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F I S C A L   I M P A C T   R E P O R T

 

 

 

SPONSOR:

Picraux

 

DATE TYPED:

3/05/03

 

HB

HM 1

 

SHORT TITLE:

State Dental Education Summit

 

SB

 

 

 

ANALYST:

Dunbar

 

APPROPRIATION

 

Appropriation Contained

Estimated Additional Impact

Recurring

or Non-Rec

Fund

Affected

FY03

FY04

FY03

FY04

 

 

 

 

 

$65.0

See Narrative

Recurring

General Fund/OSF

 

 

 

 

 

 

(Parenthesis ( ) Indicate Expenditure Decreases)

 

Relates: HM 1; SB 247; HB 7; SB 2

 

SOURCES OF INFORMATION

 

Responses Received From

 

Department of Health (DOH)

Health Policy Commission (HPC)

NM Commission on Higher Education (NMCHE)

 

SUMMARY

 

     Synopsis of Bill

 

House Memorial 1 requests the Commission on Higher (CHE) and the Health Policy Commission to convene a Dental Education Summit in cooperation with the New Mexico Dental Association (NMDA) to assess the adequacy of current dental education programs to meet the needs and desires of state residents and students.  The Department of Health (DOH) would be a participant in the Dental Education Summit in conjunction with various other stakeholders.

 

     Significant Issues

 

The dental workforce is a critical issue facing the State. HM 1 would convene a summit to investigate the current status of dental education programs in New Mexico and to address the future workforce supply and needs of the State. New Mexico ranks 49th in the country in oral health access, 48th in poverty, 49th in the number of dentists per 100,000 population. The oral health needs of New Mexicans are seriously unmet partly due to a shortage of dental professionals. In 1998, New Mexico ranked 48th in the nation having 43 dentists per 100,000 population. In 1997, the national average was 60 dentists per 100,000 populations. In the next ten years there will be more dentists leaving than entering the workforce. 

 

Lack of dentists in the workforce especially in underserved and rural areas of New Mexico significantly affects access to dental care. Currently 29 of the 33 counties are designated as Health Professional Shortage Areas (HPSAs) for primary care by the US Department of Health and Human Services. Twenty-five of the thirty-three counties are designated as HPSAs for dental care.

 

CHE has oversight responsibility for three programs that promote recruitment and retention efforts of dental care providers: 

 

·        Western Interstate Commission on Higher Education (WICHE) program, which covers the out of state tuition differential for dental students,

·        Allied Health Loan-for-Service program, which provides educational loans in return for service in underserved areas of New Mexico, and

·        Health Professional Loan Repayment Program, which pays principal and interest on loans obtained for health educational purposes.

 

In 2002 the Commission convened two statewide summit meetings to generate broad-based strategic planning in critical workforce shortage areas in New Mexico (Teachers and Nurses).  Both summits were the culmination of several years of significant organized research and development activity by the respective New Mexico professional communities.  Preparation and follow-up work to mount each of these summits required investment of approximately 3.5 FTE for six months and $65,000 in direct costs.  Costs were supported in the case of Teachers by a three-year $2.4 million federal Title II grant, and in the case of Nurses by the UNM Health Sciences Center. 

 

FISCAL IMPLICATIONS

 

CHE has no budget that could directly support the efforts of a dental education summit, and estimates fiscal impact of HM 1 to be $65,000 in direct costs. 

 

ADMINISTRATIVE IMPLICATIONS

 

Administrative impact of HM 1 is estimated to be 3.5 FTE on the CHE. 

 

CHE financial aid staff participates in many statewide recruitment efforts with health organizations.  Continuing these efforts is aligned with our performance efforts.

 

RELATIONSHIP

 

Relationship:

HM 1 is related to SB 247, which funds a loan-for-service financial aid program with Baylor University College of Dentistry.

 

TECHNICAL ISSUES

 

A feasibility study is needed prior to conducting a summit. Building and operational costs for developing a dental school are not known. Recruitment of dental school faculty is an issue of national concern.  An appropriation would be needed to conduct this feasibility study. 

 

OTHER SUBSTANTIVE ISSUES

 

Twenty two percent of NM residents live in poverty compared to 13.2% for the U.S. population. Higher rates of dental disease are found in low-income populations.

 

One Federal Standard for the number of dentists needed to serve a population is 1 full time equivalent (FTE) per 1,050 persons. None of New Mexico’s counties meet this standard. New Mexico’s median for this standard is 1 FTE dentist per 3,297 persons. Three counties have no full-time dental service.

     

According to the New Mexico Health Policy Commission’s Quick Facts, 2002:

  • 1,081 dentists were licensed in New Mexico in 2002.  Only 814 of those dentists had New Mexico licensing addresses.
  • Dentist with New Mexico licensing addresses increased 3% from 2001.
  • 897 dental hygienists were licensed in New Mexico in 2002.  Only 707 of those dental hygienists had New Mexico licensing addresses.
  • Dentist hygienists with New Mexico licensing addresses increased approximately 3% from 2001.

§         The number of New Mexico dentists and dental hygienists per 100,000 population is the same in 2002 as it was in 1997.

 

CHE is currently supporting 20 students in dental schools through the WICHE Program. 

 

BD/njw