Features

Chandler: Healthy Communities – Systemic Approach Needed

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By CHRISTINE CHANDLER
Dist. 43 Candidate

I am running for the New Mexico House of Representatives, Dist. 43 because I believe that state government can and should play a more effective role in improving citizens’ lives. 

One area that I will focus on is improving access to and availability of healthcare including behavioral and addictive treatment and prevention services. With the on-going efforts at the federal level to undermine the Affordable Care Act, one of the biggest challenges that the NM state legislature will face in coming years is to ensure that all New Mexicans have access Read More

Luján Notes Los Alamos County Again Named Healthiest County In New Mexico According To New Rankings

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View of Central Avenue in downtown Los Alamos. Courtesy/Los Alamos Commerce & Development Corporation

From the Office of U.S. Rep. Ben Ray Luján

Washington, D.C. – Los Alamos County ranks healthiest in New Mexico, according to the 2018 County Health Rankings, released by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) and the University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute.

U.S. Rep. Ben Ray Luján

This is the eighth consecutive year that Los Alamos County has been cited as New Mexico’s healthiest county. The full list of rankings is available at www.countyhealthrankings.org.

“Los Alamos Read More

Heinrich Calls For Stronger Investment In Student Health And Safety

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U.S. Sen. Martin Heinrich
 
U.S. SENATE News:
 
WASHINGTON, D.C. ― In the face of the opioid epidemic that is ravaging communities and gun violence that is endangering the health and wellbeing of America’s youth, U.S. Sen. Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) is calling for stronger federal investments that enhance student health and safety.
 
Across the country and in New Mexico, schools are increasingly at the forefront in the response to these crises.
 
In a letter to the Senate Appropriations Committee leadership, Heinrich joined over two-dozen Senators in requesting
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Governor Signs Two Bills To Protect Sick And Vulnerable

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STATE News:
 
SANTA FE ― Feb. 28, two bills with bipartisan support from the House and Senate were signed by Governor Martinez and will now become law.
 
Senate Bill 11 will improve “step therapy” – the practice used by insurance companies to cut costs by requiring patients to try more affordable treatment options before more expensive ones. The bill was sponsored by Rep. Elizabeth “Liz” Thomson (D-Albuquerque), Sen. Gay G. Kernan (R-Hobbs), Sen. Elizabeth “Liz” Stefanics (D-Cerrillos), and Rep. Monica Youngblood (R-Albuquerque).
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LAVNS Daffodil Sales Begin Thursday

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Central Park Square volunteers, from left, Caesar Perez, Antonio Medina and Raul Ramirez, prep daffodils for the annual sale to benefit Los Alamos Visiting Nurse Service Hospice last year. Photo by Jennifer Bartram

LAVNS News:

The Los Alamos Visiting Nurse Service (LAVNS) Hospice Program is having its  annual “Daffodils for Hospice” sale. Proceeds from the sale support the Los Alamos Visiting Nurse Service Hospice program for terminally ill individuals.

The community may order a glass vase with three bunches (30 stems) of daffodils for $20, a glass vase with two bunch for $15 or a single Read More

HDA Statement On Review Of Annual Production Quotas For Opioids

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HDA President and CEO John M. Gray
 
HDA News:
 
ARLINGTON, VA — HDA (Healthcare Distribution Alliance) President and CEO John M. Gray released the following statement in response to Attorney General Jeff Sessions’ recent memo regarding opioid production quotas:
 
“We welcome Attorney General Sessions’ call to evaluate potential changes to the annual production quotas for opioids. This critical step reflects the growing recognition of the federal government’s role in addressing this public health crisis.
 
“During the
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Dancing Stars Gala: Elegant Evening Of Competitive Dancing To Benefit Alzheimer’s Disease Research

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The Annual Dancing Stars Gala returns to Albuquerque April 14. Courtesy photo

ALZHEIMER’S ASSOCIATIONS News:

ALBUQUERQUE – The Alzheimer’s Association, New Mexico Chapter is pleased to announce the 8th Annual Dancing Stars Gala will return to Albuquerque.

The Dancing Stars Gala is a competitive fundraiser, featuring local celebrities and community leaders who raise money for important Alzheimer’s research by learning how to dance over the course of months, fundraising, then competing against each other on the night of the Gala.

The event Read More

Learn About Down Syndrome

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Courtesy photo

CDC News:

What is Down Syndrome?

Down syndrome is a condition in which a person has an extra chromosome. Chromosomes are small “packages” of genes in the body. They determine how a baby’s body forms during pregnancy and how the baby’s body functions as it grows in the womb and after birth.

Typically, a baby is born with 23 pairs of chromosomes. Babies with Down syndrome have an extra copy of one of these chromosomes, chromosome 21. A medical term for having an extra copy of a chromosome is ‘trisomy’. Down syndrome also is referred to as Trisomy 21. This extra copy changes how the baby’s Read More

Luján Hosts Medicaid Buy-In Roundtable

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U.S. Rep. Ben Ray Luján

From the Office of U.S. Rep. Ben Ray Luján:

Washington, D.C. – U.S. Rep. Ben Ray Luján (D-NM) hosted a Medicaid Buy-In Roundtable Tuesday between representatives from the New Mexico State Legislature and some of the most prominent healthcare policy experts in the country.

Earlier this year, the New Mexico state legislature passed a Memorial that directed the New Mexico Legislative Health and Human Services (LHHS) Committee to study the policy and fiscal implications of offering a Medicaid Buy-In plan. Luján’s intended this Roundtable to assist New Mexico in developing Read More