Is HMS failing Grant County under CEO Otero?
By Frost McGahey
Investigative Reporter
Dan Otero, HMS CEOFrom a former HMS Physician:
Every year each Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) in the country submits the Uniform Data System (UDS) report to Health Resource Service Administration (HRSA). Part of this 60+ page report contains data on 17 quality measures. All this data is public information and is usually released in August following the most recent reporting year.
HMS's Performance in 2024
Several measures show consistent declines in performance from 2018 to 2024, indicating potential areas of concern:
- Cervical Cancer Screening: Dropped from 48.62% in 2019 to 37.07% in 2024. A 23.8% decrease over six years.
- Weight Assessment for Children: Declined steadily from 95.69% in 2018 to 86.67% in 2024. 9% decrease.
- BMI Screening and Follow-Up: Fell from 94.16% in 2019 to 75.12% in 2024. 20% decrease
- Tobacco Use Screening and Cessation: Decreased from 100% in 2020 to 90.72% in 2024. 10% decrease
- Colorectal Cancer Screening: Dropped from 47.96% in 2021 to 35.14% in 2024. 27% decrease
- Childhood Immunization: After peaking at 55.68% in 2020, it fell sharply to 33.68% in 2024. 40% decrease
- Screening for Depression: Declined from 97.54% in 2019 to 78.87% in 2024. 20% decrease
- IVD: Aspirin/Antiplatelet Use: Dropped from 91.43% in 2019 to 72.18% in 2024. 21% decrease
HRSA: These declines suggest systemic challenges in maintaining preventive care and chronic disease management over time.
Financial Issues: From the Non-Metro Area Agency on Aging (NMAAA)
This agency issued a press release on June 18 giving notice that they were terminating their contract with HMS for operating the Senior Center in Lordsburg. They cited shortcomings in HMS's budget management and misrepresenting the amounts of local funding received by HMS.
Further investigation by the Beat revealed that one of the problems NMAAA found was that CEO. Otero signed a document committing local governments to $198,000 for Fiscal Year 25. NMAAA states that "Otero is not the person to sign this commitment letter; it should be a separate letter from each of the entities providing funds. HMS then on their submitted budget, didn't list the $198k; they listed over $240k dollars as local funding. Again, without any local officials commitment. This is a misrepresentation of available funding."
Other issues NMAAA found were that "HMS claimed losses for fiscal years 22-25 and that can be found on the audit reports, which are public record on the State Auditor's website. We cannot verify the purported losses because the reports they submitted to NMAAA do not include all revenue sources, such as local, program income, ARP, etc. Other management issues arise from HMS not following their submitted budgets. Budgeting 101 is that you have a known number, and you adjust your budget to meet that number. Not put in numbers 'hoping' to make ends meet."
As of this date the Board of HMS supports CEO Dan Otero.*
