Rural health care

Healthcare options for pregnant New Mexicans are few and far between and the issue is getting worse, according to reporting by Heerea Rikhraj with New Mexico In Depth. Rikhraj spoke with KUNM about why birthing centers and prenatal care options are dwindling.

One in three New Mexico counties are “maternity care deserts." Nearly 18% of women in New Mexico lack access to birthing hospitals within 30 minutes of where they live, compared to the national 9.7%.

Eleven providers will receive grants totalling $18 million in the first tranche of funding.

While the national nursing shortage may be easing, vacancies still haven’t returned to pre-pandemic numbers, according to a study from Nursing Solutions Inc. In New Mexico, the most recent data showed 9,000 RN job postings in the state as of last summer. The University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center has announced it’s set to receive millions in federal funds to address the gap, particularly in rural areas.

Access to medication-assisted treatment (MAT) for opioid addiction is limited in New Mexico, but particularly in rural communities. The Santa Fe Recovery Center is hoping to change that in northwest New Mexico’s McKinley County with the help of a sizable federal grant.

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.

No ID is required. The care will be offered on a first-come, first served basis.

Though the death rate in rural America has decreased since the end of September, it is still significantly higher than in urban areas.

What if you’re racing to the hospital, but it’s an hour away – or more? Pregnant women living in northern New Mexico have to cross over sixty miles to…