Pamela Galbraith grew up in Cheboygan, Michigan with a loving family and one dream- to be a nurse. In 1972, she loaded up a VW bug and headed west with her cat and all the money she had. Her journey ended in Albuquerque, New Mexico, where she moved from ER nurse to one of the first female hospital administrators at UNM Hospital. She was instrumental in the growth of UNM Hospital, working to get it certified as a Level 1 trauma center, guiding the Lifeguard program, building the behavioral health services department and rescuing several small hospitals in the state. Pamela was a remarkable leader and remembered for mentoring dozens of women and men in the healthcare industry and later at the State capitol.

The Vigil family continues her work through the Pamela M. Galbraith Foundation.