A bill introduced in the New Mexico Senate looks to allocate $7.5 million to the Higher Education Department to address the state's physician shortage, CBS and Fox affiliate KRQE reported Feb. 8.
The $7.5 million would go to the Burrell College of Osteopathic Medicine to recruit students and develop medical infrastructure, according to the report.
New Mexico has lost roughly 30 percent of its primary care providers in the last four years, according to a 2022 study cited in the report. The study also found that a large portion of the physicians in the state are nearing or above the retirement age.
“Strike up a conversation with virtually anyone in your community, and you’ll be hard-pressed to find someone who hasn’t had to wait six months or more for an appointment, sometimes with horrific consequences” Sara Fitzgerald, of the Greater Albuquerque Chamber of Commerce, said, according to the report.
The bill passed the Senate Education Committee unanimously and now heads to the Senate Finance Committee.