New Mexico

At a Glance

State Population: 2,095,428
Local Health Departments: N/A
Frequent Public Health Emergencies: Fire, Flooding, Infectious Disease Outbreaks
Key Emergency Operations Center Activations: 2020: COVID-19 Pandemic; 2019 Asylum Seeker Sheltering; 2019 Vampire Facial Treatment Investigation
CDC PHEP Funding:
FY 2021: $6,760,227
FY 2020: $6,664,176
CDC Crisis Response Funding: COVID-19
FY 2021: $13,263,544
FY 2020: $5,974,365

PHEP-Funded Staff

Epidemiologists: 5
Laboratorians: 14
Educators: 5
Health Professionals: 5
Other*: 29

*Includes IT specialists, administrative staff, statisticians, and other positions

Top 5 Preparedness Investments

Public Health Laboratory Testing
Public Health Surveillance and Epidemiologic Investigation
Information Sharing
Community Preparedness
Medical Countermeasure Dispensing and Distribution

Stories from the Field

Providing Care for the Critically Ill in Severe Weather

In December 2015, more than three feet of snow fell in eastern New Mexico. Roads were closed, and the region did not have the plows to reopen them. The New Mexico State Health Department and its partners worked with local dialysis centers to determine the needs of nearly two dozen dialysis patients and developed a service plan. PHEP-funded staff leveraged partnerships with the Department of Game and Fish and the National Guard to access snow-equipped vehicles and transport patients for treatment and healthcare providers to and from work. As a result, critically ill patients received potentially lifesaving care.