Southwest Desert/Lower Gila River Valley-Lowlands of the Bootheel-
Southwest Desert/Mimbres Basin-Sierra County Lakes-
Northern Dona Ana County-Southern Dona Ana County/Mesilla Valley-
Central Tularosa Basin-Southern Tularosa Basin-
Western El Paso County-Eastern/Central El Paso County-
Rio Grande Valley of Eastern El Paso/Western Hudspeth Counties-
Including the cities of Lordsburg, Red Rock, Virden,
Antelope Wells, Animas, Hachita, Deming, Columbus,
Truth Or Consequences, Derry, Spaceport, Garfield, Hatch,
Radium Springs, Las Cruces, Vado, Sunland Park, Alamogordo,
Tularosa, White Sands National Park, Chaparral, Orogrande,
White Sands Range Headquarters, Downtown El Paso, West El Paso,
Upper Valley, East and Northeast El Paso, Socorro, Fort Bliss,
Fabens, Fort Hancock, and Tornillo
854 PM MDT Fri Jun 18 2021

...HEAT ADVISORY IN EFFECT FROM NOON SATURDAY TO MIDNIGHT MDT
SUNDAY NIGHT...

[Editor's Note: This is part 8 of a multi-article series on the Grant County Commission work session of June 8, 2021, and regular meeting on June 10, 2021. This article reports on the GRMC monthly update at the June 10, 2021 meeting.]

By Mary Alice Murphy

At the regular meeting on June 10, 2021, Grant County commissioners heard the monthly update from the Gila Regional Medical Center.

At the invitation of District 1 Commissioner and Chair Chris Ponce, Interim Chief Executive Officer Scott Manis read from a letter to the editor that he had written to the Silver City Daily Press. "It was a reflection back on the Governing Board meeting of May 27, 2021."

He noted that almost two weeks after the Governing Board meeting of May 27 "there had been no report on the news we presented. We were excited to report the tremendous progress the hospital has made over the past year. Here are a few highlights in case you missed them: GRMC reported an over $11 million improvement year-to-date compared to the prior year. GRMC also reported a profit of just over $200,000 on a year-to-date fiscal-year basis. While we may not finish the year in the black, this is tremendous progress over the prior year, particularly since we had lower outpatient volumes and emergency room visits due to Covid-related issues. In addition, we announced our new collaboration with Hidalgo Medical Services to provide a cardiology clinic in Lordsburg. Dr. Ratliff is on fire about the opportunity."

In his letter, Manis also expressed how the hospital will continue to make progress. "We continue with a 4-Star Quality rating from CMS (Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services). We are one of only two within 100 miles and one of eight of 68 hospitals within 200 miles. I wish the Silver City Daily Press would be supportive of its community hospital rather than focusing on negative news. There is certainly a lot of work ahead, but GRMC is a vital community resource that values the support of the community and of the people we serve. If we didn't have the hospital here, there would be fewer people, and you would have a lower readership. Finally, we want to sincerely thank the staff for their work on these improvements over the past year. There will be continuous challenges, but we look forward to what GRMC will look like in the coming year." He said that was the substance of the letter.

"I want to add that the improvements we've made are sustainable," Manis continued. "We have made concrete improvements that won't slip backward. We have taken actions that could have been done in the past but weren't."

Six additional COVID-19 deaths

SANTA FE – New Mexico state health officials on Friday announced 122 additional COVID-19 cases. Per the state Department of Health, the most recent cases are:

35 new cases in Bernalillo County
new cases in Catron County [Editor's Note: There may be a correction coming, as the number of cases in Catron County listed below has not changed.]
3 new cases in Chaves County
4 new cases in Curry County
5 new cases in Doña Ana County
1 new case in Guadalupe County
7 new cases in Lea County
1 new case in Los Alamos County
4 new cases in McKinley County
4 new cases in Otero County
1 new case in Quay County
4 new cases in Rio Arriba County
1 new case in Roosevelt County
16 new cases in Sandoval County
17 new cases in San Juan County
1 new case in San Miguel County
6 new cases in Santa Fe County
1 new case in Taos County
3 new cases in Torrance County
6 new cases in Valencia County
2 new cases among individuals held by federal agencies at the Torrance County Detention Facility

The Department of Health on Friday reported six additional deaths in New Mexico related to COVID-19:

Gov. sets 'Opening Day' in two weeks, allowing for recent shots to take full effect; aggressive vaccination push will continue

SANTA FE – Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham on Friday confirmed New Mexico will retire its color-coded, county-by-county system and all COVID-19 health restrictions on commercial and day-to-day activity in two weeks, allowing for the thousands of vaccinations administered this week as part of a statewide public health push to take full effect.

At the Turquoise Level, the state is already broadly "open," and counties where the virus has been sufficiently suppressed have been operating with minimal to no restrictions dating back months, but July 1 is the date of the comprehensive end of pandemic restrictions in New Mexico.

Beginning July 1, all pandemic-related occupancy restrictions on all forms of commercial activity will be lifted. All businesses across the state may once again operate at 100 percent of maximum capacity.

Businesses may still adopt and require additional precautions for employees and/or patrons, at their discretion, and are still advised to enact whatever social distancing and facemasking measures may be appropriate to ensure the health and safety of customers and staff, in accordance with Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidance.

As of July 1, all limitations on mass gatherings will be gone. Businesses, large events and organizations may operate at 100 percent of maximum capacity, whether indoor or outdoor.

There have been no state travel restrictions or requirements since mid-February.

Location: Johnson Canyon, west of McKenna Park. 3 miles west of Gila Cliff Dwellings, Wilderness Ranger District, Catron County, NM

Start Date: May 20, 2021 Size: ~81,034 acres Cause: Lightning
Vegetation: Ponderosa Pine and Grass Total Personnel: 179 Containment: 9%

Resources: 3 Interagency Hotshot Crews, 1 handcrew module, 1 Type 2 Initial Attack crew, 7 Type 6 Engines, 4 Water Tenders, and 2 Type 3 Helicopters and 1 Type 2 Helicopter.

Summary: The southeast corner of the fire remains active as it begins to approach the Gila River. Yesterday, crews conducted burnout operations as they continue to tie the active fire into the old burn scar from last year's Good Fire. Water drops will continue on the southeast flank of the fire in Water Canyon. Crews on the north side of the fire will continue to scout and prepare lines in the Willow Creek area. The southern portion of the fire is being patrolled by air.

Objectives: Provide for public and firefighter safety and allow fire to play its natural role on the landscape. Values at risk are the Gila Cliff Dwellings National Monument, White Creek Cabin, and sensitive aquatic species in the Gila Wilderness.