Congresswoman Melanie Stansbury and Congresswoman Teresa Leger Fernandez joined U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra to discuss health care in New Mexico with doctors and local leaders.
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — U.S. Rep. Melanie Stansberry and Teresa Leger Fernandez joined U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Xavier Becerra to discuss health care in New Mexico with doctors and local leaders. .
“There are people in American society who are falling through the cracks in health care, whether the state doesn't provide enough resources, whether they live in rural areas, or whether they live in poor areas. It’s being overlooked,” Becerra said.
Leger-Fernandez and Stansberry focused on two major health care issues in the state: access to health care for Latinos, especially in rural areas, and bringing qualified medical professionals to those areas. He emphasized the importance of this.
“There is a lack of access to health care in rural areas, and people are dying because of it,” Leger Fernández said. “To be honest, it's deadly. It also destroys local economies because people leave their beautiful countryside because they don't have access to health care.”
The current goal is to increase the number of facilities and the number of practicing physicians serving these communities.
“We know you're struggling to keep your clinics open. We know you're struggling to attract talent to New Mexico and develop talent in your communities.” said Stansberry.
State leaders say they are doing everything they can to address the problem and will continue to do so.
