We are a family-owned and operated hospice proudly serving the communities of Albuquerque and Las Cruces, New Mexico. With deep roots in these areas, we are committed to delivering personalized, compassionate care to every patient and family we serve.
With a low patient-to-nurse ratio, we provide personalized care that enhances comfort and quality of life. Backed by over 100 years of combined hospice experience, our team brings unmatched expertise and dedication. We are also the only hospice in the area that covers the cost of psychiatric medications, ensuring full access to mental health support. Our 24/7 on-call nursing staff is always available to offer medical guidance and emotional reassurance, and our placement specialist helps patients find suitable living arrangements when needed.
Our trained and certified staff is deeply committed to caring for both patients and their families. By maintaining a low patient-to-staff ratio, we foster meaningful connections and provide consistent, compassionate care—even after hours and on weekends. Our medical professionals work hand-in-hand with social workers and chaplains to meet the physical, emotional, and spiritual needs of every patient and family, ensuring no one walks the journey alone.
Sarah Crutchfield, Owner & Administrator of High Desert Hospice, started out in the medical field at age 15 as a volunteer candy striper. She went on to become a Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) and from there a respiratory and hemodialysis therapist. As a hemodialysis therapist, she was a member of the pancreas and kidney transplant team. After 8 years as a therapist, Sarah began her career in hospice as a community liaison. Sarah worked as a community liaison for 12 years with several different hospice companies. During that time Sarah continued to feel compelled to develop a better way, a more compassionate and caring way to offer hospice services, which led to the dream and subsequent creation of High Desert Hospice.
Sarah truly believed hospice could be done better. She believed patient’s needs could be met more effectively. Sarah believed families could be provided more extensive care and support, and she believed that hospice employees and volunteers could be treated with more respect and sympathy for the work that they do.
Sarah has expressed that over the years medicine has become so commercialized and has lost its personal touch. With this drive for change in her core, Sarah founded High Desert Hospice. The organization was created with care and compassion as it’s primary focus. As a family owned and locally operated organization, High Desert Hospice puts the care and compassion back into hospice.
Sarah has renewed a childhood passion and is living the farm life once again. Along with adoring her palomino Penelope, Sarah is over the moon for her six Mastiff’s (Batman, Lilly, Carson, Gunther, Sable and Portia), her large tribe of goats and is committed to bringing longhorns back to New Mexico!
Katelynn Martin, Director of High Desert Hospice and daughter of Sarah Crutchfield, was raised in a household with a heart for hospice! Katelynn has shared her mother’s vision and passion for hospice since she was very young.
Katelynn began as a hospice and assisted living volunteer when she was just 8 years old and has always known that she would someday be making a life long career out of serving in the hospice community.
Along with the primary daily administrative responsibilities of the office, Katelynn is on call after hours for High Desert Hospice and is dedicated to meeting the immediate needs of patients and their families and/or caregivers with an immediate response 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Katelynn has two children that keep her and her husband very busy. You can often find Katelynn’s family outside playing or working with Dad in the shop. Katelynn can be found curled up with a good book in her spare time or advocating for her autistic children and assisting with their program involvement.
Along with Katelynn’s dedication to her position as Director for High Desert Hospice, she is also very committed to her position as Director for the MAID program.
Michelle has transitioned to the role of Facility Manager for High Desert Hospice while maintaining her volunteer coordination and recruiting responsibilities. The vision of High Desert Hospice which is excellence in patient and family care is Michelle’s passion and working with High Desert’s exceptional team to continually evolve that vision is her daily focus.
The High Desert Hospice Volunteer Program is a crucial element in providing the level of patient and family care we are striving for. As Volunteer Coordinator, Michelle continually looks for opportunities to highlight the many and varied volunteer opportunities that are available through our service organization, as well as bring greater levels of development to the phenomenal volunteer staff of High Desert Hospice through extensive training and interactive monthly volunteer meetings.
Michelle’s heart belongs to her grandangels and in her spare time is Momma to a Yorkiepoo & Shih Tzu and has a passion for photography, writing and painting.
High Desert Hospice welcomes Heather Hallberg to our team! Heather comes aboard with an extensive background in hospice, skilled nursing & long-term care. Heather is originally from Michigan and is a proud alumnus of the University of Michigan. As a licensed social worker and a licensed assisted living administrator, Heather has continually reached for new opportunities throughout her career.
Heather’s hospice journey became deeply personal while working at an inpatient hospice in Michigan. Heather’s mother, who had experienced a lifelong struggle with chronic health issues (including a liver transplant due to lupus), was placed on hospice at age 55. Heather’s mother soon lost her battle but was surrounded by her family and wonderful hospice team at the time of her passing. That single hospice experience changed the trajectory of Heather, and her families lives forever and solidified to an even greater degree Heather’s call to hospice service.
Heather and her husband Mike have a blended family of three adult sons and one adult daughter. Heather honors the devastating loss of her youngest son Zack in September 2022 who was a Navy veteran with two children. Heather adores five grandsons and a granddaughter.
Heather cherishes meeting and helping people in her community and her gift for connection shines through in everything she does. In her time off Heather and her husband like to stay active by going on cruises and spending time with family and friends. Heather enjoys a good laugh and has a true passion for all things home related including decorating. Heather’s heart as a social worker is evident while she still helps people with various social issues that she holds personally dear to her heart.
Being able to maintain an excellent standard of patient healthcare after a life limiting or terminal diagnosis, without going outside the home can be difficult. Our team of Registered Nurse Case Managers & Licensed Practical Nurses bring outstanding medical care right to our patients’ bedside.
Our hospice team members are all heroic elements in a patient’s day-to-day existence while enduring a life-limiting illness, however, when an individual is bed bound or restricted in their mobility, it can become quite a challenge to navigate personal hygiene tasks.
Throughout the progression of a life-limiting illness, the patient, family and/or caregiver will often need direction and assistance to navigate within the healthcare and government systems, as well as locating resources in their community that can bring additional support.
Even before diagnosis, a life-limiting illness can place emotional and physical strain on patients, families, and caregivers. High Desert’s chaplains are dedicated to offering compassionate emotional and spiritual support throughout the illness and after a patient’s passing.
If you have questions about an upcoming appointment with our team in Albuquerque, contact us at 505-585-2603.
