New Mexico Governor Susana Martinex has proposed several targeted investments to train more doctors, nurse practitioners, and connect more rural patients with specialists and other experts via telemedicine. She would like to establish a grant program for telemedicine in the state that would play a key role in managing chronic diseases like heart disease and diabetes.
Funding for $600,000 would be used to connect rural New Mexico’s patients and providers with telemedical services and provide assistance for organizations to purchase, install, and set up the technology, infrastructure, and equipment needed to provide services.
The grant program would be administered by the New Mexico Department of Health if approved by the state legislature. The Governor has already signed legislation into law requiring group health insurance plans to cover telemedicine. The Governor reports, “The funding proposed would provide the financial support needed to further establish and develop telemedicine service in the rural and underserved areas of New Mexico.”
The Governor has proposed another initiative aimed at bolstering the state’s healthcare workforce. The Governor would like to expand the number of nurse practitioners being trained in the state by offering additional loan repayment support in exchange for service in rural areas.
Specifically, she would like to allocate $2.5 million to expand the family practice residency and nurse practitioner programs at the University of New Mexico (UNM). Her proposal would dramatically increase the number of nurse practitioner slots at UNM by 24 seats.
“It is no secret that families and communities in rural New Mexico face a shortage of healthcare practitioners from nursing professionals to family practice physicians and specialists,” said Governor Martinez. “By expanding the number of nurse practitioners being trained in the state, and offering additional loan repayment support in exchange for service in rural areas, we can significantly improve the quality of care that can be provided in rural settings.”