New Mexico trying to alleviate rural doctor shortage by increasing number of nurse practitioners

The shortage of rural doctors, and an expected increase in the number of newly insured residents through federal health reform, is worrying many states. One is New Mexico, which is one of the largest states by area, but not by population, and has many small, isolated towns. A report by the state Legislative Finance Committee found that New Mexico "needs an additional 219 primary care physicians to keep up with its population," and "there’s a shortage of more than 280 nurse practitioners," Colleen Heild reports for the Albuquerque Journal. (Journal photo by Roberto E. Rosales: Shirley Knackstedt is a nurse practitioner at a clinic 75 miles from the nearest emergency room)

The report stated: "The availability of both nurse practitioners and physician assistants practicing in urban areas of New Mexico is about twice that of rural areas." And with health reform kicking in, the state expects an estimated 160,000 new Medicaid recipients, and thousands of uninsured people will become insured, Heild writes.

In response, the state is hoping to increase its number of nurse practitioners, with the LFC "recommending more than $5 million in new money to increase nursing capacity at the associate’s, bachelor’s and graduate [degree] levels," Heild writes. Republican Gov. Susana Martinez has initiated a health workforce spending proposal "for additional nurse practitioners to be trained at the University of New Mexico College of Nursing" in an attempt to increase the number of graduates each year from 16 to 40, "with most of the funding helping to increase salaries to attract qualified instructors. Martinez is also asking the Legislature for funding to help recruit nurse practitioners from other states." (Read more)