HOUSE JOINT MEMORIAL 1

54th legislature - STATE OF NEW MEXICO - first session, 2019

INTRODUCED BY

Elizabeth "Liz" Thomson

A JOINT MEMORIAL

REQUESTING THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH TO CONVENE THE BONE HEALTH TASK FORCE TO EVALUATE NEW MEXICO'S CURRENT APPROACHES TO PROMOTING BONE HEALTH AND POST-FRACTURE CARE, TO FACILITATE IMPLEMENTATION OF FRACTURE LIAISON SERVICES IN NEW MEXICO HOSPITALS, TO DEVELOP STRATEGIES FOR EFFECTIVE COMMUNITY OUTREACH AND EDUCATION THROUGH TELEHEALTH AND TO EXPLORE THE DEVELOPMENT OF FACILITIES AND RESOURCES TO IMPROVE OSTEOPOROSIS CARE IN NEW MEXICO.

     WHEREAS, osteoporotic fractures can lead to disability, loss of independence and death; and

     WHEREAS, the national osteoporosis foundation estimates that three hundred seventy thousand men and women in New Mexico have osteoporosis or low bone density; and

     WHEREAS, the department of health reports that there are more than five thousand fracture-related hospitalizations among adults sixty-five years and older each year; and

     WHEREAS, individuals with diabetes are at particularly high risk for osteoporotic fractures; and

     WHEREAS, bone density testing is recommended by the national osteoporosis foundation, and the United States preventive services task force has issued a highly ranked "B recommendation" for all women age sixty-five years or older and for younger postmenopausal women with risk factors; and

     WHEREAS, the national osteoporosis foundation recommends bone density testing for all men age seventy years and older or for men ages fifty to seventy years who have risk factors such as a recent history of non-traumatic fracture; and

     WHEREAS, many medicines are available to improve bone strength and prevent fractures in at-risk individuals; and

     WHEREAS, fewer than one percent of older adults on osteoporosis medication will have serious side effects, but of every one thousand postmenopausal women, five hundred will suffer an osteoporotic fracture in their remaining lifetimes without medication to reduce the risk; and

     WHEREAS, there are effective interventions to prevent fractures and improve quality of life, including evidence-based community fall prevention programs and physical therapy for pain management, fall risk reduction, spine sparing education, pain management, good nutrition, healthy lifestyle and pharmacologic therapies; and

     WHEREAS, most patients with fractures are currently not receiving treatment to reduce the risk of another fracture; and

     WHEREAS, a hospital-based fracture liaison service can provide a systematic way of identifying patients with fractures, monitoring their progress after hospital discharge and ensuring that these patients receive appropriate care to reduce fracture risk and promote injury prevention; and

     WHEREAS, only a few New Mexico health care delivery systems currently have a fracture liaison service; and

     WHEREAS, many New Mexico health care professionals do not have the skills to manage patients with complex skeletal disorders; and

     WHEREAS, the "bone health TeleECHO" program, developed through collaboration by the university of New Mexico health sciences center and the osteoporosis foundation of New Mexico, offers a weekly videoconferencing clinic for health care professionals to learn about treating osteoporosis and to become local bone health experts in their communities; and

     WHEREAS, the osteoporosis foundation of New Mexico is dedicated to increasing public awareness and education about osteoporosis and has partnered with the department of health and its office of injury prevention, the aging and long-term services department and the New Mexico adult falls prevention coalition;

     NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF NEW MEXICO that the secretary of health be requested to convene the "bone health task force" to evaluate New Mexico's approach to promoting bone health, including evaluation of community outreach, consumer and health care professional education, post-fracture care and the development of facilities and resources to improve the care of osteoporosis in New Mexico; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the secretary of health be requested to invite to participate in the bone health task force representatives from the office of the governor, the office of the lieutenant governor, the department of health, the aging and long-term services department, the New Mexico adult falls prevention coalition, the higher education department, the university of New Mexico, the federal Indian health service, tribal injury prevention programs, the United States department of veterans affairs, New Mexico health care delivery systems, the New Mexico hospital association, the emergency medical systems bureau of the department of health and the osteoporosis foundation of New Mexico; health care professionals; and designees appointed by the New Mexico legislative council; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the bone health task force be requested to produce a comprehensive written report and present its findings and recommendations to the legislative health and human services committee by November 1, 2019; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the bone health task force be requested to examine how New Mexico hospitals engage in post-fracture care to reduce the risk of future fractures; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the bone health task force be requested to include in its report a section on currently available fracture liaison service programs in the state and recommendations for effective change; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the bone health task force be requested to include in its report a section on currently available community-based programming to support bone health and fall prevention; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the bone health task force be requested to consider strategies to leverage the university of New Mexico's bone health TeleECHO program to promote and expand capacity to deliver best practice skeletal health care throughout New Mexico; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the bone health task force be requested to place special emphasis on raising bone health awareness, increasing access to evidence-based community programming and establishing short- and long-term recommendations to reduce the impact of osteoporosis on the people of New Mexico by using cost-effective initiatives; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that copies of this memorial be transmitted to the governor, the secretary of aging and long-term services, the secretary of health, the secretary of human services, the secretary of Indian affairs, the secretary of public safety, the secretary of veterans' services, the department of health's injury prevention program and the assistant dean of clinical affairs at the university of New Mexico school of medicine.

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