ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (KRQE) – New Mexico is still seeing a shortage of primary care providers and dentists, but the situation has improved since last year, the latest data from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services shows.
The department keeps track of designated “shortage areas” around the country. In June of 2023, New Mexico’s shortage areas needed 264 primary care providers. Now, a little less than a year later, that number is down to 200 primary care providers.
That doesn’t necessarily mean New Mexico would have an ideal number of doctors if the state got 200 more, but that’s the number needed in the state’s shortage areas to no longer be considered as designated shortage areas.
Last year, New Mexico needed 223 dental health providers. Now, the state needs 171 to remove shortage area designations. The state is also still short on mental health care providers. New Mexico’s shortage areas need 73 mental health practitioners, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services says.
