San Juan Regional Health

The New Mexico Center For Nursing Excellence has honored two former San Juan Regional Medical Center nurses as Nursing Legends. The New Mexico Nursing Legend Awards are presented to fully retired nurses whose careers have significantly enhanced the nursing profession in New Mexico. Join us in congratulating former Chief Nursing Officer Suzanne Smith, RN, BSN, MSN, CENP and former surgical nurse Marlene Betonie, RN, BSN.

“The Nursing Legends Awards is a testament to the unwavering commitment to care exemplified by the very best of our profession and serves as a beacon of inspiration for generations of nurses to come,” said Rachael Frija, NPD-BC, NEA-BC, Board President of the New Mexico Center For Nursing Excellence.

Marlene Betonie, a 42-year nurse at San Juan Regional Medical Center, spent the majority of her career caring for orthopedic patients on the surgical unit. She has impacted the health and wellbeing of countless Four Corners residents by sharing health information in Diné on local Navajo radio station KNDN. Listeners trust her common sense advice and say it helps improve their lives. Betonie is a board member of the New Mexico Native American Indian Nurses Association where she supports a robust scholarship program for native nursing students and has delivered food to nursing students in need. “I am so honored to be recognized as a Nursing Legend,” said Betonie. “It is my daily goal to have people take care of their health. That is why I teach my nursing knowledge on the radio in the Navajo language.”

Suzanne Smith retired from San Juan Regional Medical Center in 2022 after over 40 years in a nursing career (38 of them at SJRMC) serving patients with compassionate care, mentoring nurses with responsive leadership, and maintaining a long-term commitment dedicated to her community. Smith worked closely with San Juan College to foster a collaborative culture dedicated to cultivating the next generation of nurses and used innovative methods to facilitate success. “I am humbled by and grateful for this amazing honor in recognition of my nursing career. New Mexico nurses are in a league of their own and I am proud to be one of them,” Smith said. 

“Suzanne and Marlene are held in high regard as nurses whose legacies have left a lasting mark on their patients, coworkers and community,” said Kammie Monarch, Chief Nursing Executive at San Juan Regional Medical Center. “Their tireless service has left our community a better place and they certainly deserve to be called nursing legends.” 

Smith and Betonie were honored over the weekend at the 20^th annual Nursing Excellence Awards at Sandia Resort and Casino in Albuquerque.