State Warns Medicare Scammers Target Beneficiaries Receiving New Cards
ALTSD News:
SANTA FE — New Medicare cards are arriving in mailboxes as part of a nationwide reissuance affecting 1.3 million beneficiaries—and state officials are warning residents that scammers routinely exploit these moments to steal personal information.
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) have issued updated Medicare cards with new Medicare numbers as part of an effort to improve security protections and reduce identity theft and fraudulent billing. Not all beneficiaries will receive an updated card. Official communications regarding replacement Medicare Read More
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Local GLP-1 Support Group Gears Up For Summer Meetings
Dr. Elena McAtee, left, and Nutrition Coach Kate Cleveland prepared today for a busy season of Health and Wellness issues. Courtesy photo
By BERNADETTE LAURITZEN
Los Alamos
May tends to be a very busy month and sometimes your own health and self-care may get pushed to the back burner. As we venture into June and those summer months are at hand, you might need a refresher to put those good habits back at the top of the list.
If you’re one of those people on the GLP-1 drugs, there might be a lot of information that can get overwhelming, but don’t worry, because a support group exists to help with the journey. Read More
New Mexico’s Health Professional Loan Repayment Program Expands To Address Doctor Shortage
STATE News:
SANTA FE — Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham on Tuesday announced a major expansion of New Mexico’s Health Professional Loan Repayment Program, the latest in a series of administration actions to address a physician shortage that has left 32 of the state’s 33 counties with critical gaps in care.
Under the expanded Health Professional Loan Repayment Program, licensed physicians — including part-time physicians — will receive $75,000 per year for student debt relief over a four-year service commitment, for a total of up to $300,000. That makes New Mexico’s program the Read More
LAMC Names Julia Kilcer Its 2026 Mercy Award Winner
From Los Alamos Medical Center:
Los Alamos Medical Center (LAMC) is proud to announce that Clinical Educator Julia Kilcer, RN, has been recognized as the facility’s 2026 Mercy Award winner. The Mercy Award recognizes one employee from each of Lifepoint Health’s facilities who profoundly touches the lives of others and best represents the spirit and values on which the company was founded. The award is considered the highest honor a Lifepoint employee can receive.
Kilcer has been the Clinical Educator at LAMC since August 2024, and while she shines brightly in that role, she is equally Read More
Los Alamos Medical Center Names Michael H. Covert As Chief Executive Officer
Michael H. Covert
LAMC News:
Los Alamos Medical Center (LAMC) announced that Michael H. Covert, FACHE, has been appointed Chief Executive Officer (CEO), effective June 15. Covert will replace Bob Singletary, who has been serving as interim CEO since March.
Covert brings decades of healthcare leadership experience with a strong focus on community access, quality of care, and collaboration with physicians, caregivers, and local partners. He has led hospitals and health systems across the country, helping organizations grow services, strengthen operations and quality, and meet the evolving Read More
Op‑Ed: Los Alamos Medical Center Is Prepared When It Matters Most – Emergency Care for Moms And Babies
By ALAN HEILPERN, MD, Medical Director & Physician, Emergency Department
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DEBRA TEMPLE, MHA, BSN, RN, Chief Nursing Officer, Los Alamos Medical Center
Pregnancy and childbirth are moments of great anticipation and joy – but they can also come with unexpected medical emergencies. As clinical leaders at Los Alamos Medical Center, we want our community to know this clearly: our hospital is and will continue to be prepared to care for pregnant and postpartum patients when urgent needs arise.
As we prepare to transition inpatient labor and delivery services to regional partners at the Read More
National Academies Report: New Technologies And Approaches Needed To Shore Up Interconnected U.S. Energy And Water Systems
NATIONAL ACADEMIES News:
WASHINGTON, D.C. — To strengthen the reliability and resiliency of the nation’s energy and water systems, the U.S. Department of Energy should develop innovative technology and infrastructure at the intersection of the two systems through a suite of pilot programs, says a new report from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. U.S. energy and water systems are profoundly interconnected, and disruptions can cascade rapidly across both, affecting public health, economic activity, environmental quality, and national security.
Energy Read More
Scientists Map Shape Of RNA That Can Shut Down Genes
A Los Alamos research team is unraveling the structure and function of RNA. Courtesy/LANL
LANL News:
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- Understanding the ‘dark matter of the genome’ could help develop therapeutic medical advances
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In the field of human biology, there are many still-unanswered questions about the role of RNA, the less well-understood companion to DNA also found in all living cells, as scientists begin to unravel the complicated and important responsibilities of nucleic acid. In research described in Communications Biology, a Nature publication, an international research team applied innovative techniques Read More
Boomerang Hosts Fundraiser For Local Child Fighting Leukemia
Boomerang Consignment and Gaia Gifts Owner Anna Dillane encourages the community to help local 10-year-old Austyn, who is battling leukemia. ‘Let’s come together, Los Alamos, and help this family … the LAST thing they should be thinking about is money!’ Dillane said. Community members are asked to donate in person at Boomerang, 1247 Central Ave., or directly through GoFundMe here. Photo by Carol A. Clark/ladailypost.com Read More
Q&A Series With LAMC’s New Providers: Orthopedic Surgeon Dr. Tania Pence
Dr. Tania Pence
Orthopedic Surgeon
Los Alamos Orthopedics & Sports Medicine
By CAROL A. CLARK
Los Alamos Daily Post
caclark@ladailypost.com
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- Editor’s note: This is part of a Q&A series featuring new providers at Los Alamos Medical Center:
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Dr. Tania Pence is a board-certified orthopedic surgeon with a Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine degree. She brings 20 years of experience and expertise to her practice at Los Alamos Orthopedics & Sports Medicine inside Los Alamos Medical Center (LAMC), where she began working on Dec. 1, 2025. She is affiliated with organizations such as the American Read More
Workshop: Healing Our Individual And Collective Trauma Saturday At Unitarian Church
Andrea Hill
COMMUNITY News:
Andrea Hill, Kate Barnhart and Tom Steward will host a workshop, “Healing Our Individual and Collective Trauma — Responding skillfully to whatever life brings: practical tools for regulation, clarity, and resilience” 9 a.m. to noon Saturday at the Unitarian Church, 1738 N Sage Loop St.
