The New Mexico Department of Health (NMDOH) recently requested more funds from the state legislature after losing workers to states that pay higher salaries.
According to KRQE, NMDOH is asking for a 17%, or $370 million, budget increase.
“We just cannot be in a position where folks providing direct care and help to people in our nursing homes and hospitals, other facilities, are making substantially less than the people that work at McDonald’s,” Dr. David Scrase, the cabinet secretary said, according to KRQE.
So far, the NMDOH has lost 188 workers, and this loss has led to delays in DWI cases which require lab workers to process samples from the cases, the station reported.
Scrase is a University of Michigan M.D. graduate and has served in the NMDOH since 2019. He is a board-certified internist and geriatrician, according to the Office of the New Mexico Governor.
The Department of Aging and Long Term Care also requested funds. They are asking for a $6 million increase for in-home care staffing for senior citizens, KRQE reports.
According to the NMDOH website, the New Mexico Department of Health's mission is to "promote health and wellness, improve health outcomes, and assure safety net services for all people in New Mexico."