In New Mexico, some legislators have been pushing heavily for more behavioral health services for residents, but the bill that they have put together has been tabled for the time being.
Senate Bill 9 was tabled this weekend during the Senate Finance Committee special session held in Santa Fe, but Sen. Gerald Ortiz y Pino says that he will reintroduce the bill during the next full session that is to be held in January. If passed, the bill would provide up to $50 million in funding from the federal government as stimulus to go toward the construction of a school of public health located at the UNM Health Sciences Center.
“It would be separate from the medical school," Ortiz y Pino said. "It would have its own staff, its own building. It could become the focal point for all public health efforts in the state, and it could take the lead in driving initiatives and prepare us more adequately for the future."
Apart from the construction of the school, the funding would also go toward developing the program, paying the salaries of staff and providing proper equipment for the school.
According to Ortiz y Pino, the state needs to invest more in public health apart from what is provided by Medicaid.
