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Defender 90 connects all the dots

Michael Smith
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Defender 90 connects all the dots

Review & Photos by: Len Ingrassia
Automotive columnist

Shopping for a rugged SUV for off-roading and dry pavement use? Jeep comes to mind for many unless you live across the pond.

Uncoupling perfectly good doors, windshield and top sections for trailblazing is not what the Brits consider a proper mud-womper and they tout three Land Rover Defender models to make their case.

These luxury SUVs have stood out since their 2020 launch. During our week with the top-of-the-line Carpathian Edition, we got lots of ‘thumbs up’ from admirers while on and off road.

We were impressed with its off-road handling as we conquered muddy trails, topped small boulders, traveled creek beds and plunged through sandy beaches. While some rivals have camera views for off-roading, our Carpathian trim added underneath cameras to view what’s below.

You may not want to venture over some terrains though since this edition will set you back nearly $120,000 giving pause to some buyers. Take heart though, the base S trim starts at just over $54,000. Other Defender 90 trims include mid-range X-Dynamic SE ($68,400) and the Defender V8 ($108,200)

For the big bucks, you also get an exterior body film that includes a unique dark grey matte finish, suede cloth seats, 700-watt Meridian sound system, all-terrain Progress control and an adaptive air suspension system that greatly improves handling on and off road.

Interior space is amplified with a nearly dashboard length shelf suitable for tablets, cell phones and other flat items. Center console storage is respectable and houses a refrigerator for cool drinks.

Front seats are well-cushioned, fully adjustable with lumbar, arch and thigh support. We’re glad to see Land Rover has finally developed an easy-to-use infotainment system to control audio, climate, navigation and other apps through a modern 11.4-inch curved touchscreen.

The 90 is one of three available Defender trim levels with a mid-size 110 and larger 130 trim. Our two-door tester is right size for those wanting a tight turning radius and off-the-line performance.

The 110 and 130 models will suit your needs better if second or third row seating is a priority.

There are five engine choices (two diesel and three gas-hybrid versions) that go a long way in determining overall price, performance, and fuel economy.

The diesels – D250 and D300 six cylinders develop 246 and 296 ponies respectively. Four-cylinder 2.0-liter or 3.0-liter six-cylinder gas engines deliver 296 or 395 horsepower – all practical choices under $90k with zero to 60 mile-per-hour-times of 5.6 – 7.8 seconds.

The supercharged all-wheel drive V8 Carpathian develops a stunning 518 horsepower, emitting a howling quad exhaust note while reaching the 60-mph mark in just 4.1 seconds in our independent test runs – very impressive from a nearly three-ton SUV.

We found the Carpathian delivers a smooth ride around town – easy to park and maneuver mall lots. Highway travel is surprisingly quiet with optional 22-inch wheels. Braking is firm and steering precise.

For comparison, we recommend a test drive with the more expensive Mercedes G Class.

(Contact independent automotive columnist Len Ingrassia at editor@ptd.net)

What was reviewed:

2024 Land Rover Defender 90 Carpathian Edition

Engine: 5.0-liter supercharged V8, 518 horsepower, 461 lb.-ft torque

EPA rated mileage: 15 city, 19 highway, 16 combined

MSRP/ as tested: $115,300/ $118,285

Assembled: Assembly of the Defender 90 in Nitra, Slovakia. U.S. /Canadian parts content – 1 percent; major source of foreign parts, United Kingdom – 31 percent, Germany – 19 percent; country of origin, engine – United Kingdom, transmission – Germany

Crash test rating: Neither the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) nor the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) had evaluated the Defender 90 as of this writing.

Warranty: 4 year/50,000-mile bumper to bumper warranty, no complimentary scheduled maintenance

Contact independent automotive columnist Len Ingrassia at: editor@ptd.net

Eddy County’s elected officials get pay raises

Michael Smith
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Mike Smith
Carlsbad Current-Argus
msmith@currentargus.com

The Eddy County Board of County Commissioners is expected to approve a new compensation plan that will award big pay raises to the county sheriff, the county treasurer and the commissioners. The salary hikes were made by possible by New Mexico Constitutional Amendment 4, which the state’s voters approved in the Nov. 5 general election.

