.

Dr. Sandra Whisler

Dr. Sandra Whisler is an experienced complex care pediatrician in Albuquerque. She has spent her entire medical career providing exceptional care to children with special health care needs.

Dr. Whisler has brought her many connections, wise counsel, and incredible ideas to the board to ensure we make the best possible decisions for New Mexican children and families.

Dr. Whisler also brings with her Miraculous Tucker, her therapy dog. You can meet Tucker at many of our events! He is a trained therapy dog that loves children and brings joy to those he meets.

Dr. Lourdes Vizcarra

"Nothing happens until something moves" -Albert Einstein

Lourdes Vizcarra, M.D. (Lourdes Vizcarra Wurzel) is the mother of four amazing children: Gabriela, Sebastian, Julius and Katerina; her greatest loves. On September 2018, her son, Sebastian, “Beautiful Boy”, who was medically fragile, passed away suddenly and unexpectedly, two months before his 13th birthday. He was, and still is, one of her greatest mentors. She always says that the most important letters after her name are “Mamí”, not “M.D.”.

Sebastian’s sweet disposition, patience, resilience, ability to work hard during all of his therapy sessions and his way of taking in all that life sent his way in stride, was admirable. He never complained, even when it was obvious that he was in pain. Everyone who met him, feel instantly in love. His parting broke hearts across the globe. He was love incarnate.

As Sebastian’s mamí, Lourdes became his voice/arms/legs, nurse, therapist, teacher, care coordinator, advocate and anything else that was called for. Life with Sebastian taught her that the current systems in place were lacking in services that were so needed in assuring his quality of life. Having experienced the lack of services, she was driven to bring about changes, not only for her family and son, but for all families in New Mexico. She is of the strong belief that our current system, which is still lacking in so many areas, could learn so much from Sebastian and other children like him.

There is no possible way to convey who Sebastian was, still is, nor what he means to his family. His life/presence brought an incredible community into his family’s life, from early intervention, the NM School for the Blind and Visually Impaired to Special Education and home health services. Each day she endeavors to keep his legacy alive in all she does in our community.

She is a family medicine physician and currently works with UNM Medical Group Locum Tenens Program.