Whether navigating personal stress or feeling the weight of what’s happening in the world, this workshop offers grounded, evidence-based tools to help people find steadiness and reconnect with their own resilience. The public is invited to join in for a morning Read More
Documents Added To LANL Electronic Public Reading Room
LANL News:
New documents have been added to the Los Alamos Legacy Cleanup Contract Electronic Public Reading Room.
All legacy cleanup documents required to be posted after April 30, 2018, are available on the site linked above.
For legacy cleanup documents that were posted prior to April 30, 2018, please visit the LANL electronic public reading room.
- Elevation of Dispute to Tier 1 Officials Pursuant to Section 25 of the Compliance Order on Consent
https://ext.em-la.doe.gov/GovFTPFiles/api/GetFiles/GetFile?fileName=EMID-704307_EMLA-26-196-2-1_Elevation_Dispute_Tier_1_Officials_Pursuant_to_Section_25_of_the+CO_042326.pdf
Infectious Disease MDF: ‘Hantavirus Is Not The Next COVID—But It Is A Warning’
Tyler B. Evans, MD, MS, MPH, DTM&H, FIDSA
MEDICAL News:
The hantavirus outbreak aboard the expedition cruise ship MV Hondius has triggered alarming headlines and understandable anxiety. But according to Dr. Tyler Evans, infectious disease specialist, CEO of Wellness Equity Alliance, and former Chief Medical Officer for New York City’s COVID-19 response, hantavirus is most likely not the next pandemic, but it does expose how fragile and improvised global outbreak preparedness still is.
Dr. Evans says the Hondius outbreak should be understood as a stress test, not a panic event. Read More
UNM-LA Collaborates With UNM To Offer Early Assurance Program To Pre-Professional Health Students
From left, UNM-LA student Cruz Estrada, UNM-LA Science Dept. Lecturer II Derek Martinez and UNM-LA student Brittini Suazo in biology class. UNM-LA has partnered with UNM in Albuquerque to offer an Early Assurance Program for pre-professional health students interested in pursuing a doctorate in pharmacy. Courtesy/UNM-LA
BY KIRSTEN LASKEY
Los Alamos Daily Post
kirsten@ladailypost.com
University of New Mexico (UNM) College of Pharmacy Dean Donald Godwin recently reached out to University of New Mexico-Los Alamos (UNM-LA) Chancellor Mike Holtzclaw and Dean of Instruction Brent Pickett Read More
Local Shop For The Cure Yard Sale Fundraiser May 15-16
COMMUNITY News:
The fourth annual yard sale to raise funds for breast cancer will be held 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Friday, May 15, and Saturday, May 16, at 390 Connie Ave. in White Rock.
Anyone interested in donating items for the yard sale may drop them off by the garage door at 390 Connie Ave. before May 12. Please only contribute clean, gently used, saleable items.
The annual yard sale raises funds for the national non-profit Susan G. Komen, to fund breast cancer research and treatment via local resident Nancy Partridge’s participation in the annual 3-Day 60-mile walks. All proceeds go directly to Susan Read More
State To Stabilize Rural Healthcare With New Support Center
NMHCA News:
SANTA FE — New Mexico is taking a major step toward improving the financial and operational strength of rural health care providers, by establishing a statewide center for rural health sustainability and innovation.
The New Mexico Health Care Authority (HCA) has released a request for proposals to find a vendor for the Center for Rural Health Sustainability & Innovation that will provide technical assistance, shared services, and partnership support to rural, frontier and tribal health providers across the state. The center is a cornerstone initiative of the state’s Read More
Op/Ed: Petition Circulating To Keep LAMC OBGYN Open
By NICOLE O’DANIEL
Los Alamos
We, the Los Alamos community and surrounding areas, want to keep labor and delivery (L&D) open at the Los Alamos Medical Center (LAMC). It has been devastating news for many in our community to learn of the closure as, for our community members it is not safer or better for pregnant or laboring women to be forced to travel outside of Los Alamos through cellphone dead zones. The community is coming together via a petition/letter that insists LAMC keep their doors open and continue providing necessary services to the women in our community.
In the formal announcement Read More
Local Breast Cancer Research Advocate Participates In The Susan G Komen Center For Public Policy Advocacy Summit
Los Alamos resident Nancy Partridge, right and Albuquerque resident Lola Neudecker attended The Susan G Komen Center for Public Policy annual Advocacy Summit April 27-29 in Washington, D.C. Courtesy photo
COMMUNITY News:
Los Alamos resident Nancy Partridge and Albuquerque resident Lola Neudecker joined 200 volunteer Advocacy Ambassadors April 27-29 at The Susan G Komen Center for Public Policy annual Advocacy Summit in Washington, D.C.
The two advocates, who have known each other since second grade, spent the first part of this week visiting with members of the 119th Congress, advocating Read More