Passage of the amendment transferred the authority for setting salaries for the county’s elected officials from the state Legislature to county commissioners.

Commissioners are scheduled to vote on a resolution setting the new pay rates and adjusting the county budget accordingly at their Dec. 17 meeting. The meeting starts at 8:30 a.m. in Room 211 of the Eddy County Administration Complex at 101 W. Greene St. in Carlsbad.

Under the new salary structure, the sheriff’s annual salary will increase from $78,000 to $153,000; the county treasurer’s pay jumps from $75,000 to $129,000; and commissioners’ pay will increase from $26,000 per year to $44,000.

Interim Eddy County Manager Steve McCutcheon Sr. said the new pay rates were based on increases adopted by San Juan County and Lea County,

Eddy County’s administration “has been monitoring different actions taken by various counties throughout the state of New Mexico regarding their responses to Amendment 4,” McCutcheon wrote in a memorandum to commissioners. He said San Juan and Lea are “the two counties that most closely mirror Eddy County.”

He said the Eddy County salaries represent “an approximate average” of those adopted by San Juan and Lea.

Also during Tuesday’s meeting, Eddy County will honor four officials who are leaving office when their current terms expire Dec. 31.

District 2 County Commissioner Jon Henry, County Treasurer Laurie Pruitt and Sheriff Mark Cage all served two four-year terms and were prevented by term limits from seeking re-election.

District 3 Commissioner Fred Beard served four years on the commission. He decided not to run for a second term.

Mike Smith can be reached at 575-308-8734 or email at msmith@currentargus.com.

Appreciating the quiet amid the loudness

Michael Smith
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By: Trip Jennings

As I write this, the slanted light of late afternoon spills into a nearby room.

Quiet music by a group I’d never heard of before this weekend lilts in my headphones. A person I do not know recommended the duo on TikTok, the Innocence Mission of Lancaster, Penn., and I found the group on Spotify.

This is what I do this time of year. I discover music, books, TV shows and movies, usually by trolling websites populated by taste masters compiling best-of-year lists.

I find joy in this.

Late fall ebbing into winter is my favorite season, a time that is built for introspection. The days shorten, trees shed foliage and life quietens. And I find myself curling into myself like a turtle long exposed to the loudness of spring, summer and early fall.

All my life people have described me as a person with the “gift of gab.” This is because I can talk to anyone, anywhere, a trait my family tries to cure me of every time I start up a conversation with a person on the street of a strange city. People running conferences don’t have to tell me twice to sit with people I don’t know for lunch. I’ve already scoped the room for new conversation partners.

It’s an advantage for a journalist, this predilection for conversation.

A downside of working from home, I’ve discovered, is I am not nearly as entertaining as the curmudgeons, misanthropes and gifted raconteurs one could find at any newspaper newsroom in the country 35 or so years ago.

But it is also true that I like silence. And this is the season when the urge for quiet grows.

My hunt for books, music or films amid the best-of-year lists is always a sign of the coming pull back. My hope is I will find media that burrows deep inside and enables me to pretend that I am a hermit, at least for a moment, freed of the day’s responsibilities and distractions.

One of my fondest memories is of reading Fyodor Dostoyevsky’s book, The Idiot, in the basement of a library on the campus of Texas Tech university in Lubbock years ago. My wife and I were visiting her family for Thanksgiving. I can’t remember why I had cloistered myself amid the maze of bookshelves. But for several hours I was transported to 19th century Russia and into the head of Prince Myshkin, the main character, as he struggled against the strict hierarchical world that esteemed rank, wealth, and gender over an individual’s character.

I experienced the same out-of-myself-ness a few years ago watching the Japanese film Drive My Car, a quiet, three-hour affair based on a short story by writer Haruki Murakami about a theater director who stages a multilingual production of Chekov’s play Uncle Vanya while he mourns the death of his wife.

Reminiscing about these experiences produces a dull ache. Perhaps it is not only the ache of memory but the pang of a lost life. Of long, languorous days spent reading and lingering amid the wonder of the world — a world lost to most of us with our smartphones and 24/7 news and social media.

