Advocates for student health services are asking state lawmakers to increase funding so they can expand healthcare offerings on school campuses.

“The funding has left the program in place where in 2006, there were about eight employees dedicated to school-based health centers,” Kristin Oreskovich, clinical operations manager of school-based health care for the New Mexico Department of Health, said, as reported by KRQE, "and currently, there are 1.2 employees in the Department of Health who are dedicated to school-based health centers.”

Oreskovich is among those asking for more money for the program.

“The Department of Health will be seeking increased funding for school-based health centers for school year and fiscal year 2024 to expand and enhance school-based health centers across the state,” Oreskovich told members of the Legislative Health and Human Services Committee, which has a big say in how well healthcare gets funded.

Oreskovich, in her plea, was joined by Nancy Rodriguez, the executive director of the New Mexico Alliance for School-based Health Care. Both spoke about how New Mexico students need in-school care, especially because of the trauma and loss children are facing from wildfires, grief from losing caregivers to COVID-19 and increased fear of attacks on LGBTQIA+ students.

Some of the reasons for campus-based health services is that in-school programs keep kids healthy, reduce absences and give kids care their families couldn’t otherwise afford, the speakers said.

The department also wants to increase telehealth care options for students, they said.