WASHINGTON—U.S. Senators Tom Udall (D-N.M.) and Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) and U.S. Representatives Ben Ray Lujan (D-N.M.), Deb Haaland (D-N.M.) and Xochitl Torres Small (D-N.M.) announced the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has awarded $6,626,899 to 16 New Mexico community health centers, Tribal health centers and Urban Indian Organizations to expand COVID-19 testing capacity and procure medical supplies. The funding will be used to acquire additional personal protective equipment (PPE), train staff, purchase and administer coronavirus tests, and other essential lab services. These funds come from the interim economic relief package Congress passed in April.
New Mexico previously received over $6 million for COVID-19 testing and contact tracing from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) through the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act. Testing and contact tracing efforts are critical to safely reopening the state’s economy and allocating medical resources where they are most needed.
“New Mexico’s community health centers and the brave providers who work there connect traditionally underserved members of our community with lifesaving services, but the COVID-19 pandemic has stretched these centers to their limits,” said Udall, a senior member of the Senate Appropriations Committee. “I am glad to have helped secure this critical funding that will be used to purchase essential PPE and coronavirus testing materials, but more resources are needed to safely and successfully reopen New Mexico’s economy and schools. I will continue to fight for these vital resources in Washington and want to thank New Mexico’s frontline healthcare providers who are working every day to make sure that every member of New Mexico communities can get the care they need and contain the spread of the coronavirus."
"Especially during this public health crisis, we must do everything to ensure every single New Mexican can receive lifesaving health care,” said Heinrich. “These clinics and community health centers serve some of the most vulnerable and underserved communities in our state and this funding will help them purchase critical supplies like PPE and coronavirus testing materials. As we continue to deal with the impacts of COVID-19, I will keep doing everything in my power to secure the funding and resources New Mexico needs for a public health response that is rooted in science and a strong, long-term economic recovery in all of our communities."
“Health care providers on the frontline of the COVID-19 pandemic are doing everything possible to keep New Mexicans safe and healthy. I am glad that more than $6.6 million in federal grants will go towards securing crucial medical supplies and bolstering COVID-19 testing for community health centers to continue meeting the needs of their communities,” said Luján. “As House Democrats push for additional relief legislation, I will continue advocating for increased investments to protect public health and support for local, state, and Tribal governments.”
“Community health care providers in our state are putting themselves in harm’s way, but as I talk to more nurses and doctors is clear that some of our health centers are lacking protective equipment, increased testing, and beds for patients. That’s why the delegation and I fought to include extra funding in the CARES Act and why these grants are so important to keep our health care workers safe and our families healthy. As we move forward, we’ll continue working to expand testing and contact tracing so we can safely recover from the toll this pandemic has taken on our communities,” said Haaland.
“Community health centers are a critical lifeline for many in rural communities across New Mexico. During negotiations to pass the interim relief package, I fought for federal resources to support rural providers who continue to face unprecedented strain and to expand testing in all corners of the state, not just city centers. This grant will help keep essential services going, deliver masks, gloves, and gowns to providers on the frontlines, and expand COVID-19 testing at community health centers in more remote areas,” said Torres Small.
The full breakdown of the $6,626,899 in New Mexico’s grants is below:
- Presbyterian Medical Services, Inc., Santa Fe,
$1,342,069
- Albuquerque Health Care for the Homeless, Inc., Albuquerque,
$149,839
- DeBaca Family Practice Clinic, Fort Sumner,
$132,874
- First Nations Community Health Source, Inc., Albuquerque,
$444,229
- La Familia Medical Center, Santa Fe,
$369,154
- First Choice Community Healthcare, Inc., Albuquerque,
$888,154
- St. Luke’s Health Care Clinic, Inc., Las Cruces,
$113,689
- La Clínica De Familia Inc, Las Cruces,
$594,169
- La Clínica Del Pueblo, Tierra Amarrilla,
$134,629
- Mora Valley Community Health Services, Inco., Mora,
$127,459
- El Centro Family Health, Española,
$385,654
- Hidalgo Medical Services, Lordsburg,
$343,129
- La Casa De Buena Salúd Inc., Portales,
$402,649
- Pueblo of Jemez, Pueblo of Jemez,
$148,969
- Las Clínicas Del Norte, Inc., El Rito,
$206,854
- Ben Archer Health Center, Inc., Hatch,
$843,379
