New Mexico is grappling with a significant shortage of health care professionals, as highlighted by Troy Clark, president and CEO of the New Mexico Hospital Association. While speaking to students at Health Leadership High School in Albuquerque, Clark noted the alarming gap across various medical roles, stating, “The answer is every one” when asked which positions are critically understaffed.
According to the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), New Mexico has only about 83% of the health care professionals it requires, a figure expected to remain relatively stable through 2030. This shortage lags behind the national average by approximately 10 percentage points. The situation, however, is not uniform across all specialties; some fields face severe deficits while others are managing better.
The analysis indicates that the depth of the crisis varies significantly by specialty. For example, New Mexico is short on psychologists, with estimates revealing that the state will only have enough to meet 29% of demand by 2030. In the realm of behavioral health, which is crucial for addressing mental health and substance use issues, the state currently has only half of the necessary psychologists. Although the number of psychiatric nurse practitioners is on the rise, the current availability of addiction counselors and school counselors meets just over half of the demand.
As the state aims to implement Senate Bill 3, which mandates regional plans to address gaps in behavioral health care, the shortage of providers poses a significant challenge. The legislation is a response to years of struggles within New Mexico’s behavioral health system, which has struggled to keep pace with rising needs.
The situation is similarly dire in the field of medical doctors. New Mexico currently has only about two-thirds of the required specialists in areas such as anesthesiology, cardiology, dermatology, gastroenterology, and neurology. The lack of these professionals is expected to worsen by 2030.
Conversely, the state has an adequate supply of emergency medicine doctors, currently exceeding the national average with 109% of the needed professionals. General surgeons and pediatricians are also in relatively good supply, with 96% and 94% of the required numbers, respectively. Nevertheless, other specialties, including internal medicine, family medicine, obstetrics and gynecology, and orthopedic surgery, remain in need of more practitioners.
The nursing sector presents a mixed picture. New Mexico needs more than 19,000 registered nurses but currently has just over 12,000. A report from the Legislative Finance Committee highlighted over 2,700 job postings for registered nurses in June alone, dramatically outpacing the demand for physicians. Fortunately, the forecast suggests some improvement; while the state currently has only about two-thirds of the necessary nurses, this shortage is anticipated to decrease by five percentage points by 2030 thanks to increased nursing program graduations.
In terms of nurse practitioners, New Mexico is in a much more favorable position. The state is projected to have sufficient nurse practitioners to meet 158% of patient demand by 2030. These practitioners have undergone additional training, allowing them to perform essential duties such as diagnosing patients and prescribing medications.
Clark emphasizes that addressing the health care workforce shortage in New Mexico requires a multi-faceted approach. He advocates for expanding student slots in health care programs, enhancing student loan repayment options, revising tax policies, and reforming medical malpractice laws. “There’s not a silver bullet,” he said, underscoring the complexity of the issue.
As New Mexico continues to explore solutions, the need for urgent action remains clear. The state’s ability to provide adequate health care services hinges on addressing the multifaceted challenges facing its medical workforce.
