Critical rural health care issues to be highlighted

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M., November 19, 2020 – U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development (RD) State Director Blake Curtis today announced the agency is joining the celebration of  National Rural Health Day to bring awareness on rural health issues.

In making the announcement Curtis said, “This celebration is especially significant because most of New Mexico is very rural.”  Curtis added, “We want everyone to know that RD finances health care projects to support better health opportunities even in the smallest communities.”

Click here to listen to an audio comment about Rural Health Week by State Director Blake Curtis.

National Rural Health Care Day was created to increase awareness about rural health-related issues. Rural America has very unique healthcare needs and today celebration was created to bring attention to these unique healthcare challenges. For example, many rural New Mexicans travel hours to get medical treatment because small communities don’t have the capacity to operate a medical clinic.

To alleviate this problem Rural Development in New Mexico has worked to provide better health opportunities by financing the tools and resources which impact the health of rural residents. Some examples of projects RD has funded are as follows:

Albuquerque, NM --Project ECHO educational medical training system 

In 2019, Rural Development made a $250,000 investment to provide additional education to rural first responders through the Extension for Community Healthcare Outcomes (ECHO) Program operated by the University of New Mexico Health Care Sciences Department. The weekly education program provides training to help first responders including; doctors, nurses, paramedics, fire and law enforcement personnel to address COVID-19 issues.  The funding originally provided education on substance abuse disorders in the rural areas of New Mexico.

Church Rock, NM --Rhino Medical Glove manufacturing 

In 2020, Rural Development aproved a $15-million loan to finance the purchase and installation of equipment to manufacture medical gloves in Church Rock, New Mexico east of Gallup in McKinley County. This is the first nitrile glove manufacturing plant in the United States. Due to the current COVID19 pandemic, production of nitrile gloves has increased.  The company is marketing its products to government agencies, medical facilities, the food industry and other retail businesses. 

House, NM --Volunteer Fire Department equipment purchase

In 2018, Rural Development provided a $19,000 grant to purchase a new defibrillator for the House, NM Volunteer Fire Department. The equipment replaced the old defibrillator which was critical for the fire department to comply with state law to have the rescue vehicle provide medical services.

 Pecos, NM --Medical Center construction 

In 2011, ground was broken for the construction of a $ 3-million-dollar project funded by USDA Rural Development to build a medical center. The 15-thousand square foot building included; 10 medical exam and dental operatories, x-ray services, a wellness and a behavioral health center and an in-house pharmacy.  Then in 2017, USDA RD approved another $3 million-dollar loan to expand the medical facility.

Santa Rosa, NM --Guadalupe County Dental Clinic construction

In 2013, USDA RD provided a $700,000 community facilities loan to Guadalupe County to build a dental clinic. The new clinic replaced an old outdated building which was not conducive to a dental practice. The new dental clinic was built within the eight acre site where the new hospital is located. Previously, the residents of Guadalupe County had to travel a great distance to receive dental care and many were unable to travel due to health and or financial reasons.  Therefore, many residents did not receive needed dental care.

Santa Rosa, NM --Guadalupe County Hospital construction

In 2011, USDA Rural Development provided a $9.4 million dollar loan to construct the new Guadalupe County Hospital located in Santa Rosa.  The new hospital replaced a 58-year-old 10 bed acute care hospital. The new hospital provides medical services to the 4,200 residents of the county plus the emergency medical services to those traveling along Interstate 40.  The funding also paid for a 10,208 square foot medical clinic to serve the residents of Guadalupe County.

Shiprock, NM --Distance Learning and Telemedicine system

In 2010, USDA RD provided a Distance Learning and Telemedicine grant for $247,278 to Nizhoni Smiles a dental practice in Shiprock, NM.  The focus of the project is to use telemedicine for delivering dental services to Native American patients on the Navajo Nation.

T or C, NM --Ambulances for Sierra Vista Hospital 

In May of 2020, USDA Rural Development provided a $86,000 grant to Sierra Vista Hospital in Truth or Consequences, N.M., to offset the cost to purchase a new ambulance and have another ambulance remounted so as to be "operationally ready."  Over the years, USDA Rural Development has provided funding three times to help purchase or upgrade ambulances to Sierra Vista Hospital.

For detailed information on how to apply for health care project funding contact Ms. Janice Shannon at (575) 522-8775 ext. 124 or email her at Janice.shannon@usda.gov  

USDA Rural Development provides loans and grants to help expand economic opportunities and create jobs in rural areas. This assistance supports infrastructure improvements; business development; housing; community facilities such as schools, public safety and health care; and high-speed internet access in rural areas. For more information, visit www.rd.usda.gov.  

For more information on programs offered by USDA Rural Development, visit www.rd.usda.gov/nm  

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