University of New Mexico Hospital’s top brass and local leaders met with community members on Aug. 26 for a feedback and listening session focused on how the hospital can provide better care.
As the late afternoon sun drifted into the International District Library, 60 people packed a meeting room as Francisco Ronquillo with UNM’s Office of Community Health began the meeting. He talked about changes implemented since the last UNMH listening session then broke the audience into smaller groups.
He asked the audience to think about what is important in relationships.
“Take a few minutes and discuss it among your groups and then we’ll report back,” he said
The din of conversation came back up. The small groups included community members mixed with leaders like Bernalillo County Commissioner Adriann Barboa, and UNMH CEO Kate Becker.
As the session went on and people gave feedback that trust, communication, and honesty are all important to them, the cycle continued with new questions and answers.
Becker said the hospital uses that feedback to assess the hospital's strengths and weaknesses. That information is recorded by UNMH employees, and grouped into different “buckets” with similar items, she said.
“And then we work through, how are we going to change policy or adapt our practice, or whatever the response is that we need to have?” she said.
Some of the most common issues were access to behavioral health care, like mental health and substance abuse services, and problems surrounding health care for people living on the streets.
“And we also heard quite a bit tonight from folks in the LGBTQ community, and so really comments on how we can be more competent in serving that patient population,” Becker said.
Albuquerque City Councilor Nichole Rogers also attended the meeting. She said she wants the city to get more involved with hospitals and health care.
“Making sure I can direct more spending for health outcomes, even though that's the county's job, the city should still be doing that, because it's all interconnected,” Rogers said.
The main way the county collaborates with UNMH is through the mill levy, which provides funding to the hospital and will be up for its eight-year renewal during the November election. But Rogers said she wants to see that collaboration expand.
The next listening session is planned for December 4 at Albuquerque’s St. Timothy’s Lutheran Church, 211 Jefferson Street NE.
Support for this coverage comes from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation.
Ed’s Note: This story originally aired Tuesday August 27.
