U.S. Rep Xochitl Torres Small talks rural healthcare during visit to Silver City

• Rep. Torres Small visited an HMS health center in Silver City on June 8.
• HMS integrated care model links patients with needed services.
• Torres Small co-sponsor of legislation to increase funding for local medical residencies.

SILVER CITY - On a visit to her home district, U.S. Rep Xochitl Torres Small, D-NM, toured a Silver City health center operated by Hidalgo Medical Services, where she talked about rural health care. 

Following a tour of the community health center at 1007 N. Pope St., accompanied by HMS CEO Dan Otero, Torres Small commended HMS for expanding access for patients in Grant and Hidalgo counties. 

In 1995, when the present organization was founded, Torres Small said that just 30 percent of the residents in the two counties could see a healthcare provider within a half hour's travel time. "Now, it's 96 percent," she said. 

Beginning as a National Health Service Corps organization that operated from 1980 to 1985, the present-day Hidalgo Medical Services was founded in Lordsburg in 1995. Today, it provides services in 19 locations in Grant and Hidalgo counties.

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The expanded access to primary care physicians was attributed in part to opportunities for medical residents to do their training at HMS. Torres Small said this residency program was the only one not situated on New Mexico's Interstate 25 corridor. 

Linking services, 'a holistic approach'

Otero also connected the success of HMS to its integrated medical services model that links medical and dental examination and treatment to services in behavioral health, substance abuse and senior care. 

"We've created a new type of delivery system that is whole-person in nature, that is holistic," Otero said. "We are seeing incredible outcomes because of this." 

 At the end of May, Torres Small cosponsored legislation to reauthorize the Teaching Health Center Graduate Medical Education program, training medical residents in community primary care centers rather than hospitals. 

The bill, HR 2815, increases funding to address cost of living increases and increase the number of physicians training under the program, with $125.5 million to be invested over five years.

Torres Small said the funding would help close a gap between the number of residencies authorized and current participants.

Keeping doctors in rural communities

“We know there is a primary care physician shortage across the United States,” the congresswoman said, "and residents who go through the (Teaching Health Center) program are more likely than other residents to end up in primary care."

They are also more likely to remain in rural communities, she said. Among those she visited Saturday were doctors who completed their residencies at HMS, where she said 66 percent of local graduates continued practicing in rural communities. 

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Four of the bill's six current sponsors are Republicans, and Torres Small said she hoped, but could not predict, whether the bill would be taken up by the U.S. Senate if it passes the House of Representatives.

Elected in 2018, Torres Small is serving her first term representing New Mexico's second congressional district. 

Algernon D'Ammassa can be reached at 575-541-5451, adammassa@lcsun-news.com or @AlgernonActor on Twitter.

For reporting on rural communities, including efforts to expand medical services, subscribe to the Las Cruces Sun-News today.

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