NMDOH: Curry County Skunk Tests Positive For Rabies
Skunk. Courtesy/wikipedia
NMDOH News:
SANTA FE — A skunk found in Clovis has tested positive for rabies, marking the first confirmed case of the virus in New Mexico this year, health officials report.
Rabies is a deadly virus that affects mammals, including wildlife such as skunks, bats and foxes in New Mexico.
“Rabies is uncommon in household pets like dogs and cats – because responsible pet owners make sure their animals are up to date on their rabies boosters,” said Dr. Erin Phipps, state public health veterinarian for the New Mexico Department of Health (NMDOH). “Rabies vaccination is the Read More
Interstate Compacts To Help Ease New Mexico’s Health Care Worker Shortage Are Stuck In Committees
The Roundhouse in Santa Fe. Post file photo
By MARGARET Ó’HARA
The Santa Fe New Mexican
New Mexico is very close to joining all 10 major medical provider compacts.
Lawmakers have proposed several bills this session to join those compacts, allowing a freer exchange of working doctors, audiologists and speech language pathologists, occupational and physical therapists, counselors, psychologists, physician assistants, social workers and emergency medical technicians between New Mexico and other states.
The biggest one — a compact that would significantly ease the process for doctors Read More
Veterinarian Loan Repayment Heads To Governor’s Desk
NMHED News:
SANTA FE — A bill to create a veterinary medicine loan repayment program is headed to the governor’s desk after passage by the New Mexico House and Senate.
Senate Bill 8 provides student loan debt relief to veterinarians who commit to practicing in the state of New Mexico. The bill is tailored toward food animal veterinary care to ensure that livestock receive a higher standard of care.
Veterinarians who commit to providing full-time veterinary services for a minimum of four years in specific underserved counties across New Mexico may apply.
Many rural and frontier areas in New Read More
Los Alamos Fire Department To Conduct Specialized Scenario-based Training At Aquatics Center March 24-29
LAFD News:
The Los Alamos Fire Department (LAFD), in collaboration with multiple agencies, will be conducting specialized, scenario-based training focused on responding to a drowning victim at the Los Alamos County Aquatic Center.
This critical training exercise will take place March 24-29 and will involve LAFD personnel, Los Alamos County (LAC) Dispatchers, lifeguards and emergency room physicians from Los Alamos Medical Center (LAMC).
The public should not be alarmed by the presence of emergency personnel at the Aquatic Center.
These sessions will take place during normal pool operating Read More
Health Care Authority To Equip All ISD Offices With Narcan
HCA News:
SANTA FE — The New Mexico Health Care Authority (HCA) is making naloxone, commonly known as Narcan, available in every Income Support Division (ISD) office and training staff to help prevent opioid overdoses and save lives.
“ISD offices help people across New Mexico, including those and their loved ones who may be at risk of an opioid overdose,” said Kari Armijo, cabinet secretary of the Health Care Authority. “By providing naloxone in every ISD office and training staff, we are making life-saving resources more available to communities that need them most.”
To strengthen overdose Read More
Los Alamos County Social Services Division Announces New Community-Based ‘Train-The-Trainer’ Opportunity For Mental Health And Well-Being
COUNTY News:
The Los Alamos County Social Services Division has announced the launch of a new “train-the-trainer” opportunity in collaboration with the Association of Nature and Forest Therapy Guides (ANFT).
ANFT is a global leader around Forest Therapy Guided Training, a practice, which draws on developing connections with nature and creating experiences centered in mindfulness, as ways to help improve physical and mental wellbeing. Increasingly, research points to the benefits of “forest bathing” as it may be commonly referred to, and we are hoping to train two cohorts of leaders over Read More
Luján Statement On Senate Passage Of Bipartisan Legislation To Halt All Lethal Trafficking Of Fentanyl
U.S. Sen. Ben Ray Luján
U.S. SENATE News:
WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Sen. Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.) issued the following statement on the March 14 Senate passage of the Halt All Lethal Trafficking of (HALT) Fentanyl Act:
“The fentanyl crisis has taken far too many innocent lives and has devastated communities across New Mexico and the United States. The bipartisan HALT Fentanyl Act will give law enforcement the tools necessary to combat the fentanyl crisis, keep fentanyl off our streets, and help protect New Mexico communities.
