Tag: public health

Three Deaths in Mountainair Exposed the Terrifying Reach of Fentanyl — And the Unanswered Questions About America’s Synthetic Drug Era

A deadly overdose scene in Mountainair, New Mexico, left three people dead and 18 first responders hospitalized, exposing both the devastating reach of fentanyl and the growing fear surrounding accidental exposure. The tragedy reflects a broader crisis gripping rural America, where synthetic opioids, methamphetamine and collapsing behavioral health systems are colliding with deadly consequences.

Toxic Relic Hiding in America’s Lead Pipes. Why $27 Million EPA Funding is Heading to New Mexico to Fix a Crisis We Should Have...

A silent poison has flowed through American taps for decades. As New Mexico receives over $27 million to root out lead service lines, the urgent race to protect children from irreversible harm is finally accelerating.

The Flesh-Eating Fly at America’s Doorstep — and Why New Mexico’s New World Screwworm Website Could Be a Game-Changer

New Mexico has launched a centralized website to help residents identify, report and respond to the threat of New World screwworm, a parasitic fly whose larvae feed on living tissue and can devastate livestock, wildlife and pets. Officials say the platform could become a critical early-warning system against outbreaks.

New Mexico’s Recipe for Hantavirus Risk—Climate, Deer Mice, and Country Living

More than 30 years after the Four Corners outbreak, New Mexico continues to report among the nation’s highest hantavirus pulmonary syndrome cases. Experts say the state’s ecology, climate cycles and rural living conditions have created an enduring hotspot for the rare but deadly disease carried by deer mice.

New Mexico Reopens Fight Over Toxic Oil and Gas Wastewater — Environmentalists Call It a Political Gamble

New Mexico regulators voted to revive a contentious rulemaking process that could expand the use of treated oil and gas wastewater beyond drilling sites, reigniting a fierce clash between industry advocates and environmental groups over public health, water scarcity and political influence.

Wastewater Sounded the Measles Alarm in New Mexico—Before Doctors Even Caught It

A new study shows New Mexico health officials detected measles in wastewater five days before hospitals confirmed cases, highlighting sewage surveillance as a powerful early-warning system during the nation’s largest measles outbreak in decades.

Anchorum Health Foundation Strengthens Native Nation Building in New Mexico

The Anchorum Health Foundation (the Foundation) provides leadership and support for advancing Indigenous nation building and improving the social determinants of health of Indigenous people living in New Mexico through its work with Indigenous-led organisations by moving from focusing on building partnerships with hospitals toward focusing on creating partnerships within the local communities. The Foundation will partner with Indigenous-led organisations to support funding for housing, assist with navigating Tribal laws, and assist in preserving and sharing indigenous knowledge systems. These efforts by the Foundation will build the ability of Tribes to self-govern, establish greater trust between the community and the provider, and create general equalities in housing and health care as well as overall well-being within the community.

Santa Fe’s Planned Parenthood Reopens Monday After Being Closed Over a Year

After being closed for over a year, Planned Parenthood reopens its doors on Monday, May 11, with new staff.

UNM Health to Offer Free Skin Cancer Screenings in Albuquerque Metro

UNM Health is organizing free screenings for skin cancer on April 27, 2026, at its dermatology facility in Albuquerque and Sandoval Regional Medical Center in Rio Rancho. The skin cancer screenings will take place between 9:00 and 11:30 in the morning on a first come, first served basis, facilitated by medical students. This program emphasizes the significance of early detection since skin cancer is the most prevalent form of cancer in the country. Through the provision of free screenings, UNM Health becomes part of nationwide programs such as the “Destination Healthy Skin” campaign organized by the Skin Cancer Foundation and the American Academy of Dermatology's screening drive.

Rabies in Curry County Shows How Easily a Virus Slips Past the Boundaries We Trust

A rabies case in rural New Mexico is more than a health alert — it is a warning against complacency. Even fenced yards, officials say, cannot shield pets from wildlife-borne disease when vaccination gaps persist.

Is Labor Offloading Aging Health Costs Onto the States? Debate Raises Fiscal Concerns

Policy experts, labor economists, state governments, and federal policymakers in the United States are debating the issue. The discussion examines...

State Nurse Honored Excellence Award for Expanding HIV Prevention Care

At ceremonies held in both Roswell and Las Cruces, New Mexico, the New Mexico Department of Health acknowledged the...