Let’s Talk New Mexico 4/6 8am: It’s hard to get an appointment with a doctor right now and recent data helps explain why. From 2017 to 2021 the number of primary care physicians in the state dropped by 30%, and specialists are leaving too. Some providers are leaving for another profession or retiring, but others are leaving New Mexico for better pay or for more balanced lives in states with more robust healthcare systems.
In the most recent legislative session, lawmakers suggested some solutions for our healthcare system that could spur retention and recruiting, like putting lower caps on malpractice liability so insurance would be cheaper, raising medicaid repayment rates, and helping doctors repay student loans and giving tax incentives for staying in state. About half of the proposed bills did not make it out of committees.
On the next Let’s Talk New Mexico we’ll explore the question, “Is there still a doctor in the house?” Have you struggled to see a healthcare provider? Are you a provider who is overwhelmed by the number of patients you see? Do you have ideas that could help bolster our beleaguered healthcare system? Email us at LetsTalk@kunm.org or call in live during the show.
Guests:
- Carrie Robin Brunder, Lobbyist, Zia Strategies on behalf of the New Mexico Medical Society
- Mark Depper M.D., President, X-Ray Associates of New Mexico
- Representative Jenifer Jones R.N., R-Deming
- Matthew Probst P.A., Sunrise Family Health Clinic (Las Vegas, NM), Director of Rural Engagement, UNM Office for Community Health
- Valerie Romero-Leggot M.D., Vice President and Executive Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Officer, UNM Health Science Center
Related Reading:
- "Where have all the doctors (and nurses) gone?" Searchlight New Mexico
- "Doctors flee New Mexico – and more are expected to follow," Albuquerque Journal
- "Bipartisan measures in the mix as lawmakers eye New Mexico’s doctor shortage," Albuquerque Journal
- "Doctors fight for medical malpractice changes," Santa Fe New Mexican
- "New Mexico Health Care Workforce Committee 2022 AnnualReport," University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center
