Luján Meets with Southern New Mexico Health Care Leaders on Rural and Frontier Health Priorities and COVID-19 Relief

Nambé, N.M. ­– U.S. Senator Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.) met with southern New Mexico leaders on health care priorities and COVID-19 relief for health care providers and workers, including additional funding to support vaccination and testing efforts in rural and frontier communities. Senator Luján highlighted the Senate’s recent passage of a budget resolution that will allow Congress to pass a robust COVID-19 relief package to support New Mexicans.

Speaking to the health care leaders, Senator Luján said, “You are on the front lines of our public health response – as both providers and policy experts. You’re all leaders in your communities who people look to in times of crisis … I’m also so grateful for the leadership that New Mexico’s health care providers, community clinics, and essential health care workers have shown during this pandemic.”

“I want to make sure that you have the resources and support needed to continue testing and treating patients safely, and the vaccine supplies needed to get shots into the arms of your staff and patients. That’s why I voted for a budget resolution that will allow Congress to advance a $1.9 trillion COVID-19 relief package,” Senator Luján continued. “Funding included in this package will be aimed at dramatically increasing rates of testing, bolstering the supply chain to increase the availability of testing supplies and personal protective equipment, hiring and training public health workers to administer the vaccine, and increasing vaccine production.”

As a member of the Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions, Senator Luján met with health care leaders from Hidalgo Medical Services; Presbyterian Medical Services’ Catron County Medical Center; La Clínica de Familia; the Southern New Mexico Family Medicine Residency Program, Memorial Medical Center; the Center for Health Innovations; and the New Mexico Primary Care Training Consortium.

The health care leaders provided their insights and ideas on how to support primary and behavioral health care, increase the health care workforce, expand telemedicine, support public health preparedness, and ensure that rural, border, and frontier communities receive their fair share of vaccine doses.

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