Health Care

A trio of health care bills passed through their first committee Friday with broad bipartisan support. They’re all aimed at expanding access to health care by making it easier for some providers to move into the state. House bills 79, 81 and 82 would add New Mexico to a growing list of states allowing providers to practice as long as they’re licensed in any other state within the compact.

The 2025 legislative session kicks off January 21st and think tank Think New Mexico has a set of recommendations that aim to improve the state’s health care system. KUNM spoke with founder and executive director Fred Nathan about New Mexico joining a compact among states that would bring in more doctors to address professional shortages and other measures that would protect patients.

Representatives of the New Mexico Medical Society recently spoke to state lawmakers about a growing issue in the state: Attracting and retaining medical providers. KUNM's Daniel Montaño reports the state’s short about 5,000 health care workers.

Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham, who previously served as the state’s health secretary before getting elected to Congress, spoke at the Democratic National Convention Tuesday night on the topic of health care.

The United Health Professionals of New Mexico rallied outside University of New Mexico Hospital’s Sandoval Regional Medical Center on Monday calling for a 3% raise that every other employee received.

Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham issued her proclamation on Wednesday for a special session that starts on Thursday. She was joined by other leaders from around the state who support the session, despite pushback from lawmakers in her party.

New Mexico Attorney General Raúl Torrez announced Tuesday that his office is investigating allegations that a Las Cruces hospital has denied care to cancer patients with low incomes or who are uninsured.

Amid a recent uptick in heat, a large group of health professionals held an extreme heat summit Thursday to identify and discuss the dangerous public health consequences of climate change.

New Mexicans seeking health care are facing increasing wait times for crucial appointments. According to a Legislative Finance Committee report, the state is in need of more health care workers than any other profession. While the state looks at loan forgiveness and recruitment and retention efforts, a local high school aims to raise the next generation of these professionals.

A new diagnostic method can dramatically reduce the use of CT scans on pediatric patients, which reduces their risk of cancer later in life. KUNM reports it came out of a three-year multi-site study that included researchers at the University of New Mexico.