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A MEMORIAL

REQUESTING THE NEW MEXICO HEALTH POLICY COMMISSION TO CONVENE

A GROUP OF EXPERTS TO PLAN FOR STATE-FUNDED, NATIONALLY

ACCREDITED PRIMARY CARE RESIDENCY SLOTS AND ROTATIONS.

WHEREAS, primary care providers form the backbone of

necessary basic and preventive health services in New Mexico;

and

WHEREAS, during the past five decades, there has been a

drastic decrease in the supply of primary care physicians due

to the increase in numbers of specialist physicians trained in

high-cost, high-technology health care at the expense of

health care designed to prevent illness and maintain the

health of individuals and communities; and

WHEREAS, while there are diminishing numbers of primary

care dentists being trained in the United States, there is an

increased demand for dentistry in New Mexico; and

WHEREAS, access to preventive and primary health care

services is crucial to providing affordable health care and

health care accessible to more individuals; and

WHEREAS, in most countries where there are universal or

national health care systems, there is a recognition of the

necessity of keeping health care affordable by maintaining a

one-to-one ratio of primary care physicians to specialists;

and

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WHEREAS, in the United States, health care costs are

increasing dramatically year by year, in part because the

ratio of primary care physicians to specialists is closer to

twenty primary care physicians to eighty specialists; and

WHEREAS, there is a need in New Mexico for over one

hundred fifty primary care physicians, but only around twenty-

four primary care physicians are trained in the state every

year; and

WHEREAS, the New Mexico legislature and the United

States congress have recognized the importance of primary care

by passing legislation to provide over one hundred forty

primary care locations across New Mexico; and

WHEREAS, the New Mexico legislature and the United

States congress have funded policy improvements, such as

training programs for nurse practitioners, physician

assistants and family physician residencies, in order to

improve access to primary care; and

WHEREAS, primary care centers such as those funded by

the New Mexico legislature and by the United States congress

should be staffed whenever possible with high-quality health

professionals from the communities they serve; and

WHEREAS, more medical students may choose primary care

if reimbursement formulas and medical education programs were

to be changed to reward and produce more primary care

physicians;

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NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF

REPRESENTATIVES OF THE STATE OF NEW MEXICO that the New Mexico

health policy commission be requested to convene a task force

of experts by June 1, 2008 for the purpose of planning for new

or expanded state-funded, nationally accredited primary

medical, dental and other residency programs, including

rotations in communities where there is a documented

underservice and shortage of these services in clinics and

hospitals; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the task force be requested

to examine other conditions impacting provider training

decisions and retention factors and then report its

recommendation on how these conditions may improve access to

primary medical and dental services; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the task force report its

findings and recommendations to the legislative health and

human services committee by September 1, 2008; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a copy of this memorial be

transmitted to the chair of the New Mexico health policy

commission.