New Mexico Department of Health

The board meeting focused on providing updates from the New Mexico Department of Health regarding the status of rule hearings for cultivation and testing. Discussions included the progress of digital application development for cultivators and testing facilities, with a target implementation for mid-July. Committee members provided report outs on their specific areas of focus, including the development of an income-based scale for equity fund access, training requirements for end-of-life care providers, and the proposal of a space attendant role to support psychedelic-assisted care.

The meeting featured a joint session between the training and education committee and the end of life care committee. Key discussions focused on developing the psilocybin program, including therapeutic team development, workforce requirements, and defining the scope for end of life care. The committees emphasized that end of life psychedelic assisted care is a stage of life rather than a specific diagnosis, and explored the potential for care delivery in home settings in coordination with existing hospice and palliative care models.

The document outlines a historical timeline of important dates for School-Based Health Centers (SBHCs), detailing key milestones such as the establishment of Teen Centers, the opening of SBHCs in Albuquerque Public Schools, the creation of the Office of School and Adolescent Health (OSAH), legislative funding, and the expansion of SBHC access points in New Mexico.

This plan outlines the implementation of a statewide healthcare cost and quality reporting website for New Mexico. It proposes leveraging existing data sources such as Medicaid claims and hospital inpatient discharge data to provide meaningful cost and quality measures for 'shoppable' procedures. The plan emphasizes the development of a user-friendly website that connects quality and cost information, prioritizes consumer empowerment, and sets forth next steps for incorporating commercial payer data and exploring an All-Payer Claims Database.

The council held a series of meetings to discuss various aspects of the opioid epidemic and pain management strategies. Key topics included the implementation of legislative changes (Senate Bill 29), including council name revisions and the addition of new member roles. Significant attention was given to neonatal abstinence syndrome, benzodiazepine prescribing guidelines, and the integration of non-pharmacological pain management treatments such as acupuncture, chiropractic care, and naprapathy. The council reviewed drug overdose data, discussed barriers to naloxone distribution and medication-assisted treatment, and proposed legislative recommendations regarding harm reduction, opioid stewardship, and emergency department protocols for substance use disorders.