Flavio Salazar, APRN, FNP

Meet Flavio Salazar, APRN, FNP

Flavio Salazar is a certified Family Nurse Practitioner providing primary care at CHRISTUS Health in Santa Fe, New Mexico. What sets him apart is the depth of his training: he holds graduate degrees from both New Mexico State University and the University of New Mexico College of Nursing, and he is licensed as both a Family Nurse Practitioner and a Licensed Independent Social Worker. That dual background means he is trained not only to diagnose and treat medical conditions, but also to understand the behavioral health, emotional, and social factors that affect how well treatment works. He brings more than nine years of clinical experience including extensive work in community health and behavioral health settings in rural New Mexico to his role at the CHRISTUS St. Vincent Adult and Family Care clinic in Santa Fe.

Career at a Glance

• Dual-licensed: Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP/PMHNP, AANP-certified) and Licensed Independent Social Worker in New Mexico
• Two graduate degrees: New Mexico State University and University of New Mexico College of Nursing
• 8+ years of clinical experience spanning primary care, behavioral health, and community health
• New Mexico–trained and New Mexico–based: educated and practicing entirely within the state's communities
• Strong focus on chronic disease management: with documented experience treating diabetes, high cholesterol, and high blood sugar conditions at higher-than-average frequency
• Graduated with honors

Clinical Role

As a Family Nurse Practitioner, he provides primary care for adult patients including wellness exams, preventive screenings, diagnosis and treatment of acute illness, and ongoing management of chronic conditions. His Licensed Independent Social Worker credential adds a formal clinical dimension that most primary care providers do not have: the ability to assess and address behavioral health concerns, emotional barriers to care, and the social factors (like stress, isolation, housing instability, or substance use) that often complicate medical treatment. His prior experience in community health and behavioral health settings in rural New Mexico means he has worked with populations where these factors were central to every patient encounter.

He provides care for conditions such as:

• Type 2 diabetes and blood sugar management: including A1c monitoring, medication management, and lifestyle guidance
• High cholesterol: screening, diagnosis, and treatment for adults and adolescents
• Hypertension: blood pressure management as part of cardiovascular risk reduction
• Depression and anxiety: initial screening, evaluation, and management in a primary care setting
• Preventive care and wellness exams: annual physicals, immunizations, and age-appropriate health screenings
• Acute illness: evaluation and treatment of infections, respiratory illness, and other same-day concerns
• Behavioral health integration: addressing the intersection of physical health and mental health within primary care visits

What You Can Expect from Care with Flavio Salazar

Salazar's dual training in nursing and clinical social work means he is built to go deeper to ask about the stress that makes your blood sugar spike, the anxiety that keeps you from sleeping, or the barriers that make it hard to pick up your medications. His approach to primary care is one that recognizes the whole person, not just the problem listed on the chart.

You can expect:

• A provider who evaluates your medical symptoms alongside the behavioral and social factors that affect your health
• Thorough chronic disease management with regular lab monitoring and medication adjustments as needed
• Depression and anxiety screening as a routine part of your primary care visits
• Preventive care guidance tailored to your age, risk factors, and personal health goals
• A primary care provider with the training and experience to manage the overlap between physical and behavioral health without needing to send you to a separate provider for each