As I said, this time of year brings out introspection in me.

Thanks to my career as a journalist, I’ve lived a full and eventful life, witnessing epic violence, notorious grifters, otherworldly beauty and inspiring acts of self-sacrifice. I wouldn’t have it any other way.

But in quiet moments the words of Lord Byron, the great poet whose dissolute, hedonistic life was an affront to many of his contemporaries, echo in my head.

“I doubt sometimes whether a quiet and unagitated life would have suited me–yet I sometimes long for it.”

Trip Jennings started his career in Georgia at his hometown newspaper, The Augusta Chronicle, before working at newspapers in California, Florida and Connecticut where he reported on many stories, including the resignation and incarceration of Connecticut’s then-governor, John Rowland, and gang warfare in California. Since 2005, Trip has covered politics and state government for the Albuquerque Journal, The New Mexico Independent and the Santa Fe New Mexican. He holds a Master’s of Divinity from Columbia Theological Seminary in Decatur, Ga. In 2012, he co-founded New Mexico In Depth, a nonpartisan, nonprofit media outlet that produces investigative, data-rich stories with an eye on solutions that can be a catalyst for change.

AGH Earns High Marks in Patient Survey

Michael Smith
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AGH Earns High Marks in Patient Survey

From: Artesia Daily Press Reports

In a recent customer satisfaction survey, Artesia General Hospital (AGH) continues to shine as a beacon of quality healthcare in the region with more than 3 out of 4 survey respondents rating the hospital a perfect 10 with the rest rating it a 9.

“Our high patient satisfaction scores are a testament to the dedication of our entire team,” said CEO Dr. Joe Salgado, who is himself a practicing physician at the hospital. “From our physicians and nurses to our housekeeping and administrative staff, everyone plays a role in ensuring our patients feel safe, cared for, and respected.”

The hospital continued earning outstanding patient satisfaction scores through the nationally recognized Press Ganey survey system. These scores, reflecting patients’ experiences with the care they receive, showcase AGH’s commitment to putting patients first. AGH’s latest scores, from surveys received during the 3rd quarter, reveal high marks in several key areas, with all inpatient survey respondents ranking the hospital a 9 or 10 out of 10 which is equivalent to the best hospital possible.

Almost 9 out of 10 survey respondents recommended the hospital for inpatient care and nurses at the facility were also highly ranked with all survey respondents saying that nurses always treated them with courtesy and respect.

For Perioperative Services more than 99% of respondents considered the hospital a clean facility and just under 9 out of 10 would recommend the facility. 99% of respondents indicated that staff always treated them with courtesy and respect.

AGH has not only met but exceeded national averages in multiple categories, reflecting its commitment to providing exceptional care.

A Commitment to Excellence

Press Ganey is the gold standard for measuring patient’s experiences of their care. Thousands of hospitals across the nation use their surveys to understand and improve patient care. AGH consistently scores highly, proving to the community that it is a trusted and reliable healthcare provider.

The confidential surveys, sent to patients after their visits, provide insight into the patient experience. Covering everything from interactions with nurses and doctors to cleanliness and overall hospital environment, these surveys help hospitals identify what they are doing well and where they can improve.

What Patients Are Saying

Overall patients were pleased with their experiences, with several complimenting the providers and staff. One patient shared their experience, saying, “My care was VERY VERY good.” Another patient highlighted the seamless coordination among AGH’s providers. “I was seen very quickly upon arrival at the ER. I had total confidence in the caregivers treating me and was impressed at the number of doctors and nurses coordinating my care.” Yet another complimented the entire experience saying “All good experiences during my visit. From the receptionists, nurse, doctor to the lady that pushed the wheelchair to the parking lot treated me with the utmost respect and courtesy.”

Looking Ahead

Artesia General Hospital is not resting on its laurels. Leadership and staff actively review patient feedback to identify new opportunities for improvement, ensuring they remain at the forefront of patient-centered care. Recent initiatives include expanded services, enhanced communication training for staff, and state-of-the-art technology upgrades. “As healthcare providers, we understand that every interaction matters,” added Quality Director Jackie Cantrell. “Our goal is not only to meet expectations but to exceed them, ensuring that every patient leaves our facility with confidence in their care.”

