Congressional Delegation News:

WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Senators Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) and Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.) and U.S. Rep. Melanie Stansbury (D-N.M.) are welcoming over $1 million in grant funding from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to support the Health and Public Safety Workforce Resiliency Training Program at the University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center.

“For nearly two grueling years, New Mexico health care workers have shown up day after day to care for our communities during the COVID-19 pandemic,” Heinrich said. “But this battle takes a toll. That’s why I’m proud this funding is heading to UNM so that the proper care and training can be implemented to support our local health workforce who continue to have our community’s back.”

“Throughout the pandemic, we’ve referred to health care workers as heroes,” Luján said. “This grant funding provides the appropriate resources to support the health and wellbeing of our local American heroes. The pandemic has been taxing on us all, but especially on health care professionals. As the UNM Health Sciences Center has supported our communities in these tumultuous times, it’s critical that we secure the necessary services to support them.”

“Our health care workers are real-life heroes, working on the front lines of this pandemic and caring for our communities. We must take care of our health care workers and ensure they have the resources they need to be well,” Stansbury said. “UNM Hospital workers and health care professionals across the state have worked tirelessly over the last two years. We must do everything we can to support their resilience and ensure that all of us are doing our part in fighting the pandemic by getting vaccinated, masking up, testing, and staying safe.”

The purpose of this program is to plan, develop, operate or participate in health professions and nursing training activities using evidence-based or evidence-informed strategies, to reduce and address burnout, suicide, mental health conditions and substance use disorders and promote resiliency among health care students, residents, professionals, paraprofessionals, trainees, public safety officers, and employers of such individuals, collectively known as the “Health Workforce,” in rural and underserved communities.