Happy December!

We are reflecting on the year and all the wonderful conversations we've had and actions we've taken as the New Mexico Social Drivers of Health Collaborative. Since January we've held six all-member sessions and thirty-seven workgroup sessions. From these sessions we developed recommendations to share with our state partners and internal resources such as the impact report and member pledge. (Read these materials here.)

The year is not over yet and we look forward to seeing you for our all-member meeting on Tuesday, December 9th at 10 am MT. We will hear from Christa Hernandez (CONNECT), Erin Willis (Unite Us), Toni Grinstead (Presbyterian Healthcare Services), La Don Woodson and Roberto Martinez (YesNMConnect/HCA). Each presenter will focus on CLRS approaches that worked in 2025, hopes for 2026, and how NMSDOH Collaborative members can continue to support CLRS efforts across the state. 

This week we will also be hosting our third session of the Rooted in Resilience Learning Series on December 11th. At our November session, participants shared their dreams for our food systems. Below are a few of the responses shared:

• Sustainable food systems rooted in reciprocity.
• Our waters are healed and cleansed so our famers can have high quality water to grow food with.
• Everyone has enough to eat and that the food is healthy, nutrient-dense, and brings families and communities together. 
• Food insecurities will be a thing of the past.

If you would like to dig deeper into food systems in New Mexico, we encourage you to join the Food is Medicine Collaborative. This Collaborative will bring together creative ideas, learning opportunities, and visionary approaches in developing best practices for Food Is Medicine programs throughout New Mexico. Together, we will support healthcare partners, Medicaid Managed Care Organizations, and community members managing chronic health conditions by providing Food Is Medicine services and support to New Mexicans. For more information, please email Jessica Osenbrügge at jessica.Osenbrugge@rrfb.org.

We look forward to continuing our collaboration in 2026!

New Mexico Social Drivers of Health (SDOH) Support Integration ECHO Program

Project ECHO is collaborating with the New Mexico Health Care Authority (NM HCA) and Findhelp to deliver and educate healthcare providers and health leadership in New Mexico on the use of a closed-loop referral system (CLRS) to screen and connect patients to resources to address social needs. The implementation of the statewide closed loop referral system depends on the integration of community health workers as key members of the healthcare team. The NM HCA has developed the curriculum for training health care leaders on SDOH, the closed-loop referral system, and highlighting the inclusion of CHWs and/or other Support Workers for providing social needs support across New Mexico. 

The overall goal of this ECHO program is to enhance the healthcare workforce's ability to address social determinants of health (SDOH) affecting health outcomes for priority Hispanic/Latino populations at risk and with diabetes. Using the ECHO Model, the multidisciplinary team will mentor participants through didactic sessions and case-based presentations and serves to guide healthcare organizations about the scope of practice for CHWs, the competencies and training for these roles with a focus on diabetes.

Join us and be part of a collaborative space to share ideas, explore best practices, gain knowledge on the CLRS, and strengthen the role of CHWs in improving patient care.

Let’s build healthier communities - together.

Session Details

Meets on the 3rd Thursday of each month from 12 p.m. to 1:30 p.m MT, and subject to holiday scheduling.

Sessions begin Thursday, September 18, 2025!

Target Audience

• Clinic leadership and administration
• Individuals that have decision-making capacity about if and how to incorporate CHWs as part of their healthcare organizations
• Counties of Dona Ana, Lea, Eddy, Chaves, Grant, Luna, Otero and El Paso.

Continuing Education Credits

We offer no-cost Continuing Medical Education, Continuing Nurse, Continuing Pharmacy Education and American Academy of Physician Assistants credits. 

From the New Mexico Alliance of Health Councils



We're thrilled to extend a warm invitation to the upcoming Annual Health Council Statewide Health Council Meeting on Monday, January 26th and Tuesday, January 27th, 2026! 

This gathering is a beacon of collaboration, connection, and community empowerment for a healthy and thriving New Mexico.