SANTA FE – Today, the New Mexico Primary Care Council announced its mission, vision, and goals to revolutionize primary care in New Mexico. The Council was established during the 2021 legislative session to increase access to primary care, improve the quality of primary care services, address the shortage of primary care providers, and reduce overall health care costs. It consists of 22 members representing state agencies, federally qualified health centers, providers, and other healthcare stakeholders.
“For New Mexicans to have excellent primary care, a revolution is indeed required,” said David R. Scrase, M.D., Human Services Department Cabinet Secretary. “The Primary Care Council is hard at work creating the foundation for a statewide, cohesive plan to improve primary care for all New Mexicans.”
The Council defines high-quality primary care as: the provision of whole-person, integrated, accessible, and equitable health care by interprofessional teams and community partners who are accountable for addressing the majority of an individual’s health and well-being across settings and through sustained relationships with patients, families and communities. The Council’s definition of high-quality primary care drives their mission, vision, and goals.
The mission, vision and goals emphasize the value the New Mexico Primary Care Council places on affordable and accessible high-quality primary care for New Mexicans and communities.
- Mission: Revolutionize primary care into interprofessional, sustainable teams delivering high-quality, accessible, equitable health care across New Mexico through partnerships with patients, families and communities.
- Vision: By 2026, New Mexico will exemplify same-day access to high-quality, equitable primary care for all persons, families, and communities
Goals:
- Strategic Planning: Create a 5-year primary care strategic plan to improve access, quality, equity, teamwork, patient outcomes, and to lower the cost of overall health care delivery throughout New Mexico.
- Payment Strategies: Develop and make recommendations regarding new sustainable payment models and strategies to achieve high quality and equitable primary care for all New Mexicans.
- Health Technology: Develop and drive health information technology improvements and investments that make high quality primary care seamless and easy for interprofessional teams, patients, families and communities.
- Sustainability: Create a sustainable financial model and budget to support our mission and secure necessary New Mexico legislative and federal appropriations.
“The Council exists as a permanent platform to exercise a collective voice of health care professionals and experts for the health of residents of New Mexico. The Council has a particular focus on primary care because access to adequate primary care has such a positive impact on long-term health. I am very appreciative to all who have agreed to serve on the Council and their commitment to hear from the public on what is important them. I am looking forward to receiving the Council’s findings and recommendations to expand access so that all patients have a medical home where they receive care,” said Representative Deborah A. Armstrong.
In the next several weeks, the Primary Care Council will establish objectives and tactics for each goal—essential to a comprehensive plan that translates strategy into action.
“We must revolutionize primary care in our state. Every New Mexican deserves high-quality primary care just as our Primary Care Council has defined it. Our state can and will, set the primary care standard for others to follow,” says David R. Scrase, M.D., HSD Cabinet Secretary.
###