New Mexico Department of Health outlines local response to measles, expands behavioral‑health and school health services in San Juan County

Alice Fordham, the New Mexico Department of Health’s government relations coordinator, told the San Juan County Board of County Commissioners that the department is expanding vaccine access, behavioral‑health treatment and school‑based primary care across the state, and reviewed services available locally in Farmington and Bloomfield.

"The Department of Health's mission is to promote health and wellness, improve health outcomes and assure safety‑net services for all people in New Mexico," Fordham said as she summarized statewide programs and how they reach rural counties.

Fordham said the state is responding to a measles outbreak that has produced more than 80 cases statewide and includes at least one case in San Juan County. She said the Department has increased vaccine availability and outreach and reported more than 34,000 vaccinations statewide since Feb. 1, roughly three times the normal rate for the same period. In Farmington, Fordham said, walk‑in measles vaccinations are available Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to noon and 1 p.m. to 3 p.m.; appointments are available by phone.

She described services provided by the two local public‑health offices — the main office in Farmington and a smaller office in Bloomfield — including WIC (Women, Infants and Children), children’s medical services that arrange specialty appointments, STD testing, tuberculosis testing and treatment, and vaccine clinics.

Fordham highlighted multiple Department initiatives that are active or being expanded in the region: school‑based health centers (the Department is planning five new brick‑and‑mortar centers statewide this year and additional telehealth sites), mobile health units funded by the legislature to deliver services such as vital records and screening to remote communities, and a statewide expansion of a medication‑assisted treatment program (called the pathways program in Fordham’s presentation) that uses opioid‑settlement funds to increase access to medications for opioid use disorder and alcohol‑use disorder through public‑health offices.

The Department is supporting local health councils and said the Legislature allocated $4 million in the recent session to transition some health council funding toward behavioral‑health support aligned with regional plans. Fordham also noted the Department’s involvement with implementation of SB3 (the Behavioral Health Trust Fund) and said she expects interagency work with the Health Care Authority and the Administrative Office of the Courts as the trust distributes funds.

Fordham referenced a number of newer or planned programs — including a medical psilocybin program being developed for specific clinical uses, traditional birth worker credentialing to permit Medicaid reimbursement, and investments in public‑health approaches to violent‑crime prevention — and offered to follow up with local leaders about program details and contacts.

Commissioners and other local officials asked for clarifications about access and referrals. Fordham said anyone may use the public‑health offices, whether privately insured, covered by Medicaid or uninsured, and she said the children’s‑medical‑services program arranges specialty referrals for children with complex needs. She also offered to follow up on questions about how long it takes to develop immunity after MMR vaccination for infants vaccinated earlier than 12 months in an outbreak setting, and about coordination between public‑health services and local treatment providers.

Fordham left printed materials with county staff for distribution.

Ending: The commission did not take any formal action on the update; Fordham offered to provide follow‑up information by email or in person and commissioners thanked her for the presentation.