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

SPONSOR

Foley

DATE TYPED 02-28-05 HB 503

SHORT TITLE

ENMU-Roswell Dental Hygienist Program

SB

ANALYST Woods

APPROPRIATION

Appropriation Contained Estimated Additional Impact Recurring

or Non-Rec

Fund

Affected

FY05

FY06

FY05

FY06

$150.0

Recurring General Fund

(Parenthesis ( ) Indicate Expenditure Decreases)

Relates to the appropriation for Eastern New Mexico University in the General Appropriations Act.

Duplicates SB342; Relates to HB107, HB504, SB31, SB131, SB354, SB397, SB398

SOURCES OF INFORMATION

LFC Files

Responses Received From

New Mexico Department of Health (DOH)

Commission on Higher Education (CHE)

New Mexico Health Policy Commission (HPC)

SUMMARY

Synopsis of Bill

House Bill 503 – Making an Appropriation to the Roswell Branch of Eastern New Mexico Uni-

versity for the Establishment of a Dental Hygienist Program – appropriates $150,000 from the

general fund to the Board of Regents of Eastern New Mexico University for expenditure in FY06

to establish an accredited dental hygienist educational program at the Roswell branch to prepare

graduates to become licensed dental hygienists. Any unexpended or unencumbered balance re-

maining at the end of FY06 shall revert to the general fund.

Significant Issues

DOH notes that New Mexico is experiencing a shortage of oral health professionals and the pro-

posed appropriation in this bill would begin to address the shortage of dental hygienists. Increas-

ing the number of trained, certified and licensed oral health professionals will help reduce oral

health disparities, particularly for children.

House Bill 503 -- Page 2

DOH further indicates that Eastern New Mexico University-Roswell (ENMU-R) currently oper-

ates a mobile dental van serving uninsured and underinsured persons lacking access to dental ser-

vices. The operation relies on volunteer practitioners to staff and provide services. A full time

accredited dental hygienist program would be beneficial for the dental van, the community, and

the students enrolled in the program.

CHE observes that this request was approved by ENMU Board of Regents in the amount of

$100,000 and submitted to the CHE for review. However the program was not recommended for

expansion by CHE at this time.

PERFORMANCE IMPLICATIONS

DOH indicates that this bill is consistent with the DOH strategic plan Program Area 9, Strategic

Direction: Achieve excellence and accountability in administration and services; Objective 3:

Increase the health workforce supply, in collaboration with other entities in New Mexico.

HPC indicates that there is a technical difference between a two-year dental hygiene program

and a four-year dental hygiene program: the two-year offers an associate degree, while the four-

year offers a bachelors degree. This, however, has no effect on licensing issues, for an associates

degree is licensed the same in any states as a bachelor’s degree. The significance is that the cost

of a four-year program is, obviously, greater than the two-year program and the graduate turn-

over rate is slower for the four-year program.

HPC suggests that New Mexico needs both types of programs: the two-year program for rapid

turnover for dental hygiene providers introduced into the workforce, and the four-year program

which would provide dental hygiene providers but would also produce those dental hygiene

graduates who would be eligible for educational positions. Using this strategy, New Mexico will

not have to rely on out-of-state programs for production of its teaching core for dental hygiene

programs.

FISCAL IMPLICATIONS

The $150,000 proposed appropriation in this bill is a recurring expense to the general fund; how-

ever, any unexpended or unencumbered balance remaining at the end of FY06 shall revert to the

general fund.

CONFLICT, DUPLICATION, COMPANIONSHIP, RELATIONSHIP

HB503 Relates to the appropriation for Eastern New Mexico University in the General Appropria-

tions Act and duplicates SB342 in that SB342 also seeks to appropriate$150,000 from the general

fund to the Board of Regents of Eastern New Mexico University for expenditure in FY06 to es-

tablish an accredited dental hygienist educational program at the Roswell branch to prepare

graduates to become licensed dental hygienists.

Relates to SB31 in that SB31 seeks to appropriate $200,000 from the general fund to the Board

of Regents of New Mexico State University Dona Ana Branch Community College for expendi-

ture in FY06 for the purpose of establishing an accredited dental hygiene educational program to

prepare graduates to become licensed dental hygienists.

