Fiscal impact reports (FIRs) are prepared by the Legislative Finance Committee (LFC) for standing finance

committees of the NM Legislature. The LFC does not assume responsibility for the accuracy of these reports

if they are used for other purposes.

Current FIRs (in HTML & Adobe PDF formats) are a vailable on the NM Legislative Website (legis.state.nm.us).

Adobe PDF versions include all attachments, whereas HTML versions may not. Previously issued FIRs and

attachments may be obtained from the LFC in Suite 101 of the State Capitol Building North.

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

SPONSOR Taylor

ORIGINAL DATE

LAST UPDATED

1/21/08

HB 73

SHORT TITLE San Juan College Health Sciences Center

SB

ANALYST Haug

APPROPRIATION (dollars in thousands)

Appropriation

Recurring

or Non-Rec

Fund

Affected

FY08

FY09

$287.3

Recurring

General Fund

(Parenthesis ( ) Indicate Expenditure Decreases)

SOURCES OF INFORMATION

LFC Files

Responses Received From

Higher Education Department (HED)

No Response

San Juan College (SJC)

SUMMARY

Synopsis of Bill

House Bill 73 appropriates

$287.3

from the general fund to the Higher Education Department for

programs at the health sciences simulation and teaching center at San Juan College.

FISCAL IMPLICATIONS

The appropriation of

$287.3

contained in this bill is a recurring expense to the general fund. Any

unexpended or unencumbered balance remaining at the end of fiscal year 2009 shall revert to the

general fund.

This request was not submitted by SJC to NMHED for review and is not included in the

Department’s funding recommendation for FY09.

SIGNIFICANT ISSUES

According to the HED, House Bill 73 funds would be used to create a simulated surgical suite

House Bill 73 – Page

2

where all sterility procedures required for surgical technology can be practiced. In addition, all

emergency room Intensive Care Units (ICUs) and emergency procedures for nursing, emergency

medical services (EMS), and respiratory therapists can be simulated and training can occur so as

to enhance student critical thinking skills. Medical Laboratory Technician (MLT) students will

have the opportunity to receive training on automated equipment that is required by national

accreditation standards.

The HED states:

According to the SJC School of Health Sciences website, the Health Sciences Simulation and

Teaching Center currently does not exist; however a SJC administrator indicated that the

building is underway.

A SJC administrator stated that the intent and goals of the Health Sciences Simulation and

Teaching Center are:

.

to use simulated situations to allow the health care student hands-on training prior to the

student working with an actual patient with local hospital supervision; and

.

to provide the Center the ability, through simulated training, to do continuing education

and skill verification for procedures for currently employed health professionals and

students.

The SJC administrator further indicated that the difference between the SJC center and others is

the emphasis on practice rather than theory. The center will allow the health care student to work

through and practice the psycho-motor skills required in various health care procedures. It will

also allow health care students the means by which they can simulate rare and/or new

procedures.

The SJC School of Health Sciences offers programs in Dental Hygiene, Emergency Medical

Services, Health, Health and Human Performance, Health Information Technology, Nursing,

Outdoor Leadership and Recreation, Physical Education, Physical Therapy Assistance, and Pre-

Nursing.

The New Mexico Higher Education Department (NMHED) granted nursing program

enhancement funds to several institutions for simulation equipment. San Juan College was not

among the colleges receiving simulation funding: Luna Community College ($34,000); Central

New Mexico Community College ($100,000); New Mexico State University-Carlsbad

($150,000); Santa Fe Community College ($58,740); University of New Mexico-Gallup

($23,000). Figures for Clovis Community College, Eastern New Mexico University, Eastern

New Mexico University-Roswell, New Mexico Highlands University, New Mexico Junior

College, New Mexico State University, and the University of New Mexico were not readily

available.

San Juan College did receive nursing program enhancement funding to develop the Licensed

Practical Nurse (LPN) to Associate Doctor of Nursing (ADN) program, among other programs,

but simulation funding was not among them.

GH/bb