Fish biting as Christmas nears

Michael Smith
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Fish biting as Christmas nears

Information and photo provided by New Mexico Department of Game and Fish

People seeking a break from Christmas shopping and decorating can expect good fishing conditions at lakes at streams in southern and eastern New Mexico.

Near Truth or Consequences at Elephant Butte Lake, fishing for catfish was fair using worms and cut bait.

At Young Pond in Las Cruces, fishing was fair to good using small grubs with a spinner blade or Green Garlic PowerBait.

In Otero County, fishing for trout was good at Timberon Ponds using Orange PowerBait Trout Nuggets.

In Lincoln County, fishing for trout at Bonito Lake was fair to good using olive-green Pistol Pete spinner flies.

Near Portales, fishing for trout was good using homemade dough bait at Oasis Lake State Park.

This fishing report, provided by the Department of Game and Fish in cooperation with Dustin Berg of www.gounlimited.org,has been generated from the best information available from area officers and anglers. Conditions encountered after the report is compiled may differ, as stream, lake and weather conditions alter fish and angler activities.

Experiencing Divine Opportunity

Michael Smith
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Experiencing Divine Opportunity

By: Pastor David Grousnick

Opportunity comes with so many different faces that we often don’t recognize it. That’s probably why we sometimes miss its call. A previous generation said that opportunity comes dressed in overalls. And they were largely right, for nothing succeeds like hard work. Our generation thinks that opportunity comes with a college diploma. It may, but there’s no guarantee.

Advent season is a good time to experience divine opportunity. Any time is God’s season; but because you and I find certain settings and circumstances especially hospitable to religious experience, Advent and Lent are particularly attractive.

John the Baptizer, offered opportunity in a compelling, almost ferocious way. It seems to me that good news must sometimes come dressed in rough clothing.

William Willimon, Chaplain at Duke University, says that John the Baptist reminds us of boundaries we must respect and gates we must pass through.

At Duke, Willimon reminds the students, “If you are going to graduate, you must first get past the English Department. If you are going to practice law, you must pass the bar. If you want to get to medical school, you must survive Organic Chemistry.”

Likewise, “If you want to get to the joy of Bethlehem in the presence of Jesus, you must get past John the Baptist in the desert.” The word from John is “repent,” which means “about-face” or turning 180 degrees.

In John Steinbeck’s story “The Wayward Bus” a dilapidated old bus takes a cross country shortcut on its journey to Los Angeles and gets stuck in the mud. While the drivers go for assistance, the passengers take refuge in a cave.

It is a curious company of people, and it is obvious that the author is attempting to get across the point that these people are lost spiritually as well as literally. As they enter into this cave, the author calls the reader’s attention to the fact that as they enter, they must pass a word that has been scrawled with paint over the entrance. The word is repent.

Although Steinbeck calls that to the reader’s attention it is interesting that none of the passengers pay any attention to it whatsoever.

All too often this is our story. Repentance is not just changing our minds, or feeling sorry for something that we have done, or even making bold resolves that we will never participate in certain conduct again. Instead, repentance means to turn around and go in another direction.

What John the Baptist wanted his audience to hear was: Turn your life toward this one called Messiah. This is not negative or down-faced. Rather, it breaks the chains of whatever holds us back in life.

The famous American architect Frank Lloyd Wright created an idea called organic architecture. He believed that buildings should be blended into the surrounding natural environment.

If you stare at the buildings that he designed on the campus of Florida Southern College in Lakeland, it is very difficult to tell where the edifice stops and the environment begins. It merges and blends.

Perhaps we should start talking of organic Christianity. If you look at the life of Jesus, you see no sharp line between his religious life and his everyday life. They blended and they meshed together. It should be that way for you and for me.

If we have responded to John’s demands that we repent, if Christ really has been born anew in our hearts, then it will bring out the best, not the worst, in us. It brought out the best in Joseph.

When Mary told her husband that she was pregnant, he had every legal right to divorce her for in those days an engagement was the equivalent of a marriage. Not one man in a million could have been expected to believe Mary’s version of the conception.

