ALBUQUERQUE, N. M. — Four years after the first case of COVID in our state, Kate Becker, CEO of UNM Hospital, says physical care is New Mexico’s biggest challenge.
“A lot of rural communities have lost their providers, their nurses or haven’t been able to provide facilities and still haven’t gotten back to where they were before,” Becker said.
“That means those other people want to find a position to receive care,” said Dr. Steve McLaughlin, chief medical officer at UNM Hospital. “For them, being able to leave the state, it’s not feasible for a lot of other people. So they end up coming to the big metropolitan areas.
UNM Hospital is feeling the pressure.
Becker said that before the pandemic, they were operating at about 110% capacity. At the height of the pandemic, the hospital was operating at 150% capacity and has since returned to 120-130% capacity.
The staff is worried.
“There’s been a lot of burnout,” Becker said.
Survey data4 received from UNMH shows that staff and provider resilience has been declining since 2019 and that the UNMH Wellness Team has been interacting more with fitness staff since 2020.
“It’s been a game-changer,” Dr. McLaughlin said of prioritizing task satisfaction for physical care workers. “I think in physical care in general and in this facility for the last five to 10 years. “
Becker and Dr. McLaughlin said better days lie ahead. The new tower structure on the UNMH campus is expected to open to patients and alleviate capacity issues starting next year.
The governor recently signed a bill that will mobilize federal investments for rural health care in New Mexico through about $1. 3 billion.
Dr. David Scrase
Millions knew him as the doctor who would guide New Mexico through the pandemic.
We talked about the successes, mistakes, and lessons learned with Dr. David Scrase. Our full interview can be found here.
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