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County approves amendment to continue La Familia health services; funding increase and extension requested
Summary
The board approved an amendment to continue La Familia Medical Center's contract for primary care and navigation services, including a requested increase of $746,000 and an extension of the term to Aug. 30, 2026; transcript figures for the total contract amount were unclear.
The Santa Fe County Board of County Commissioners approved an amendment to its agreement with La Familia Medical Center to continue primary care and navigation services for county residents, the county’s Community Services Department said during the Aug. 25 meeting.
Jennifer Romero, Community Services deputy director, told the board the department requested approval of Amendment No. 3 to agreement 2023-0010 with La Familia to increase compensation by $746,000 and to extend the agreement through Aug. 30, 2026. Romero said the contract continues health services under the hospital-and-health-care-services procurement exemption and leverages the Connect network to address social determinants of health.
The transcript includes a figure for a total not-to-exceed contract amount that appears inconsistent with other county contracts; that total was unclear in the record. The board approved the amendment by voice vote after commissioners praised the clinic’s role in the county and discussed possible funding pressures tied to changes in Medicaid and federal policy.
Why it matters: La Familia, a federally qualified health center, serves a high percentage of uninsured patients in Santa Fe County and provides primary care and navigation services across the county and in surrounding communities. The amendment keeps those services in place through Aug. 30, 2026 and provides an increase in compensation to continue operations.
What the board said: Commissioner Hank Hughes asked whether the funding level was an increase compared with the prior five years; Romero replied that the amount requested is the same as the most recent year but that the organization is monitoring potential impacts from Medicaid reductions and executive orders that could affect federally qualified health centers. Commissioners Justin Green, Lisa Kokari Stone and Adam Johnson expressed support and gratitude for La Familia’s work.
Next steps: With board approval, county staff will process the amendment and continue contracting with La Familia through the extended term. Romero and representatives from La Familia said they would keep the commission informed of challenges related to state or federal policy.
(Transcript excerpts: presentation by Jennifer Romero and questions and comments from commissioners.)