But Joseph believed it. Christmas brought out the good in Joseph.

It is my prayer that this Christmas season will have an effect on the way that you live your life. That it will bring out the best, not the worst, in you. None of us have the problems that Joseph had that first Christmas, yet the best was brought out in him.

When you and I care, we want to give our best to God. To be the best is to be like Jesus. And to be like Jesus is to have him reborn in our lives.

Have a great weekend!

David Grousnick, is the Pastor at the First Christian Church in Artesia

Artesia gets into Christmas spirit

Michael Smith
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Artesia gets into Christmas spirit

Mike Smith
Artesia Daily Press
msmith@currentargus.com

The holiday season in downtown Artesia opened on a festive note Dec. 5 with a full day of shopping, the annual Parade of Lights and the traditional Christmas tree-lighting at the Derrick Floor.

It was all part of Artesia MainStreet’s Light Up Artesia event and the folks at Chez Camille Salon across the street from the Derrick Floor were doing their part to promote the celebratory mood.

“We just open up and try to make it festive and put cookies out and watch the parade and the lighting of the tree,” said owner Camille Menefee.

Menefee’s salon at 520 W. Main St. has been a downtown fixture for 25 years and she likes to be involved with the events hosted by Artesia MainStreet.

“Artesia is a great place,” she said. “We’ve made Main Street so much better so we can have all of these activities. It’s great for the community. Everybody wants to come out and be part of it.”

Kalani Bolen and her family wanted to be part of it and they enjoyed the pre-Christmas festivities around the Derrick Floor while waiting for the tree lighting and the Parade of Lights.

“It’s something for the kids to do,” Bolen said as her children Brynlee, Ellington and Silas along with friend Zachary Martin explored the lights and Santa’s sleigh, and sipped hot chocolate.

“We’re just taking everything in,” Kalani said.

Artesia MainStreet Director Morgan Fox said citizens, businesses and others made the event special.

“To see families gather around the Christmas tree, friends enjoying each other’s company, the people of this great town bound together to celebrate the season, there is just nothing like it,” she said. “The community of Artesia is special year-round. They outdid themselves at Light Up Artesia.”

The Parade of Lights started at the Bulldog Bowl parking lot and made its way downtown as parade-goers watched semitrailers, law enforcement vehicles, motorcycles and decorated floats kick off the season.

Fox said the parade had over 80 entries and Eddy County Public Works took first prize for the best decorated float.

More Christmas events are set for Dec. 14, starting at 10 a.m. at the Derrick Floor with the Oil Patch Market, the Cookie Crawl and Stuff the Sleigh. More information can be found at artesiamainstreet.com.

Mike Smith can be reached at 575-308-8734 or email at msmith@currentargus.com.

Artesia wraps up basketball tournament

Michael Smith
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Artesia wraps up basketball tournament

Mike Smith
Artesia Daily Press
msmith@currentargus.com

The Hobbs Eagles captured the first-place trophy at the City of Champions Classic, outmuscling the host Artesia Bulldogs in the second half to score an 81-65 victory in the Dec. 7 championship game.

The game had a throwback feeling to it as the Bulldogs honored members of Artesia’s 1995 state championship basketball team during a halftime ceremony at the Red Brick Gym.

That 1995 championship was the first basketball state title in the school’s history. The Bulldogs won another in 1997.

Braylon Vega scored 18 points for Artesia in Saturday’s loss to Hobbs. Charlie Campbell scored 13 points for the Bulldogs, Trent Egeland had 12 and Clay Kincaid added 10.

Artesia head coach Michael Mondragon said the Eagles wore out Artesia in the second half as some of the Bulldogs shifted gears from football to basketball. Campbell, Egeland and Kincaid all played in Artesia’s 41-22 loss to Roswell in the 5A state championship football game Nov. 30.

“When your legs go your mind kind of goes, too,” Mondragon said. “That little fatigue causes some bad decisions; turnovers hurt us in the second half.”

The Eagles (5-1) outscored the Bulldogs 52-34 in the second half after trailing by two, 31-29, at the intermission.

