Healthcare

Skolnik: The ‘Tripledemic’ – What Else Can We Do?

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By RICHARD SKOLNIK
Los Alamos

The “tripledemic” in NM continues. The week of Nov. 26, influenza cases in New Mexico were at their highest rates in three years and climbing. The rates of RSV (respiratory synctial virus) that week were declining but were more than twice as high as any time in the last two years. Right now, NM has the third highest rate of COVID of any state.

To compound our woes, there have been widespread shortages of an antibiotic commonly given to children and store shelves in Los Alamos and Española are empty of children’s pain relievers, like acetaminophen and ibuprofen.

So, what Read More

LAMC Achieves Significant Milestone In Hospital Safety

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LAMC CEO Tracie Stratton

By CAROL A. CLARK
Los Alamos Daily Post
caclark@ladailypost.com

            • “Never in history have we seen across-the-board improvement in patient safety until this last decade.” –Leapfrog President and CEO Leah Binder

The Leapfrog Group has released its fall 2022 Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade results. This release marks the 10th anniversary of the Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade, which assigns a letter grade to nearly 3,000 U.S. general hospitals based on how well they protect patients from preventable medical errors, accidents, injuries and infections. 

Los Alamos Medical Read More

DHS Announces REAL ID Enforcement Extended Until 2025 Due To Lingering Impacts Of COVID-19

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SUPU News:

SANTA FE — The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced Monday the enforcement of the REAL ID Act will be extended again for 24 months – pushing the implementation date to May 3, 2025.

DHS is citing the lingering impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic as the reason for the extension, stating: “REAL ID progress over the past two years has been significantly hindered by state driver’s licensing agencies having to work through the backlogs created by the pandemic.”

This announcement comes 6 months before the previously set deadline of May 2023. 

“It has been 14 years since the original Read More

New Mexico Health Care Affordability Fund Set To Deliver Major Savings On Health Insurance For Most People

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 Superintendent of Insurance Russell Toal

OSI News:

SANTA FE — New Mexico’s Health Care Affordability Fund is set to deliver major savings to most New Mexicans who qualify for health coverage on beWellnm.com.

Two critical deadlines are coming up for people looking to purchase coverage for 2023:

  • Dec. 23 – last day to enroll for a Jan. 1 effective date; and
  • Jan. 15, 2023 – last day of Open Enrollment with a Feb. 1 effective date.

“Thousands of people are shopping on beWellnm.com and finding health plans that they can afford,”  Superintendent of Insurance Russell Toal said. “And it’s not just lower Read More

Human Services Department Partners With UNM To Launch New Mexico’s First Center For Health Policy

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Cabinet Secretary David. R. Scrase, MD.

HSD News:

SANTA FE — The New Mexico Human Services Department (HSD) today announced they partnered with the University of New Mexico (UNM) to help launch the New Mexico Center for Health Policy.

The first- of-its-kind center in the state will support evidence-based health policy and practice for New Mexico’s Medicaid program by addressing the most critical health care issues with a particular focus on the 986,930 New Mexicans covered by Medicaid. 

This fall, the New Mexico Center for Health Policy rolled out phase I projects to assist HSD in taking a lead Read More

COVID-19 Community Newsletter For Dec. 2, 2022

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COUNTY News:

This week’s COVID-19 Community Newsletter provides an update on how Los Alamos County is doing as cases of COVID-19, flu and RSV increase nationwide.

Learne about how to be proactive to keep oneself and loved ones healthy, as well as help lighten the load  on the health care systems.

Click here: https://conta.cc/3XR8dbZ Read More

MolinaCares Accord Seeks Nominations For Extraordinary New Mexico Caregivers Through GIVING Tree Initiative

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MolinaCares News:

ALBUQUERQUE — The MolinaCares Accord (“MolinaCares”), in collaboration with Molina Healthcare of New Mexico (“Molina”), is partnering with the New Mexico Caregivers Coalition and the New Mexico Association for the Education of Young Children to give back to caregivers who are going above and beyond through its MolinaCares Care GIVING Tree initiative.

“We are thankful to all caregivers who work tirelessly to serve residents that often require extensive assistance and support,” said Carolyn Ingram, plan president of Molina Healthcare of New Mexico. “Through this initiative, Read More

Los Alamos County Returns To Green On CDC Map Dec. 1

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The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released today its weekly update to the COVID-19 community level map. The CDC framework designates community levels based on diagnoses and regional hospitalization levels (link). Masks are recommended for everybody in counties at the highest, red, risk level. Masks are recommended for at-risk individuals in counties at the intermediate, yellow, risk level. Source: CDC. Map: mapchart.net. Created by Eli Ben-Naim Read More