GME Department

William Pollard, MD
General Surgery

Dr. William Pollard is a Family Medicine Residency faculty member at CHRISTUS Health.

Dr. Pollard is board-certified by the American Board of Surgery. He completed his residency at Oregon Health Sciences University in 2000. He is a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons. Dr. Pollard has practiced in Alamogordo since 2004. Dr. Pollard is the Medical Director of the Trauma Center and the Chief Medical Officer (CMO) for CHRISTUS Health.

In 2020, Dr. Pollard was chosen to be the Designated Institutional Official (DIO) for the hospital as we begin the process to become a Sponsoring Institution with the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME).  He provides oversight for the ACGME accredited programs and the Graduate Medical Education Committee (GMEC).

Shawnette Alford, C-TAGME
Assistant Director of GME

Shawnette Alford is the Assistant Director of GME for Family Medicine at CHRISTUS Health.

Ms. Alford brings 12 years of knowledge and leadership in healthcare and eight years in an academic setting. Her prior positions include Human Resources Recruiter at Mercy Fitzgerald Hospital in Darby, Pennsylvania, Academic Coordinator at Hahnemann University Hospital/Drexel University College of Medicine in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and Residency Program Manager at La Clinica de Familia in Las Cruces, New Mexico.

Ms. Alford was a founding member of The Association of Anesthesiology Program Administrators and Educators (AAPAE) and served as President-Elect for one year until she accepted a new position in Family Medicine and resigned from her appointed position. In 2014, Ms. Alford passed the Qualifying and Certifying Assessment to obtain her Training Administrators of Graduate Medical Education Certification.

A Philadelphia native and experienced healthcare professional, Ms. Alford is passionate and dedicated to academic medicine. Her mission is to ensure that this program provides residents with a supportive, balanced and wellness-focused environment.