“We fought our tails off, we shot the ball really well, we handled some runs,” Mondragon said. “Hobbs was just a little too much.”

Artesia defeated Los Lunas 46-29 on Dec. 6 to advance to the championship game against Hobbs after opening the tournament Dec. 5 with a 65-29 win over Kirtland Central.

Mondragon admired the fight of his junior-dominant team.

“They’re going to step on the court and give us everything they’ve got,” he said. “We’ve just got to fix the little things here and there and get our legs under us. That’s the big thing.”

Despite the loss, Mondragon said 2-1 Artesia has a competitive spirit that should help as the season moves on.

“We’ve got a bunch of dudes and a bunch of dogs that want to go out and fight and if they keep doing that and we bring that same mentality every single day in practice and carry it into the game, we’re going to be a heck of a team at district time,” he said.

Vega and Campbell were named to the all-tournament team and Mondragon said both help drive the offense in the guard spots.

But a successful season will require a team effort, the coach said.

“Right now, it’s hard to say one guy (who is the leader),” he said. “You’ve got so many guys that can step up and play hard for us. As long as they do that, we’re going to do great things.”

The Bulldogs are back in action at 7 p.m. Friday against Valencia High School in Los Lunas.

Artesia Lady Bulldogs finish sixth

Ashton Craft was Artesia’s leading scorer with 11 points in a 57-37 loss to Roswell High School during the fifth-place game of the girls side of the City of Champions Classic Saturday.

Deming won the title game over Carlsbad.

Thursday through Saturday Artesia participates in a tournament at Albuquerque’s Academy High School.

More tournament photos can be found on B2.

Mike Smith can be reached at 575-308-8734 or email at msmith@currentargus.com.

Artesia honors past champions

Michael Smith
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Artesia honors past champions

Mike Smith
Artesia Daily Press
msmith@currentargus.com

Thirty years is a long time. But for coach Bubba Jennings and members of his 1994-95 Artesia Bulldogs, time has not diminished the glory of winning Artesia High School’s first state basketball championship.

Jennings, players Andrew Patterson and Ty Houghtaling and other team members were honored Dec. 7 during halftime of the City of Champions Classic title game at Artesia High School’s Red Brick Gym.

Jennings coached at Artesia from 1990 to 1999, guiding the Bulldogs to the state title in ’95 and a second championship in 1997. He also played at Clovis High School where his team won the 4A state championship in 1979.

As a college basketball player at Texas Tech from 1980 to 1985, Jennings was a four-time All-Southwest Conference selection.

Before the halftime ceremony honoring his 1994-95 Bulldogs, Jennings said his family had good memories of living in Artesia and said he appreciated the reunion with his players.

“It’s really a nice chance to get back and meet with them again,” he said. “I haven’t seen them all together in a long time. It’s great to be here with them.”

Jennings recalled that when he was considering taking the job in Artesia he asked his would-be bosses if they wanted a winning basketball program.

“They said yes they did. It took us a while to get it started. But we really worked with the kids … and developed a program and had some really good athletes and really good basketball players and we were able to put everything together,” he said.

Jennings said the 1995 Bulldogs worked their way through the regular season and the district tournament and made it to the state semifinals against the Grants Pirates, winning a 73-72 thriller by overcoming a 10-point deficit with 50 seconds to play.

“We got it down to five with 15 seconds left and we hit a three. We didn’t have any timeouts left and our guys were scrambling around trying to foul somebody to get the clock stopped.”

Jennings said Houghtaling stole a Grants inbound pass and threw the ball to Patterson under the basket.

“Andrew went up and right as he laid it in, they fouled him,” Jennings said.

Patterson sank the winning free throw with less than three seconds remaining on the clock, advancing the Bulldogs to the title game and an 82-73 win over Albuquerque Academy.

Patterson said the championship game provided great memories as the Bulldogs were known for winning state championships in football.

“For me, growing up a in a football town, I wanted to play basketball,” he said.

Patterson, an engineer who now lives in Albuquerque, said Jennings had a passion for basketball and that was a spark for the championship team.

Houghtaling, a three-time football champion, said the basketball team understood its role with Jennings.

