SENATE MEMORIAL 59

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

INTRODUCED BY

Gay G. Kernan

 

 

 

 

 

A MEMORIAL

REQUESTING THE HIGHER EDUCATION DEPARTMENT TO CONVENE A REGIONAL DENTAL SCHOOL STUDY GROUP TO INVESTIGATE THE FEASIBILITY OF CREATING A RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN NEW MEXICO AND THE TEXAS TECH UNIVERSITY WOODY L. HUNT SCHOOL OF DENTAL MEDICINE IN EL PASO, TEXAS.

 

     WHEREAS, New Mexico has no dental school, despite being the thirtieth-largest state by population and the fifth-largest state by area; and

     WHEREAS, every dentist in New Mexico received dental education outside of the state; and

     WHEREAS, most New Mexico students attend dental school through the western interstate commission for higher education or other contract program schools in cities such as Omaha, Kansas City, Denver, Phoenix and Dallas, and their individual student debt is typically at or about the national average of two hundred eighty-seven thousand dollars ($287,000) upon graduation, which discourages their return to locations with less lucrative practices in rural New Mexico; and

     WHEREAS, New Mexico has a world-class medical school at the university of New Mexico, which encourages the diversity of physicians and their ability to serve the unique cultures of New Mexico using programs like the successful bachelor of arts and doctor of medicine program; and

     WHEREAS, the university of New Mexico has shown success in oral health education, including both an advanced general dental residency program and a graduate-level dental hygiene program; and

     WHEREAS, while New Mexico as a whole does not have a shortage of dental providers, it does have a significant challenge attracting dental providers to southern and eastern parts of the state, consistent with a general regional shortage in the Permian basin area; and

     WHEREAS, cultural, gender and ethnic diversity in the dental workforce should reflect the populations that it serves, and New Mexico has the second-highest percentage of Hispanic dentists in the nation at twelve and six-tenths percent; and

     WHEREAS, the number of Hispanic, Native American and female dentists in the state falls short of their relative distribution in the state's population; and

     WHEREAS, Texas tech university is opening a dental school with its successful medical school located in El Paso, Texas, with a class of sixty in 2021 and plans for future expansion; and

     WHEREAS, schools in Texas have among the lowest rates of tuition among American dental schools and corresponding lower rates of student indebtedness; and

     WHEREAS, creating a dental school in New Mexico is cost- prohibitive and difficult to justify based on the state's current need, and investment in a regional program whose mission includes serving the state's goals is practical and attainable; and

     WHEREAS, creating a relationship between New Mexico and the Texas tech university's upcoming dental school has the potential to not only improve the diversity and distribution of New Mexico dental school graduates but might also allow cooperation between the existing dental programs to provide enhanced services and practice opportunities in New Mexico;

     NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE SENATE OF THE STATE OF NEW MEXICO that the higher education department be requested to convene a regional dental school study group to investigate the feasibility of creating a relationship between New Mexico and the Texas tech university Woody L. Hunt school of dental medicine located in El Paso, Texas; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the secretary of higher education be requested to invite to join the regional dental school study group representatives from the New Mexico board of dental health care, the New Mexico dental association, the university of New Mexico dental programs and the university of New Mexico health sciences center administration to provide insight into dental education, licensing and existing programs to expand the diversity of New Mexico's health care workforce; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the study include an assessment of barriers to dental workforce diversity and rural care, the efficacy of the Texas tech university Woody L. Hunt school of dental medicine to address these barriers and the financial requirements of creating a regional dental school relationship; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the regional dental school study group be requested to develop as part of its report a program to pursue an appropriate relationship with the Texas tech university Woody L. Hunt school of dental medicine to educate qualified New Mexico students to serve New Mexico communities and populations that are currently underserved; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the higher education department and regional dental school study group be requested to present their findings to the legislative finance committee and other appropriate interim legislative committees by December 1, 2019; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that copies of this memorial be transmitted to the secretary of higher education and the chair of the legislative finance committee.

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