RUIDOSO, NM | by Diane L Stallings | March 26, 2019
Original article can be found at: https://www.ruidosonews.com
Lincoln County commissioners added their support for a new Presbyterian Medical Services clinic to provide healthcare in Ruidoso.
At its meeting last week, Commissioners authorized County Manager Nita Taylor to send a letter to Steve Hansen, chief executive officer and president of Presbyterian Medical Services in Santa Fe, expressing “full support for the addition of a new access point site to provide healthcare services in Ruidoso.”
Letters also were sent by Todd Oberheu, Lincoln County Medical Center administrator, and Arthur “Butch” Blazer, president of the Mescalero Apache Tribe.
Local PMS representative Rex Wilson explained to commissioners that the letters will be used by the organization’s to apply for grant money to open a new clinic in Ruidoso to include services to those without a pay source.
Wilson recalled that three years ago, Commissioner sent a letter in support of broadening health care services in the county, which enhanced the organization’s chances of securing grants when they become available.
“Lincoln County does not have access to a federally qualified mental health service,” Wilson said.
A $650,000 grant would be used to assure no access barriers exist to health care for a targeted community need.
“That not to say we are a free clinic and won’t see everyone, but we have the opportunity to bring federal funds to the community,” he said, which also could take pressure off the county’s indigent fund.
Commissioner Lynn Willard asked where the clinic would be established and Wilson said the group is considering the former site of an urgent care clinic in Sierra Mall next to the Eastern New Mexico-Ruidoso campus. The offices would require some remodeling, but could be licensed, he said.
“It’s tricky. The application is due next week,” he said. “If we are successful, we will be notified in August with 121 days to bring in patients.”
Willard asked about the patient source and Wilson said the clinic would be similar to county rural health care clinics in Carrizozo and Capitan. The facility would ensure the community knew that people without a pay source have access, he said.
He also expects patients to come from Mescalero, Wilson said.
“We have a letter of support from Chief Blazer,” he said. “We see their patients currently in our clinics in Cloudcroft, Tularosa and Alamogordo. We serve that population (in Otero County), as well.”
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Wilson said the clinic would likely extended hours to accommodate people who want to come before or after work or during lunch break. The staffing pattern will be refined as they see the community response, he said.
The clinics use nurse practitioners, but try also to recruit physicians, Wilson said.
The county’s letter of support noted that southcentral Lincoln County, including the northern areas of the Mescalero Apache Reservation bordering the county, contains residents who represent the working poor living at or below 200 percent of poverty. They include those uninsured and publicly insured, who experience restricted access to care in the private sector, Taylor wrote.
“The population also includes residents who are at risk of or are experiencing homelessness,” she wrote. “Our residents are in need of access to affordable quality healthcare, and there is currently no (federally qualified health centers) providing primary care services in the county. Lincoln County would welcome the support federal funding would bring to this under-served area, helping to leverage local resources to better meet the healthcare needs of our residents.”
Taylor wrote that PMS provided healthcare service to the underserved residents of New Mexico for 50 years, adding it provides “access to not only much needed medical care services, but also mental health and supportive services in a comprehensive integrated care setting.”
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According to its website, PMS collaborates with community groups, school districts, local providers, hospitals and governments at every level. Together, they develop programs and services that meet the needs of the people living within these communities. It only expands into communities that invite PMS’s involvement.
Presbyterian Medical Services is not affiliated with Presbyterian Healthcare Services, Presbyterian Hospitals or Presbyterian Health Plan. The organization’s services include primary care, dental, behavioral health, childhood education, home care, hospice and senior programs.
“To make the greatest impact possible, we concentrate our resources on meeting the needs of underserved areas of New Mexico,” the website states. “We operate approximately 100 programs in communities throughout the state. Many of the individuals served by Presbyterian Medical Services live at or below the federal poverty level. Communities served by Presbyterian Medical Services are often located in remote, rural areas with geographical barriers, dramatically impacting access to services.”
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