“This legislation is a critical step toward protecting our communities Read More
Robinson: New Mexico Doctors – ‘We Are Exhausted And Demoralized’
By SHERRY ROBINSON
All She Wrote
© 2024 New Mexico News Services
Five progressives killed the medical malpractice bill.
You might say the trial lawyers got their money’s worth. You might say it’s late in the session and everybody’s getting tired and cranky. You could even observe that the strife of national politics has haunted this legislative session. It would all be true.
But there’s another element that’s more troubling, and that’s denial and willful ignorance.
New Mexico doesn’t have enough doctors. It’s a national problem, but it’s worse here. In recent years New Mexico was the ONLY state Read More
Dannemann: The Trial Lawyer Argument Is Bogus
By MERILEE DANNEMANN
© 2025 by Merilee Dannemann
In New Mexico, there aren’t enough doctors. There aren’t enough nurses. There aren’t enough hospitals, especially in small towns. There aren’t enough patients paying full price for their healthcare and too many on Medicaid.
You probably already know this. We talk about it all the time.
Two other factors contribute to this crisis. One is the presence of private for-profit ownership of hospitals and the other is our high rate of malpractice insurance.
But one of these two issues is claiming to be the solution to the other one, and that is pure nonsense. Read More
House Passes Environmental Protection, Clean Energy Bills
Lead Sponsor Rep. Joanne Ferrary (D-Las Cruces)
STATE News:
SANTA FE — Friday, the House of Representatives passed key legislation to help facilitate transition to clean energy and protect New Mexicans from toxic chemicals.
House Bill 361, which passed unanimously, would help clean up and repurpose depleted oil and gas wells across New Mexico. The bill would authorize the Energy, Minerals and Natural Resources Department (EMNRD) to utilize these wells for energy storage or geothermal energy development. If no other uses are found viable, the wells would be plugged.
“New Mexico has nearly Read More
Dr. Raffin: Those Measly Measles
By Celeste Raffin, MD
Member
Los Alamos County Health Council
I remember very little of my early childhood, but will never forget having the Measles. Even though it was over 60 years ago, I remember how sick I was with astonishing clarity.
Measles, aka Rubeola, is an infectious disease caused by the Measles virus. It was first described in Persia in the late 800’s AD. By 1200 AD it had developed into a human only disease that was prevalent throughout Asia and Europe. Whether intentional or not, Measles became one of the first bioterror weapons. Asian and European explorers, followed by North American Read More
NMED Petitions For Rule On Workplace Heat Protection
NMED News:
SANTA FE—The New Mexico Environment Department’s (NMED) Occupational Health and Safety Bureau yesterday submitted a petition to the state’s Environmental Improvement Board to adopt a proposed rule on occupational heat illness and injury prevention.
The rule is a critical step in protecting New Mexico workers from exposure to high temperatures while at work.
The New Mexico Environment Department, and the Department’s Occupational Health and Safety Bureau, have been actively advocating for worker safety in hot environments for several years through public outreach, presentations Read More
Governor-Endorsed Bipartisan CYFD Reform Legislation Unanimously Clears New Mexico Senate
CYFD News:
SANTA FE — The bipartisan Children, Youth and Families Department (CYFD) Omnibus Bill Senate Bill 42 unanimously passed the Senate Thursday.
This comprehensive legislation represents the most comprehensive and thoughtful plan introduced in this session to reform and strengthen New Mexico’s child welfare system.
“We have consistently supported CYFD reform legislation, and SB 42 provides lawmakers and our state with the wide-ranging solution we’ve been seeking,” CYFD Secretary Teresa Casados said. “The CYFD omnibus bill is a crucial step in the right direction for New Mexico’s Read More
After Weeks Of Waiting, Lawmakers Set To Consider Key Medical Malpractice Reform Bill For New Mexico
Sen. Linda López
Chair
Senate Health and Public Affairs Committee
By MARGARET O’HARA
The Santa Fe New Mexican
Why the wait?
