Timely Information and Points (TIP) for public health community providers from the Center for Health Innovation, New Mexico's Public Health Institute. |
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Special Brief Summary: Implications of Key Health-Related NM Legislation Passed |
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HB125: Relates to Licensing Requirements for Certain Behavioral Health Practitioners, Allowing the Application of Technology to Supervision, and Adding State Residency Requirements for Members of the Counseling and Therapy Practice Board and the Board of Social Work Examiners. Amendments required counselors to only have a “substantially equivalent degree” to a master’s or doctoral one to be licensed by reciprocity from another state, and that a psychologist from another state can be licensed if he/she/they have two rather than five years of previous licensure. CYFD said HB125 will allow behavioral health providers to be more quickly licensed in the state, increasing the pool of qualified applicants for vacant positions. The bill aligns with HSD’s work to expand the behavioral health workforce and increase telehealth. Based on its community-based healthcare workforce development efforts and communities’ requests for more tele-clinical supervision options, CHI advocated for and commended the expanded application of technology to supervision included in HB125.
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HM2: Requests that the Secretary of Health Convene a Public Health Task Force to Recommend Strategies to Improve Public Health in New Mexico. COVID-19 has shown the need for a stronger public health system. National groups are starting to address changes in the health system and public health infrastructure (including the better integration of public health and healthcare), and different funding/financing options. The NM Public Health Task Force—made up of representatives from state agencies, local/county government, academic programs and nonprofits—will study, evaluate and strategize how to make the public health infrastructure, workforce, integration of data systems, the status of social determinants of health, preparedness for public health emergencies, and laws that protect and improve the health of New Mexicans better. The CHI and other key public health advocates (NM Alliance of Health Councils, NM Public Health Association, etc.) hope to be members of the task force.
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SB93: Enacts the Broadband Access and Expansion Act, Establishing the Broadband Access and Expansion Council. This bill, along with its companion, HB10 (Broadband Development Division), create a single, accountable broadband access and expansion council and a non-reverting broadband access and expansion fund to support broadband investments across the state. The council will coordinate with other state agency broadband programs to set up an integrated system for permits, licenses, and rules for broadband infrastructure, identify regions without access, create a state plan, and track broadband investment funds. Consideration will be given to projects that connect the unserved/underserved, foster digital inclusion, stimulate economic development, and which can move telehealth/telemedicine forward.
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HB207: Enacts the Food, Hunger and Farm Act, Creates the Food, Hunger and Farm Council, and Requires Multi-State Agencies to Provide Targeted Recommendations to Address Hunger and Nutrition, Expand Food Access, Promote State Food/Agricultural Products, and Share Hunger and Food Systems Data. This bill proposed a Food, Hunger and Farm Council with broad agency and stakeholder membership to develop an annual strategic plan and an emergency/long-term food and hunger relief plan (with emergency response agencies). The HSD and DOA were to develop an annual food infrastructure plan, and with other state agencies, annually recommend plans to enhance economic development, address workforce needs and create jobs based on agricultural production and food distribution in the state. Though the bill as a whole did not pass, in HB2, $275,000 has been allocated to HSD to develop and implement a comprehensive plan for addressing hunger and food insecurity and to strengthen food systems in New Mexico in partnership with the NM DOA and other agencies/stakeholders in the food, hunger, agriculture and other sectors.
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Professional Development/Webinars |
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Register now for the annual May 20-21, 2021 NMPHA Conference: “Public Health Reimagined—Transforming our Landscape in the Age of COVID-19.” We are living through an unprecedented time: pandemic devastation, an uncertain economy, displays of racism and political turmoil. Come join your public health colleagues for presentations, panels, workshops, posters and networking to consider how to transform and improve our field.
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NASEM’s Roundtable on Population Health Improvement hosts a 2-day virtual event: Civic Engagement and Civic Infrastructure to Advance Health Equity from June 14 & 15 to explore the relationship between health and civic engagement with discussion about measurement, infrastructure, media and narrative, and other dimensions of this topic.
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