Bernalillo County and the University of New Mexico Hospital will stop working together to provide health care at the Metropolitan Detention Center when their agreement ends in July 2027, officials said.
Bernalillo County Manager Cindy Chavez said working with UNM Hospital has improved health care at the detention center by leveraging the university’s expertise and bringing in outside specialists.
“We have the chance in the next year to build on what we’ve achieved, learn from our challenges, and plan the next steps for care,” Chavez said.
County Commissioner Adriann Barboa said the county and UNM Hospital decided last week to end the partnership, which began in 2023. She explained that the arrangement was always meant to be temporary because national correctional health care providers could not meet the jail’s needs at the time. The hospital now provides round-the-clock medical, dental, and behavioral health care for thousands of people at the Metropolitan Detention Center.
Officials said they will keep working with the hospital during the last year of the agreement to make sure the switch to a new health care provider goes smoothly before the contract ends in July 2027. The county has asked state lawmakers for funding and help as it searches for a new provider for inmate health care services.
