ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — Facing one of the most severe health care provider shortages in the country, the University of New Mexico has an ambitious plan to double the number of health care professionals it graduates over the next decade.
The initiative comes as 32 of New Mexico’s 33 counties are classified as “Health Professional Shortage Areas,” according to a recent report by the Cicero Institute. Only Los Alamos County is not considered underserved.
The state’s physician-to-patient ratio is 16% worse than the national average, and projections estimate that New Mexico will need an additional 2,118 doctors by 2030…