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A state fund for keeping members of the birthing workforce in their jobs is open for applications. The goal is to ensure there are enough practitioners to serve the state, which has struggled to provide accessible care.
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Despite a decline in the number of flu cases in New Mexico at the start of the year, the state still has some of the highest levels in the country, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
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Firearm deaths are increasing in New Mexico, nearly doubling in the course of a decade. That’s according to a new report from the New Mexico Department of Health, which released a report on gun violence that Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham called for in her executive order regarding gun violence in September.
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Earlier this summer, the state’s nicotine prevention and cessation efforts were halted when money the state gets from a settlement with tobacco companies fell millions short of what the Department of Health had projected. Lawmakers overseeing the funds questioned the department about the issue and got a fiscal update Wednesday and said they plan to reintroduce legislation to give nicotine prevention work in New Mexico the stability it needs.
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While New Mexico has long struggled with the nation’s highest rate of alcohol-related deaths, the pandemic has inflamed the issue, according to a report released Thursday. The state saw an average of six people die each day from alcohol in 2021, and few living with the addiction are getting treatment.
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New Mexicans trying to quit smoking and vaping have had less help recently. The state’s prevention and outreach efforts were cut off in May and the Quitline went down at the end of June after state funding fell short. While 1-800-QUIT-NOW is up and running again, community groups helping some of the people most at risk still aren’t able to help.
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New Mexico is seeing a “small uptick” in COVID cases, according to Deputy Health Secretary and Acting State Epidemiologist Laura Parajón. She recommended those under 65 get another vaccine booster when updated versions that target the XBB.1.5 subvariant are approved. Older New Mexicans, she said, may want to get theirs sooner.
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The U.S. saw an uptick in COVID cases in July after several months of steady declines, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Deputy Health Secretary and Acting State Epidemiologist Dr. Laura Parajón spoke with KUNM about the status of the virus in New Mexico and how it's measured.
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New Mexicans who call 1-800-QUIT-NOW, a program to help people kick nicotine products, are being turned away. Local organizations doing smoking prevention work say the state has also told them to stop their projects.
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The New Mexico Department of Health's medical cannabis program announced this week that it will be adding insomnia to the program’s list of qualifying conditions for enrollments starting on June 1, 2023.