Preparing for Disaster: UNM Hospital Participates in Region-Wide Emergency Training
UNM Regents Approve Expansion of UNM Health’s Reproductive Care in Southern NM
The University of New Mexico Board of Regents voted 6-1, during its May 16th meeting, to approve the acquisition of land in Doña Ana County to house a full spectrum reproductive health care center. The Reproductive Health care Success Project (RHSP) is rooted in the years-long work of a collaboration between four of New Mexico’s leading organizations in reproductive health including Bold Futures NM, Strong Families NM, UNM Health, and Planned Parenthood of the Rocky Mountains.
This community-advised, full spectrum, reproductive health care center will serve the needs of thousands of individuals living in southern New Mexico who have lacked access to basic reproductive health care for decades. The high costs of health care, long distances to providers, lack of public transportation, insufficient or complete lack of insurance coverage, few trusted specialists in a given area, limited knowledge about where to access care, and shame and stigma surrounding reproductive health care are just some of the barriers to accessing care that New Mexicans have identified.
We are excited and privileged to be in partnership with our communities in the southern part of the state to increase access to needed health care and are dedicated to reducing health inequities across our state.
“We are excited and privileged to be in partnership with our communities in the southern part of the state to increase access to needed health care and are dedicated to reducing health inequities across our state,” said UNM School of Medicine OB/GYN Department Chair Eve Espey, MD, MPH.
Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham and the New Mexico Legislature appropriated $10 million to kickstart this project. Gov. Lujan Grisham has been a long-time champion for reproductive rights in New Mexico.
"I am pleased to see the advancement of the Reproductive Health Project,” said Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham. “When fully operational this full spectrum, reproductive health care center will support and ensure that individuals in the southern part of New Mexico have access to comprehensive reproductive health care.”
With an approval to purchase land, collaborators and partners are currently tending to all priorities to break ground later this year with a goal to reproductive health care center in 2025.
“We have needed real access to community advised, full-spectrum reproductive health care in Doña Ana County for my entire lifetime,” stated Executive Director of Bold Futures NM Charlene Bencomo. “This unique partnership between long-time providers of reproductive health care, reproductive justice organizations, and trusted community leaders in our state have set a high expectation for the innovative and integrated care our communities deserve.”
“We are honored to partner in this important endeavor with public funding going to UNM in support of a new reproductive health center in Las Cruces,” said President and CEO of Planned Parenthood of the Rocky Mountains Adrienne Mansanares. “We take our responsibility to steward these funds seriously, knowing that high-levels of transparency and collaboration often result in longer timeframes. We prioritize these values over moving too quickly through this one-of-a-kind community-led endeavor.”