Healthcare

Robinson: We Must Take Care Of Our Rural Hospitals

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By SHERRY ROBINSON
All She Wrote
© 2024 New Mexico News Services

Last year three small New Mexico hospitals had only enough cash on hand to last a few days. That situation has improved a bit, said Troy Clark, president and CEO of the New Mexico Hospital Association, but four hospitals still have just 20 days of cash on hand. Others are losing money.

“We must take care of our rural facilities,” he said.

Patients in rural areas are older, poorer and sicker; their hospitals rely more on Medicaid than on private insurance or other sources, and Medicaid reimburses them below cost.

Legislators threw rural Read More

Self Help Launches Los Alamos Mental Health Website Upgrade On World Mental Health Day

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SELF HELP Inc. News:

Self Help, Inc. (Self Help) will launch the redesigned and enhanced Los Alamos Mental Health website Oct. 10, which is World Mental Health Day. The website was originally created by Self Help and the United Way of Northern New Mexico in 2016 to promote access to mental health resources for the Los Alamos community.

It continues to serve as a central hub for mental health information and provides a list of local therapists. Self Help collaborated with the Los Alamos County Social Services Department on this project as it aligns with the County’s Comprehensive Health Plan.

The Read More

New Mexico Department Of Finance And Administration Files Response To Judicial Employee Leave Policy Lawsuit

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DFA Secretary Wayne Propst

DFA News:

SANTA FE — The New Mexico Department of Finance and Administration (DFA) filed a response to the Administrative Office of the Courts’ (AOC) lawsuit against the agency. DFA’s response aims to protect the Legislature’s exclusive power over the expenditure of public funds and the constitutional authority of checks and balances, while respectfully requesting a fair tribunal.

The lawsuit stems from DFA’s declining paid time off (PTO) payouts on the grounds that the policy violates legislative restrictions on the expenditure of public funds. The decision Read More

Skolnik: New Mexico’s Healthcare Workforce – Clever Ads Are Not Healthcare Policy

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By RICHARD SKOLNIK
White Rock

In September 2023, the Albuquerque Journal published an article I wrote called Dear Red State Physicians, Please Move to New Mexico (link).

Thus, I was pleased to see the Governor launch in August 2024 an advertising campaign along the lines of my article.

My article was written in a somewhat humorous style, since I understand there are a number of critical policy constraints that discourage physicians from wanting to practice in New Mexico. Unhappiness over a physician’s ability to practice in Texas or elsewhere according to the standards of care of her field will Read More

Los Alamos Public Schools Joins Nationwide Celebration Of Unity Day … Key For National Bullying Prevention Month

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LAPS News:

On Oct. 16, Los Alamos Public Schools (LAPS) will join schools nationwide in celebrating Unity Day, a key event during National Bullying Prevention Month.

Unity Day sends a clear, powerful message: by wearing orange, we stand together in kindness, acceptance and inclusion, helping to create a safer, more supportive environment for every student.

Unity Day also reaffirms our school district’s strategic goal to ensure 100% of students develop the skills and values necessary to be productive, responsible citizens. By uniting against bullying, we are building a culture where students Read More

St. John’s College Santa Fe Awarded Suicide Program Funds

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St. John’s College News:

SANTA FE – St. John’s College has been awarded a three-year $306,000 grant from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) to strengthen the college’s behavior health infrastructure especially for suicide prevention efforts on its Santa Fe campus.

The program will support a comprehensive public health and evidence-based approach to behavioral health, including suicide, depression, serious mental illness and substance abuse.

“We know that increasing mental health challenges, including risk of suicide, and, more generally, increased Read More

National Bullying Awareness Month: 5 Crucial Facts To Know

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From ‘Stand for the Silent’:

Oklahoma City – October is National Bullying Prevention Month, making it an ideal time to examine some of the crucial factors surrounding this hot-button issue. Bullying touches families from coast to coast and in all demographic areas. The more we can shed light on it and learn to understand it, the better equipped we will be as a nation to help prevent it from happening.

“Bullying is an issue that most of us have had to deal with at some point, in one way or another,” says Kirk Smalley, co-founder of Stand for the Silent. “We need to learn more about it and do what we can to Read More