The New Mexico Department of Health encourages persons in southeast New Mexico to rest, drink a lot of water, and get under shade when they are outdoors to reduce the risk of heat-related illness as the temperatures will remain high this week, especially in the following counties: Chaves, Eddy, Lea, Roosevelt and Quay.

NMDOH conducts surveillance for heat-related illness and has received reports of 21 emergency department visits and two hospitalizations in the past week due to HRI. Through recent data analysis, the New Mexico Environmental Public Health Tracking, Environmental Health Epidemiology Bureau, Epidemiology and Response Division, has found that even though temperatures of 86...

The first human case of West Nile virus infection in New Mexico in 2019 has been confirmed in a 42-year-old woman from Doña Ana County. The woman required hospitalization and is recovering from the disease, according to a N.M. Dept. of Health press release, issued Aug. 12.

West Nile virus is a disease transmitted by mosquitoes that can sometimes be fatal. In New Mexico, there have been cases of West Nile virus every year since the virus migrated to New Mexico in 2003.

Mosquito populations tend to rise all over the state of New Mexico following the increased precipitation originating from the monsoon rains. Female mosquitoes lay their eggs in standing water, where hundreds of mosquitoes...

SANTA FE, NM – The New Mexico Department of Health would like to clarify that the Alternative Writ of Mandamus, which was signed by Judge Bryan Biedscheid on Aug. 5, which proposes to compel NMDOH to issue medical cannabis cards to out-of-state residents, is not a final decision of the Court.

Pursuant to the Alternative Writ of Mandamus, NMSA, 44-2-7, the Department of Health is permitted to file, in the ‘alternative’ to enrolling non-residents, an Answer to the Alternative Writ to show why it should not be required to enroll non-residents.

The New Mexico Department of Health maintains that it is not required by law to enroll non-New Mexico residents as qualified patients in the...

District among top ten state schools in proficiency growth

Gallup-McKinley County Schools Assistant Superintendent Gerald Horacek wanted to stress one point when he spoke to the Board of Education during the Aug. 6 regular meeting.

“Growth matters, especially when it comes to how your students are doing academically in [English Language Arts] and math,” he said.

Horacek was referring to the updated results showing proficiency growth in ELA and math across New Mexico schools in the Partnership for the Assessment of Readiness for College and Career tests, which he presented during the regular meeting.

First, Horacek reiterated the test results he shared at the board’s July 15...