New Mexico’s $350K Campaign Aims to Draw Healthcare Providers from Neighboring States

According to a report by KOB, New Mexico is grappling with an escalating shortage of healthcare providers, and state leaders are actively seeking solutions. The New Mexico Health Department is now turning to neighboring states like Texas and Arizona to address the growing crisis.

“We need more of everything everywhere,” stated Patrick Allen, Secretary of the New Mexico Health Department, acknowledging the severity of the shortage. Many residents have experienced long waits for medical appointments, often extending two or three months.

The Cicero Institute reports that New Mexico’s doctor-to-patient ratio is 16% below the national average. The state will need at least 2,000 additional doctors by 2030 to meet the increasing demand. Allen argues that simply increasing medical school enrollment will not suffice to address the shortage.

To tackle this issue, New Mexico is leveraging political differences to attract healthcare professionals from neighboring states. Billboards in major cities across Texas and Arizona are now promoting New Mexico as a state with fewer regulatory constraints. The campaign, which cost $350,000, emphasizes New Mexico’s more favorable environment for healthcare providers compared to states with stricter laws on reproductive health.

“There are some states that have just given us this golden opportunity to talk to their providers and say, you know, we provide an atmosphere that’s free of a lot of the risk and uncertainty you face in Texas or elsewhere,” Allen explained. He noted that New Mexico’s protections for reproductive health stand in contrast to recent restrictions implemented in other states.

The campaign aims to attract various types of medical practitioners, including family care doctors, emergency room staff, and OBGYNs. Allen is hopeful that the marketing effort will prove successful and is prepared to expand the campaign if initial results are promising.

The Guttmacher Institute highlights that an estimated 14,000 Texans traveled to New Mexico for abortion services last year, adding pressure to the state’s reproductive healthcare system. This influx underscores the importance of addressing the provider shortage.

Allen believes the campaign’s approach is justified, comparing it to previous efforts by other states, such as the Dallas Independent School District’s billboard campaign in Albuquerque that sought to recruit New Mexican teachers.

For more information on the state’s efforts to address the healthcare provider shortage, residents and healthcare professionals can follow updates from the New Mexico Health Department.