Meet Our 2021 Nurse Innovators

December 2, 2021

The MCA Innovation Center launched the Nurse Innovator Bootcamp, a binational program to help nurses and other healthcare professionals develop products that will solve problems they experience day to day clinical setting. Healthcare professionals underwent an intensive program that provided entrepreneurial skill training and practical learning in prototyping to assist them in creating their products. Learn about the background of the fall 2021 cohort and their experience in the program.


Arnold Chavira

Registered Nurse

El Paso, Texas

Arnold Chavira is a Registered Nurse in Pediatric Intensive Care at Providence Memorial Hospital and a former Respiratory Therapist. Chavira’s goal is to be an entrepreneur and to have his own business. Chavira is interested in building a prototype that he may be able to produce and sell through the Nurse Innovator Accelerator. He is proactive, motivated, and a problem-solver, and believes having the opportunity to be part of Nurse Innovator has opened the door for him to put ideas to work.

It’s incredible how the program pushes you to change your mind frame and come up with a better idea. I am excited to see the results of all my classmates.


Dr. Linda Garner

Nurse Professor

Department of Nursing Cape Girardeau, Missouri

Dr. Linda Garner is a Professor in the Department of Nursing at Southeast Missouri State University in Cape Girardeau. She teaches community health nursing, nursing research, and evidence-based practice. She is also Chair of the Office of Addictions Research within the Department of Nursing. Dr. Garner has been a registered nurse for the past 38 years. Originally from southeast Iowa, she obtained her bachelor’s degree in nursing from Iowa Wesleyan College. She received a master’s degree in nursing from the University of Texas in Arlington and her PhD in health education from Southern Illinois University in Carbondale. She is a board-certified advanced public health nurse and is certified as a health education specialist. She is a member of the Partnership for Informatics in Nursing Education (PINE) team.


Celina Padilla

Registered Nurse

Austin, Texas

Celina Padilla has been a nurse since 2005. She has had the pleasure of exploring a multitude of career opportunities the nursing profession offers. Through those experiences, Padilla finds herself trying to problem-solve or improve aspects that impacted her ability to be a better nurse or to better the patient’s experience. Celina currently works as an adjunct faculty for a nursing program and as the director of quality for multiple ambulatory clinics. Both positions encompass Padilla’s two passions for education and innovation.

I’m excited and honored for this opportunity and look forward to working with everyone.


Dr. Debra Eardley

Associate Professor

Department of Nursing, St. Paul, Minnesota

Dr. Debra Eardley is an Associate Professor in the Department of Nursing at Metropolitan State University, St. Paul, MN. She teaches population-based care and nursing informatics. She is also the founder and chair of the Partnership for Informatics in Nursing Education (PINE). Dr. Eardley has been a registered nurse for 24 years. She received her undergraduate degree from St. Catherine’s University. She earned two advanced degrees from the University of Minnesota, School of Nursing. She also holds certification for teaching in higher education and is a board-certified advanced public health nurse.


Luis Ochoa

CEO

Goal Product Development, El Paso, Texas

Luis Alonso Ochoa Gracia was born in Cd. Juarez and got his bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Texas at El Paso. He is the founder of GOAL Product Development, a startup focused on helping entrepreneurs and inventors with their design and prototyping needs. Luis is also the General Manager at 3D Lab Mexico, a company focused on Additive Manufacturing / 3D Printing, 3D Scanning, and other manufacturing services. Most of his expertise is in 3D CAD design, additive manufacturing / 3D Printing, prototyping.

The Nurse Innovator program provides very useful information and resources to better understand the product development cycle. Medical personnel are now able to take advantage of this great program to develop and create products that would add value to patients’ treatment.


Dr. Conni DeBliek

Nursing Associate Professor

School of Nursing, Las Cruces, New Mexico

Dr. Conni DeBlieck is an Associate Professor in the School of Nursing at New Mexico State University. Her educational background started out with a surgical technology diploma, Associate Degree, MSN in community health focus, and Doctorate of Nurse Practice (DNP) in Nursing Informatics, a postgraduate certificate Leadership in Healthcare Information Technology, and a postgraduate certificate in Psychiatric Mental Health Nursing. The focus of Dr. DeBlieck’s research and scholarship includes integrating e-learning models into community/public health course, develop interactive case-based scenarios using the community/public health nursing, nursing informatics and the Omaha System a Standardized Nursing Terminology, through virtual reality, simulation and online distance learning. She completed several studies on implementation with telehealth, anxiety using the SleepPodTM and explored adaptive quizzing through online learning with nursing students using the Adaptive Learning Theory. She is a member of the Partnership for Informatics in Nursing Education (PINE) team.


Dr. Kelly Krumwiede

Associate Professor

School of Nursing, Mankato, Minnesota

Dr. Kelly Krumwiede Is an Associate Professor in the School of Nursing at Minnesota State University Mankato. She has been teaching baccalaureate nursing students in both a traditional nursing program and BS Completion program since 2005 and in the graduate program since 2020. Dr. Krumwiede has worked with culturally diverse and at-risk populations in her teaching as well as clinical practice settings including home care, hospice, assisted living with memory care unit, public health, parish nursing, and school nursing. Dr. Krumwiede is a Co-Chair of the Madelia Community Based Collaborative which is focused on promoting the health of community residents. Dr. Krumwiede has published in peer-reviewed journals including Public Health Nursing, Oncology Forum, CIN, and Health Promotion Practice. She is a member of the Partnership for Informatics in Nursing Education (PINE) team.


Adrian Ramos Holguin

Licensed Nurse

Cuidad Juarez, Mexico

Adrian Ramos Holguin is 30 years old and is a licensed nurse in Cuidad Juarez, Mexico. He currently works at the public hospital, Hospital de La Mujer, and has been working there almost 7 years. Adrian is in preparation for the selection test of medical specialization to become a surgeon. He enrolled in the program to take this opportunity to create a medical device for surgeries. Adrian got the idea from his experience working in operation rooms.


Vianey Romo

Workforce Coordinator

El Paso, Texas

Vianey Romo is the Workforce Coordinator at the MCA where her responsibility is to work with the k-12 education pipeline in promoting the healthcare workforce in the Paso del Norte Region. She hosts STEM camps for middle school students at the MCA. She graduated cum laude from the University of Texas at El Paso, with a degree in Biological Sciences with a Biomedical concentration. During her time at UTEP, she was part of many extracurricular activities, including Student Government Association, Medical Professional Organization, and A-PRIME TIME, an accelerated medical program. Currently, she sits on the committee for Adventure for your Future and SISD’s Biomedical Advisory Board. Vianey is currently enrolled at the Johns Hopkins University Carey School of Business pursuing her master’s degree in healthcare management.


Join us on December 9th at 4 PM for a hybrid event at the Cardwell Collaborative Building and via Zoom featuring presentations from healthcare professionals in the Nurse Innovator Bootcamp. Can’t make it for the pitches? Join us after for a reception where entrepreneurs and seasoned professionals can network.

Register to attend Demo Day at the button below:

Register to join us for only the Jingle & Mingle Reception event at the button below:

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