New Funding for Rural Healthcare in New Mexico

The New Mexico Healthcare Delivery and Access Act (SB17), provides critical funding for rural healthcare in New Mexico. This bill uses hospital assessments to generate $1.3 billion in federal funding for hospitals in New Mexico. While larger hospitals pay more in their assessments, smaller, rural hospitals will receive a larger portion of this much-needed funding.

What is the New Mexico Healthcare Delivery and Access Act?

The New Mexico Healthcare Delivery and Access Act addresses critical gaps in rural healthcare services, including:

Funding allocation: Financial support for infrastructure improvements and modernization of healthcare facilities. Hospitals are encouraged to reinvest 75% or more of their funding into enhancing care services, staff recruitment, or facility expansion.
Improving healthcare delivery systems: Enhance efficiency and accessibility of patient care by upgrading healthcare services and expanding the reach of services.
Telehealth and digital health services: The implementation and integration of telehealth to bridge the geographical gap between healthcare providers and patients in remote areas.
Workforce development: Resources to train and retain healthcare professionals in rural areas to ensure a sustainable healthcare workforce

hospital replacement using funding for rural healthcare in new mexico

Lincoln County Medical Center

This new act allocates funds to rural hospitals so they can improve and expand their physical infrastructure, including essential renovations, facility upgrades, and new construction that meet the latest healthcare standards.

Rural healthcare organizations can use the funds to improve:

Technology: Grants are available to help hospitals integrate modern medical techniques, including electronic health records (EHR) systems, diagnostic equipment, and telemedicine platforms.
Energy efficiency and sustainability: The new bill encourages healthcare facilities to adopt energy-efficiency, helping rural hospitals reduce operational costs and environmental impact.
Access to specialty care: Through telemedicine and partnerships with larger healthcare systems, rural hospitals can offer specialized services that might otherwise be unavailable in isolated areas.
Long-term sustainability: The bill promotes financial sustainability by giving rural hospitals tools to improve care efficiency and meet the growing needs of their communities.

Because this a one-time fund, hospitals are encouraged to use the money on infrastructure improvements that will improve access to care for years to come.

At least three-quarters of this new funding for rural healthcare in New Mexico must be spent in New Mexico, which means using local vendors.

How organizations can use new funding for rural healthcare in New Mexico

This new funding source for rural healthcare in New Mexico can be used by healthcare organizations to improve patient care and attract and retain top healthcare talent.

Some ideas of how to use this funding include:

Expand emergency and trauma facilities: Enhancing emergency departments to handle more cases or creating trauma units allows rural hospitals to provide critical care locally. This can reduce patient transfers and improve community trust in the hospital’s capabilities.
Develop on-site housing for healthcare staff: Providing housing for healthcare workers directly on or near the hospital campus can be a strong recruitment and retention tool, especially in rural areas with limited housing availability.
Upgrade diagnostic and imaging equipment: New imaging machines, such as CT scanners or ultrasound devices, allow rural hospitals to diagnose and treat patients locally, which can be more cost-effective and improve patient outcomes.
Establish outpatient and specialty clinics: Creating outpatient and specialty services, like cardiology or oncology, can provide essential care to the local population and reduce the need for patients to travel long distances for treatment.
Expand pharmacy and laboratory services: Building or upgrading in-house laboratories and pharmacies helps rural hospitals offer faster diagnostics and treatment options, essential for timely patient care and hospital revenue.
Building rehabilitation and wellness facilities: By adding rehabilitation services, such as physical and occupational therapy, rural hospitals can address chronic conditions and post-surgical recovery locally, improving patient outcomes and increasing revenue.
Create staff wellness and training areas: Developing dedicated spaces for staff wellness and continuous training can improve staff morale and retention, crucial for rural hospitals where attracting talent is a challenge.

Whatever project you decide to undertake with these public funds, you’ll want to choose the right vendors to help you maximize your budget.

Getting your next rural hospital project off the ground

At Dekker, we understand the unique challenges that rural hospitals face in New Mexico, including limited resources, staffing shortages, and aging facilities. Through strategic design, planning, and project management, we help hospitals maximize their potential.

Streamline the procurement process when you work with a CES-approved vendor

Dekker is a CES-approved vendor, helping you initiate projects faster at a cost-effective rate.

Projects using public funds in New Mexico – like the new Healthcare Deliver and Access Act – are required to follow a specific procurement process. This process includes issuing a Request for Proposal (RFP), and evaluating firms based on who will provide the highest quality product.

RFPs can take a long time to write and administer. CES provides accreditation to local firms, giving you a pool of qualified candidates you can directly choose from, as well as cost-effective, pre-negotiated rates. By using a CES-approved vendor, you can bypass a lengthy bid process while remaining compliant with New Mexico procurement laws. This greatly simplifies procurement and streamlines project initiation.

Dekker provides rural hospitals a trusted, reliable partner for quality design services, enabling them to focus on improving patient care while benefiting from efficient, budget-friendly solutions.

We help clients find and secure funding sources

Finding and applying for funding isn’t always easy, especially for smaller hospitals who may not have dedicated staff to spearhead the effort. We are committed to helping rural hospitals find and apply for funding sources that facilitate hospital renovations and replacements.

With over 65 years of experience in healthcare architecture and design, our deep community ties give us insight into available funding sources in New Mexico. We can also help provide technical assistance in applying for funding and navigating grant reporting requirements.

Project Highlight: Lincoln County Medical Center Replacement (Ruidoso, New Mexico)

Lincoln County Medical Center has a long history of delivering high quality care in a rural community, but they were limited by their dated facility. We designed a complete hospital replacement that helped this rural hospital add capacity and capability to better serve their community.

Lincoln County Medical Center applied for and received critical funding that facilitated a complete replacement of their hospital. The new facility features a wide array of services from surgery to mother and baby care. The Emergency Department was also expanded to meet demand. A new imaging center includes MRI, CT, X-ray, women’s imaging and nuclear medicine, allowing more patients to receive care in their communities.