Darrick Nelson, MD

Originally from a small mining town in Arizona and a U.S. Army, Cold War and Desert Shield/Storm veteran, 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 Shasta Community Health Center, Dr. Nelson was Chief Medical Officer and Residency Program Director in rural Southwestern New Mexico. After residency training in Family Medicine, Dr. Nelson was a professor and a core faculty member at Texas A&M University Health Science Center, Department of Family and Community Medicine, Corpus Christi Family Medicine Residency Program where he was responsible for the teaching and supervision of residents in outpatient clinics, inpatient hospital, intensive care unit, newborn nursery, labor and delivery, including C-sections, high risk obstetrics, and indigent care.   Dr. Nelson is a Fellow in medical informatics and was physician liaison for implementation of electronic clinical documentation system with CHRISTUS Spohn Shoreline Hospital.  

Dr. Nelson directs the delivery of patient-centered primary care services for SCHC as well as leadership and innovation on projects and programs to improve clinical and overall health outcomes for the residents of Northern California.  

Dr. Nelson was one of the founders of the FORWARD NM – Pathways to Health Careers workforce program at Hidalgo Medical Services.  This 5-stage program reached students from secondary education throughout graduate degrees and included accreditation of the Hidalgo Medical Services Family Medicine Residency Program, the first Teaching Health Center designation in New Mexico.  

In 2012 Dr. Nelson was named the New Mexico Primary Care Association's "Community Health Center Medical Provider for the Year."  In 2013, through Dr. Nelson’s vision and leadership, Hidalgo Medical Services received a “Small Healthcare Provider Quality Improvement” grant from the Federal Office of Rural Healthcare Policy. Dr. Nelson is a Fellow of the National Institute for Program Director Development and served on the Board of Trustees for Gila Regional Medical Center and served as the Chairman of Gila Regional Medical Center's Quality Improvement Committee.