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

SPONSOR

Altamirano

DATE TYPED 02/04/05 HB

SHORT TITLE

Dona Ana Dental Hygienist Two-Year Program

SB 354

ANALYST Woods

APPROPRIATION

Appropriation Contained Estimated Additional Impact Recurring

or Non-Rec

Fund

Affected

FY05

FY06

FY05

FY06

$200.0

Recurring General Fund

(Parenthesis ( ) Indicate Expenditure Decreases)

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

Duplicates SB31

Relates to HB0107, SB0131, SB342

SOURCES OF INFORMATION

LFC Files

Responses Received From

New Mexico Department of Health (DOH)

Commission on Higher Education (CHE) (SB31)

New Mexico Health Policy Commission (HPC)

SUMMARY

Synopsis of Bill

Senate Bill 354 – Making an Appropriation to New Mexico State University for the Dona Ana

Branch Community College to Develop and Implement a Two-year Dental Hygiene Program –

appropriates $200,000 from the general fund to the Board of Regents of New Mexico State Uni-

versity for expenditure in FY06 for the Dona Ana Branch Community College to develop and

implement a two-year dental hygiene program. Any unexpended or unencumbered balance

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

Senate Bill 354 -- Page 2

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.

CHE observes that this request was not in the list of priority projects submitted by the NMSU

Board of Regents to CHE for review. Accordingly, the request was not included in the commis-

sion’s funding recommendation for FY06.

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 $200,000 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

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

Duplicates SB31 in that SB31 also appropriates $200,000 from the general fund to the Board of

Regents of New Mexico State University Dona Ana Branch to establish an accredited dental hy-

giene educational program.

Relates to HB0107 and SB0131 in that HB107 (Interactive Dental Distance Education Program)

and SB131 (Dental Hygienist Distance Learning Program) both seek to appropriate $45,000

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

community colleges to develop and implement an interactive distance education program to

Senate Bill 354 -- Page 3

teach dental hygiene and dental assisting statewide.

Relates to SB342, which seeks to appropriate $150,000 to Eastern New Mexico University to

establish a dental hygienist education program.

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 profes-

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

Albuquerque, and the San Juan Community College in Farmington. Public dental assis-

tant programs are in several locations – Santa Fe Community College, Eastern New Mex-

ico 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 pri-

vate dental assisting programs in Albuquerque. New Mexico has no dental school.

•

The proposed two-year dental hygiene program at Dona Ana Branch Community College

anticipates graduating ten to twelve dental hygienists per year. A positive economic im-

pact will also be derived through increased employment opportunities.

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 the na-

tional 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 desig-

nated 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

Senate Bill 354 -- Page 4

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 indirect

supervision of a licensed dentist, therefore the increase in licensed dental hygienists

needs to grow proportionally with that of dentists. With out a dental school in New Mex-

ico 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/sb