New Mexico Medicaid To Hold Public Meetings For Input On Behavioral Health Needs
HCA News:
SANTA FE — The New Mexico Health Care Authority is hosting three public forums to gather input on how the state can better support individuals with serious mental illness, severe emotional disturbance, substance use disorder, or brain injuries.
Public input will inform the Behavioral Health Assessment and Feasibility Study report, which will be published in January 2026.
Medicaid members, providers, stakeholders, and interested parties are encouraged to attend one of the upcoming virtual public meetings to learn more about the study and share feedback. Zoom webinar login Read More
Tales Of Our Times: History Recalls The Wisdom In Clean Air Decisions
Tales Of Our Times
By JOHN BARTLIT
New Mexico Citizens
for Clean Air & Water
History Recalls The Wisdom In Clean Air Decisions
A common theme is: “Those who fail to learn from the past are doomed to repeat it.” The history of cleaning polluted air gave us hard-won lessons learned that can spare us from repeating them. As ever, what we don’t know or remember will again cost the continuing effort. So, this column looks back at the early years of clean air rules (the 1970s), when rules were first shaped.
Those pioneer struggles for clean air showed us much more than merely the outcomes of lawsuits. To Read More
LACF: Los Alamos Visiting Nurse Service Awarded $29,000 Grant For Grief Group
LAVNS Clinical Manager Susan Edwards, left, receives a $29,000 grant from Brandi Weiss on behalf of the Los Alamos Community Foundation, in partnership with the Anchorum Health Foundation in Santa Fe. The grant presentation took place recently in front of the LAVNS offices at 109 Central Park Square. Courtesy/LACF
LACF News:
The Los Alamos Community Foundation (LACF), in partnership with the Anchorum Health Foundation in Santa Fe, has awarded Los Alamos Visiting Nurse Service, Inc. (LAVNS) a $29,000 grant to support separate grief group programs, one for adults and one for youth. LAVNS, Read More
Los Alamos National Laboratory Scientists Make New Connections Regarding Hantavirus In Study
A map of 431 hantavirus case reports from 1993 to 2022 used in the analysis from LANL scientists Andrew Bartlow’s and Morgan Gorris’ study. Most of the cases occur in the western half of the U.S. compared to the eastern half. The thick black outlines separate the western and eastern U.S., illustrating the prevalence of the virus in the western part of the country. Courtesy/LANL
Morgan Gorris
By KIRSTEN LASKEY
Los Alamos Daily Post
kirsten@ladailypost.com
During their 2024 study on Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome, Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) researchers made new connections between Read More
Los Alamos County Monitoring Equine Herpesvirus-1 Outbreak
COUNTY News:
The Los Alamos County Community Services Department (CSD) reports that there are currently no known cases of Equine Herpesvirus-1 (EHV-1) or Equine Herpes Myeloencephalopathy (EHM) in the County.
CSD staff is monitoring a multistate outbreak linked to the 2025 PRA World Finals in Waco, Texas (held Nov. 5-9) and the Barrel Futurities of America event in Guthrie, Okla. (held Nov. 17-18) where positive cases were confirmed. As a precaution, County staff is coordinating with local veterinarians and the State of New Mexico to be prepared should the situation change.
Regional Read More
Big Sale Small Business Saturday At Lobby Shop In LAMC
Op-Ed: Vaccines – Who Can You Trust?
By RICHARD SKOLNIK
White Rock
The Republican Trump administration has “gone to war” against vaccines. This includes recently changing the CDC’s website on childhood vaccines at the direct request of the Secretary of Health and Human Services to imply that “vaccines cause autism.” This is despite the complete lack of scientific evidence for this idea.
Secretary Kennedy’s battle against vaccines appears to have four pillars, dealing with trust and the destruction of key vaccine institutions:
- Reduce trust in vaccines
- Take over the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP)
- Make
Big Sale On Black Friday At Lobby Shop Inside LAMC
Los Alamos County Social Services Welcomes Applications For Certified Forest Therapy Guides
COUNTY News:
The Los Alamos County Social Services Division is excited to announce the opportunity for community members to become a Certified Forest Therapy Guide.
This “train-the-trainer” cohort, hosted by the County and in collaboration with the Association of Nature and Forest Therapy Guides (ANFT), introduces the practice which draws on developing connections with nature and creating experiences centered in mindfulness, as ways to help improve physical and mental wellbeing. Applications are open now for the program beginning Jan. 26, 2026.
The program consists of a 6-month remote Read More
Lunch Hour Sale At Lobby Shop Inside LAMC Tuesday
Holiday Gift Guide For People Living With Dementia
AA News:
Holiday shopping can be challenging, especially when selecting gifts for someone living with dementia.
More than 46,000 New Mexicans are among 7.4 million Americans currently living with Alzheimer’s disease and, depending on the stage of dementia, some well-intentioned gifts may no longer be appropriate or practical.
“Choosing a meaningful gift for someone living with dementia requires thoughtful consideration,” said Donald Smithburg, executive director of the Alzheimer’s Association of New Mexico. “It’s important to consider the person’s cognitive abilities and select Read More
Dannemann: Affordable Care Act Benefits Must Be Preserved
By MERILEE DANNEMANN
Triple Spaced Again
“Pre-existing condition.” Remember that term? Fifteen years ago, you heard it all the time on the news. It was the issue that scared the daylights out of millions of Americans who couldn’t get health insurance, or whose insurance was impossibly expensive.
