Pediatric Specialty Care for Children and Youth with Special Health Care Needs, Developmental Disabilities, and Medical Complexity
I have 30 years experience taking care of children with Developmental Disabilities and am board certified in pediatrics. My experience ranges from being a Professor Emeritus at the University of New Mexico School of Medicine and a visiting Professor at Children’s Hospital Colorado in the Special Care Clinic. My clinical experience includes being a specialist in the Chronic Care Clinic at Presbyterian Healthcare Services in Albuquerque, NM and a pediatrician in private practice clinic. I am also the former President of the New Mexico Medical Society and have numerous publications and presentations at local and national conferences.
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Telehealth available for established patients.
Services Offered
I provide a nurturing and supportive environment to care for children (birth to 21 years old) with Special Needs, Developmental Disabilities, and/or Medical Complexities in Albuquerque and throughout New Mexico. I am one of only a few physicians in the state who specialize in helping children with these unique needs.
Appointments in clinic for 20-60 minutes as needed
New Patient Appointments 60 minutes
Consulting and Referrals made, imaging tests can be ordered, and blood work ordered as needed
Telephone/Telehealth appointments offered
Patients will need to stay with their Primary Care Providers for sick care, emergencies, immunizations, after hours care, etc.
Insurances Accepted:
- Aetna
- BCBS Turquoise Care
- BCBS Commercial Health Plan
- Presbyterian Turquoise Care
- Presbyterian Commercial Health Plan
- Tricare
- United Commercial Healthcare Plan
- Molina Turquoise Care
About Me
Sandra L Whisler MD, MS
Sandra L. Whisler, MD, MS is a native New Mexican and attended Baylor University where she received her Bachelor of Science degree in Biology. After working for a year at the medical school in Galveston, Texas, she returned to the University of New Mexico (UNM) and received her Master of Science Degree in Cell Biology in 1984. The next year she attended the UNM School of Medicine and graduated with her MD in 1989. She completed her Pediatric residency at UNM Health Sciences Center in 1992. After spending a year in private practice in Albuquerque, she returned to UNM and was a Professor of Pediatrics in the Department of Pediatrics. From 2012-2013 Dr Whisler was on Sabbatical in New York City at the NYU Hospital for Joint Diseases and at the Weinberg Cerebral Palsy Center at Columbia University. For 3 years she was Medical Director of the UNM Westside Clinic and Medical Director of the UNM Transition Consultative Clinic (TCC). In 2016-2017 she was a Visiting Professor in the Special Care Clinic at Children’s Hospital of Colorado in Denver, CO. Dr Whisler returned to NM in 2017 and worked at Journey Pediatrics for 1.5 years. In 2019-2020 she worked in the Chronic Care Clinic at Presbyterian Healthcare Services. Dr Whisler has dedicated her life to serving vulnerable populations, especially Children with Special Health Care Needs/Medical Complexity. Her other activities include clinical research, several publications, invited talks, poster presentations at national meetings, serving as President of the UNM Physician Alumni Association, serving as President Elect of the Greater Albuquerque Medical Association (GAMA), Member of the Transition Committee for the American Academy of Cerebral Palsy and Developmental Medicine as well as serving on several committees for UNM, GAMA, and the New Mexico Medical Society. Dr Whisler was President of the New Mexico Medical Society in 2018-2019. Her personal interests include ballet, tap, training dogs for obedience, rally, conformation, and agility competitions, as well as doing Pet Therapy for Pediatric inpatients. She is married and has 3 children and 5 grandchildren.