ROSWELL, NM — In an effort to provide services to an area of New Mexico in need of HIV and sexual health care, The University of New Mexico Health System has opened a clinic in Roswell, NM, creating new access to critical services.
UNM Truman Health Services expansion into Roswell will provide primary care; behavioral health care; and screenings, testing, treatment and prevention for HIV and other sexually transmitted infections.
“UNM is fulfilling an important goal of making health care more accessible to more people. By creating this kind of access, not only are we able to diagnose and treat more New Mexicans, but we are also able to reduce the stigmas still associated with HIV and STIs. We need to be able to talk about these health care concerns without fear, judgment, or embarrassment so that more people are inclined to seek out these services.”
The need for this type of health care service is extremely important to those living in Southeast New Mexico. At present, no other health system is offering these types of services in the Roswell area. Primary care and behavioral health care have traditionally been difficult to access across New Mexico, especially in rural areas.
A key mission of UNM Health aims to create access to high quality care to every New Mexican no matter where they live. But rural areas of the state are often left with significant health care gaps where accessing basic care may require several hours of driving. UNM Truman Health Services Roswell hopes to reduce the barriers that may block someone’s ability receive care.
“All of us with UNM Truman Health Services are thrilled to be able to support the residents of southeast New Mexico with these much-needed services. Access to quality health care is a human right. With the opening of this clinic, we are able to provide care to those who need it most in an area of our state that needs it most. We look forward to collaborating with the existing health care community in Roswell to provide holistic, high-quality care.”
The need for this type of health care is important. According to public data, HIV+ rates in Chaves County have increased by 52 percent since 2008. And according to data from the New Mexico Department of Health, chlamydia and gonorrhea rates have significantly increased in the last twenty years across the state, with the most vulnerable demographic being adults ages 20-29.
Truman Health Services Roswell will reduce those rates by helping people detect and treat infections or viruses early thus eliminating further spread.
Truman Health Services Roswell is located at 601 W. Country Club Road, Suite 102, Roswell, New Mexico. For additional information about UNM Truman Health Services Roswell or to schedule an appointment, please call 505-272-1312 or visit online here
About Truman Health Services and UNM Medical Group, Inc.
UNM Truman Health Services is committed to providing the highest quality of care with compassion and respect for human dignity and the right to privacy. As the premier patient-centered medical home for People Living with HIV in the Southwest, they provide comprehensive social and medical services to people who are transgender and/or gender non-conforming, regardless of their HIV status. This award-winning medical facility provides gender-affirming, high-quality care, free from discrimination that is affordable.
The UNM Medical Group, Inc., is a not-for-profit 501(c)(3) corporation, organized in 2007. UNM Truman Health Services is part of the UNM Medical Group.