Health
State needs to legalize testing strips to prevent overdose deaths, harm reduction expert says
Fentanyl, a synthetic opioid that is much more potent than heroin, has entered New Mexico’s drug market and can make drug use more dangerous and even fatal. Fentanyl is killing more people in the state than heroin and prescription opioids now, according to health officials. Overdose deaths have increased in the state, with fentanyl-related deaths […]
Providers ask lawmakers to relax the rules around take-home drug treatment
It took Phil Fiuty more than 20 years from the first time he thought maybe he wanted to not use drugs anymore to become sober. That’s not because of any moral failing or lack of character on his part, but illustrates his view that it can take a lot of practice to be abstinent. “It’s […]
COVID-19 vaccines or weekly tests to be mandated for millions of U.S. workers
WASHINGTON — More than 80 million employees of private businesses in the U.S. will be required to get vaccinated against COVID-19 or undergo weekly testing as part of the Biden administration’s latest strategy for combating the still-surging coronavirus pandemic. The upcoming vaccine rule for companies with at least 100 employees is one plank of an […]
Behavioral health provider: ‘I just hope that we’ve learned from history’
Providers are asking New Mexico lawmakers to rebuild the state’s behavioral health care system, which is still plagued by problems after former Gov. Susana Martinez caused many providers to shut down about eight years ago. Lawrence Medina, executive director of the Rio Grande Alcoholism Treatment Program in Taos, N.M., suggested lawmakers provide funding needed to […]
N.M. vaccine rollout hits the road with mobile clinics at schools
New Mexico continues to take its COVID-19 vaccine efforts to young people. The state’s Department of Health and Public Education Department are hosting several vaccination events this week at campuses in Albuquerque, Santa Fe, Española, Tucumcari and Mora. Anyone can get a jab at the mobile vaccination school events, though the focus on getting students […]
N.M. abortion funds overwhelmed by patients from Texas
Abortion rights and health care access advocates in New Mexico described a sense of heaviness as they took an influx of calls from people seeking abortion services in the fallout of last week’s U.S. Supreme Court order. In a one-paragraph, unsigned order issued just before midnight on Wednesday, Sept. 1, the court did not strike […]
Telemedicine abortions offer cheaper options but may also undermine critical clinics
Allison Hansen had just gone through a breakup with her boyfriend last year when she discovered she was pregnant. She already had an 8-year-old son and did not want another child. Hansen called the Planned Parenthood facility near her home in Savannah, Georgia, to inquire about abortion services and was told the procedure would cost […]
Poor access to menstrual products in N.M. creates health hazards
Advocates are illuminating for state legislators the expense of tampons, cups and pads in a low-income state, promising to again seek a tax break on menstrual products in the coming session. Their argument: Cutting the cost is one quick way to create more equity and dignity for people who need these products. Lawmakers balked at […]
Boosters are coming soon to N.M., but some vaccine distrust lingers
Sandra Jean Taylor, a lactation consultant with a bachelor’s degree in nutritional science, has already scheduled her COVID-19 booster shot. She also found a Moderna vaccine trial for 7- and 11-year-old children and signed up her two children. “I am volunteering them for science,” Taylor said she told the recruitment team. “I feel 100% comfortable […]
Vaccines for kids are coming but they can’t be rushed
For weeks, questions from concerned parents have poured in: Why isn’t the COVID-19 vaccine approved for children under age 12 yet? When will a vaccine for children be available? Can the vaccine be given off-label? These are all good questions, and the answers aren’t easy. After the SARS-CoV-2 virus was identified in late 2019, clinical […]
Thousands of nurses and hundreds of doctors needed in the state
New Mexico’s entire health care system is plagued by shortages, and nearly every county in the state does not have enough primary care physicians or nurses, researchers from the state’s Health Care Workforce Committee told lawmakers. “There are massive shortages in every health care sector in the state,” said Dr. Richard Larson, executive vice chancellor of the UNM Health Sciences Center.
100% of Rio Rancho’s in-person public schools had a COVID case this month
During the first month back to in-person learning, New Mexico’s third-largest school district has reported a COVID case every day. Cases popped up in every K-12 school — except for the SpaRRk Academy virtual school. Nearly 17,000 students attend Rio Rancho Public Schools. So far 115 cases have been reported in the district, requiring 516 […]