Senate Bill 176, a major piece of medical malpractice legislation, was introduced just days after the start of this year’s legislation session.
And since the session’s start, New Mexico lawmakers from both parties have listed reforms to the medical malpractice system among their top priorities, framing the issue as a major step toward alleviating the state’s acute shortage of health care providers.
Though the proposal has garnered strong opposition from medical malpractice Read More
House Unanimously Passes Bill To Better Protect Seniors
Lead Sponsor Rep. Joseph Sanchez D-Alcalde
STATE News:
SANTA FE — Wednesday, the House of Representatives unanimously voted Wednesday to advance legislation updating the state’s Silver Alert notification system that alerts the public about missing seniors.
House Bill 197, would broaden the scope of the program to allow Silver Alerts for anyone over the age of 50 who displays signs or symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease or another form of dementia, cognitive decline, or impairment. Currently, only individuals who show a “clear indication” of suffering from Alzheimer’s disease or other forms Read More
Denish: DOGE And Musk Impact New Mexicans
By DIANE DENISH
Corner To Corner
diane@dianedenish.com
Elon Musk has been dominating the headlines recently with his slash and burn efforts as head of “DOGE” – the so-called Department of Government Efficiency.
The world’s richest man is everywhere, firing federal workers, in the Oval Office, you name it.
I wanted to learn more about Musk, so I listened to the biography of Musk by Walter Isaacson (20 hours). I’ve also read a slew of business articles about Tesla, SpaceX and Musk’s current endeavor DOGE.
Here is what I learned.
He’s a South African by birth. Although he once attended an anti-apartheid Read More
Robinson: How Many Doctors Do We Have To Lose In New Mexico Before Lawmakers Act?
By SHERRY ROBINSON
All She Wrote
© 2024 New Mexico News Services
Dr. Lawrence Andrade and his wife, Dr. Aedra Andrade, are leaving Gallup. He’s a private practice family medicine doctor and owner of Family Medicine Associates. He’s practiced in Gallup since 2003. She’s a family practice physician with Rehoboth McKinley Christian Hospital. Together they have 9,000 active patients in a place that’s already undeserved.
Andrade has deep roots here, which makes his loss all the more painful. He’s a Gallup native and graduate of Gallup High School, UNM and the UNM School of Medicine. He is the team Read More
New Mexico Paid Leave Bill Clears First Senate Committee
House Sponsor Rep. Christine Chandler
By NATHAN BROWN
The Santa Fe New Mexican
A bill to extend paid time off to more New Mexico workers took a step closer to becoming law Saturday.
The Paid Family and Medical Leave Act passed out of the Senate Tax, Business and Transportation Committee on a 6-4 party-line vote. It now heads to the Senate Finance Committee, which approved last year’s version of the bill.
Paid leave advocates have been pushing for years to create a state-run program. Last year’s bill passed the Senate before failing narrowly in the House. This year’s bill started in and has already Read More
Determan: Time To Speak Up For Tax Reforms For Health Care Workers
From ANDREA DETERMAN
Chair
DPLA
Think New Mexico’s proposed legislation to fully repeal New Mexico’s Gross Receipts Tax (GRT) on medical services is approaching its critical decision point.
This morning, House Bill 344 passed the House Health & Human Services Committee unanimously and it now heads to the House Taxation and Revenue Committee. Meanwhile, the Senate version of the bill, Senate Bill 295, received a positive hearing in the Senate Tax, Bustiness & Transportation Committee yesterday afternoon.
The House and Senate tax committees will soon be meeting to decide Read More
Musk/Trump And CDC – Laying The Foundation For The Next Pandemic
By RICHARD SKOLNIK
White Rock
The staffing and budget cuts that Musk/Trump are taking to CDC will do immeasurable harm to the health of Americans and to the health of people globally. These harms will take many years to overcome and must be stopped now.
Eliminating critical personnel and funds will immediately harm CDC’s ability to detect, prevent, and help us respond to infectious disease threats. It will harm our preparedness to deal in a timely manner with the next emerging infectious disease, at a time when vaccination rates are falling and bird flu poses potentially grave risks to us and to Read More