Relates to SB354 in that SB354 seeks to appropriate $200,000 from the general fund to the

House Bill 503 -- Page 3

Board of Regents of New Mexico State University for expenditure in FY06 for the Dona Ana

Branch Community College to develop and implement a two-year dental hygiene program

Relates to SB397 in that SB397 seeks to appropriate $45,000 from the general fund to the Com-

mission on Higher Education for expenditure in FY06 to work with a community organization to

develop and implement a statewide interactive dental distance education program.

Relates to SB398 in that SB398 seeks to appropriate $150,000 from the general fund to the

Board of Regents of Eastern New Mexico University for expenditure in FY06 for the Roswell

branch campus to develop and implement a four-year dental hygiene program.

Relates to HB504 in that HB504 seeks to appropriate $200,000 from the general fund to the

Board of Regents of New Mexico State University Dona Ana Branch Community College for

expenditure in FY06 for the purpose of establishing an accredited dental hygiene educational

program to prepare graduates to become licensed dental hygienists.

Relates to HB107 (Interactive Dental Distance Education Program) and SB131 (Dental Hygien-

ist Distance Learning Program) in that both HB107 and SB131 seek to appropriate $45,000 from

the general fund to the Department of Health to contract with a statewide association of commu-

nity colleges to develop and implement an interactive distance education program to teach dental

hygiene and dental assisting statewide.

SUBSTANTIVE ISSUES

DOH suggests that 2000 Oral Health Survey conducted by the DOH found that 65 percent of the

2,000 children surveyed had experienced tooth decay; and 37 percent of the sample had un-

treated tooth decay. Approximately 25 percent of New Mexico adults, age 65 years and older,

have lost all their natural teeth. The national target recommended by Healthy People 2010 is to

have no more than 20 percent of adults of this age group with loss of all natural teeth. DOH fur-

ther indicates that:

•

The federal government has designated all or part of 26 New Mexico counties as

dental Health Professional Shortage Areas. Dental services are inadequate due to a

shortage of needed health professionals -- especially in rural and remote areas of

the state.

•

New Mexico has several programs designed to address the need for oral health pro-

fessionals. Dental hygiene programs are in two locations – University of New

Mexico in Albuquerque, and the San Juan Community College in Farmington.

Public dental assistant programs are in several locations – Santa Fe Community

College, Eastern New Mexico University Branch College in Roswell, University of

New Mexico Branch in Gallup, and Dona Ana Branch Community College in Dona

Ana. There are also two small private dental assisting programs in Albuquerque.

New Mexico has no dental school.

HPC offers the following more general observations as to the state dental hygiene in New Mex-

ico:

•

The number of dental hygienists per 100,000 population in New Mexico is below

House Bill 503 -- Page 4

the national average. National Ratio 52:1, New Mexico 39:1-2003. (New Mexico

Oral Health Surveillance System)

•

Oral Health Professional shortage areas (Dental HPSAs): New Mexico counties

designated 30 of 33. International border designated 6 New Mexico counties.

•

The growth rate in the number of professional hygiene licensed issued in New

Mexico does not keep pace with the growth in total population.

•

The supply rate for the number of professional hygiene licenses issued in New

Mexico will face a severe impact during the next five years when the retirement

rate will exceed supply rate.

•

Historically New Mexico has had one dental hygiene education program that has

not grown since 1963 (UNM). Twenty-four students graduate per year.

•

In 2001, a second dental hygiene program began at San Juan Community College

in Farmington with the capacity of graduating 12 students per year. Two hundred

applicants applied for the 2001-2002 academic year.

•

Additional dental education programs are needed to improve dental care access in

New Mexico.

•

New Mexico Statute requires that a licensed dental hygienist practice under the in-

direct supervision of a licensed dentist, therefore the increase in licensed dental hy-

gienists needs to grow proportionally with that of dentists. With out a dental school

in New Mexico the shortage of dentists will prevail.

•

Dentist, dental hygienist and dental personnel recruitment issues must be examined

to meet the access needs of New Mexico.

BFW/yr:lg