A pre-existing condition might have been asthma, diabetes, high blood pressure, cancer, a past injury, or any other condition that might increase the patient’s need for future health care.
Pre-existing conditions had been debated in Congress constantly and covered regularly on the news. People Read More
Public Safety Alert: Handling Wild Animals Increases Disease Risk And Violates Law
New Mexico Game & Fish News:
SANTA FE – Picking up wild animals in New Mexico is illegal and dangerous — for both people and the animals.
The New Mexico Department of Game and Fish is issuing an urgent public safety alert, reminding the public that handling wildlife spreads disease and violates state law.
Picking up or transporting protected species of wild animals dramatically increases the risk of disease transmission. Handling wild animals can expose humans and domestic pets to zoonotic diseases such as distemper, rabies, hantavirus and various parasites.
“A person’s instinct is to Read More
Administrative Office Of The Courts Announces Behavioral Health Regional Planning Leaders, Statewide Listening Sessions, And E-SIM Workshops
Courtesy/NMAOC
NMAOC News:
SANTA FE — The New Mexico Administrative Office of the Courts (AOC) today announced significant progress in the implementation of Senate Bill 3 (SB3), the Behavioral Health Reform and Investment Act (BHRIA). Organizations that will lead the regional planning—called Accountable Entities—have been identified, statewide listening sessions are set to begin, and the first E-SIM (Enhanced Sequential Intercept Mapping) workshop will take place next week.
“We are excited to see the SB3 infrastructure taking shape across every region,” said Administrative Office Read More
LAMC Announces Tony Young As Interim CEO
LAMC Interim CEO Tony Young
LAMC News:
Los Alamos Medical Center (LAMC) announced that highly experienced healthcare leader Tony Young has joined the facility as interim Chief Executive Officer (CEO). Young brings 40 years of healthcare management experience and will lead LAMC until a permanent successor is found for Tracie Stratton, who served as CEO at the hospital for four years.
Young said he looks forward to sustaining and building upon accomplishments achieved at the hospital over the last few years, particularly in the areas of quality, access to care, expansion of services and the Read More
New Mexico To Host Farm To Cafeteria Food Conference
NMDOH News:
SANTA FE — The National Farm to School Network will bring its annual National Farm to Cafeteria Conference to Albuquerque this year, spotlighting New Mexico’s leadership in providing students with local, healthy food.
The event will gather hundreds of advocates, educators, farmers and community leaders from across the country to promote local, nutritious food choices in schools. The conference will be held Dec. 1-4 at the Albuquerque Convention Center, 401 2nd St. NW.
The theme of the conference is “Rooted in Culture, Growing for the Future.” Rita Condon, manager of New Mexico Read More
LAHS DECA Collecting Socks For Homeless Shelters
Los Alamos High School DECA President Jasmine Heft displays a collection box for the DECA Sock Drive. Courtesy/LAHS
LAHS News:
The Los Alamos High School (LAHS) DECA Chapter is collecting socks for homeless shelters in Santa Fe and Espanola throughout November.
Collection boxes are located at the high school in A-Wing, D-Wing, and E-Wing (Activities Office), Los Alamos Middle School (LAMS) Front Office and the lobby of Los Alamos Schools Credit Union, 1010 Central Ave.
Each academic year, LAHS DECA Chapter selects a community service project to support. For the fifth consecutive year, DECA Read More
Aging Budget Strengthens Safety, Support For NM Seniors
Aging Secretary Emily Kaltenbach
ALTSD News:
SANTA FE – The New Mexico Aging and Long-Term Services Department (ALTSD) is requesting $8.2 million in general funds, representing an 11 percent general fund increase from the previous year.
“New Mexico’s older adults need a strong, responsive support network,” Aging Secretary Emily Kaltenbach. “Each year, we see more aging seniors aging in need — this budget strengthens frontline services families rely on, invests in protection for our most vulnerable, and positions us to be prepared for the future.”
The FY27 budget request focuses on the Read More
Online Suicide Prevention Training Before Holidays
C’YA News:
Before the holidays, Champions of Youth Ambitions (C’YA ) is offering a free, one-hour, virtual training on suicide prevention.
The online training will be held 3-4 p.m., Saturday, Nov 22, and is limited to 12 students who must be 18 or older and include certificates of completion.
Those interested in attending the online training must send a valid email address and phone number to cya.org@att.net or text or call 505.695.9139.
If this virtual option is of interest, additional online training opportunities will be offered.
This training is sponsored by a grant from 100 Men Who Care Read More
Leadership Los Alamos Explores Health And Wellbeing Through Community Service
Scene from the Leadership Los Alamos Health & Wellbeing session, held on Nov. 7. Courtesy/LLA
Scene from the Leadership Los Alamos Health & Wellbeing session, held on Nov. 7. Courtesy/LLA
LLA News:
The Leadership Los Alamos (LLA) Health & Wellbeing session, held on Friday, Nov. 7, provided class members with an intensive, full-day exploration of critical community health topics. The overarching Session Goal was to offer a balanced perspective on pressing issues related to health and wellbeing in the community.
Throughout the day, class members focused on the Core Community Read More