“We were unselfish. We had guys that shot a high percentage, and we got the ball in their hands. There was just a lot of chemistry,” he said.

Houghtaling said the seed for a basketball championship was planted with a basketball goal and a video camera in the backyard of the Patterson home.

“We would watch film after pickup games,” he said. “We had one of our managers get on the roof with the video camera and we were always worried he was going to fall off the roof. He wasn’t very coordinated, and we’d play four-on-four, five-on-five. Just had good chemistry with our players,” he said.

Houghtaling said the basketball team made it to the state playoffs during his sophomore year and struggled during his junior season but hit its stride during his senior season in 1995.

Houghtaling still lives in Artesia. He’s lead pastor at First Baptist Church.

Jennings, 62, has spent 32 years coaching at the high school and collegiate levels. He is currently head basketball and golf coach at Dallas Baptist University.

Mike Smith can be reached at 575-308-8734 or email at msmith@currentargus.com.

NM Needs to Raid TX for More Doctors

Michael Smith
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By: Elizabeth Heller Allen

For years, New Mexico has been seriously short of virtually all doctors: primary care, pediatricians, dentists, eye doctors, and other specialists… and all the people who help them take care of patients. It can take months to see a specialist and weeks to see a primary care physician, if you can find one. We are short almost 13,000 health care workers to serve our 2.1 million residents. That includes every kind of healthcare worker like EMTs, pharmacists and physical therapists as well as physicians and nurses.

This shortage is getting worse as doctors quit practicing here due to high costs and low reimbursement by Medicare and Medicaid. From 2017-2021, New Mexico lost 30% of our primary care providers. That’s over 700 doctors – think how many more New Mexicans could have been served!

We should not tolerate this any longer. New Mexicans deserve better, and we have a unique opportunity to recruit new doctors, starting right now… specifically those who no longer want to practice in Texas. They certainly include women’s health specialists, but many others are frustrated by a toxic environment as politicians second-guess doctors, override best practices, threaten criminal prosecution, try to access private patient records and encourage citizen bounty hunters who track people seeking care outside of Texas.

Governor Lujan Grisham was on the right track several months ago with billboards in Texas encouraging doctors to move here. It was a good idea – gutsy and bold. It failed because New Mexico’s laws make it too difficult and expensive for doctors to live and practice here. Unlike many of New Mexico’s problems, this one has solutions that have proven to work and can be implemented right now with a two-pronged approach: legislative reform and economic development.

For the upcoming January/February legislative session, Think New Mexico has published 10 recommendations to solve our health care worker shortage — all thoroughly researched and proven. The top three are:

1. Reform Malpractice Insurance. We have the second highest rate of medical malpractice lawsuits in the country. Insurance carriers covering health care workers lost more money per person here than in any other state. As premiums rise and carriers refuse to keep losing money, both doctors and insurance companies are leaving the state. Tort reform will be vigorously resisted by lawyers who earn huge fees suing doctors, but cutting their percentages of awards will still enable victims to be fairly paid for their injuries. With legislators receiving campaign contributions over $500,000 from trial lawyers, it’s easy to see why medical malpractice reform might be resisted, but the current system is killing us.

2. Join All 10 Major Interstate Health Care Compacts. Right now, New Mexico does not recognize medical licenses from other states, so seeking care from out-of-state specialists is difficult.

3. Make New Mexico’s Tax Policy More Friendly to Heath Care Workers. We can compete with Texas on lower real estate taxes, but healthcare workers must pay our Gross Receipts Tax, and it’s a show stopper.

Beyond legislative changes, we need to leverage our Department of Economic Development to attract and retain people and businesses, with a laser focus on healthcare workers. After all, companies won’t come here without good healthcare for their employees. With better information and incentives, we can convince more prospective workers to considering relocating here.

The time is now – let’s not chase doctors away as we recruit new ones. It might be a tough decision to leave Texas, but we can make it an easy one to come to New Mexico.

Elizabeth Heller Allen is a resident of Santa Fe with almost 10 years as an exectuive with two large healthcare systems. She also serves on the boards of Searchlight, Imagine New Mexico and the Santa Fe Community Foundation.

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