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UNM Health Sciences Center outlines plan to double health-profession training and replace Fitts Hall
Summary
UNM Health Sciences Center leaders told the committee they have more than 30 capital projects underway, opened a new critical care tower, are growing nursing enrollment by 33%, and propose a 330,000 sq ft replacement for Fitts Hall to increase medical class size and expand health-professional programs.
Mike Richards, CEO of the University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center, told the Legislative Finance Committee the center is managing more than 30 active capital projects adding nearly 900,000 square feet of clinic space and more than $1 billion in capital costs. He said the new critical care tower, opened Oct. 5, is in clinical operations and that clinical capacity growth enables scaling health-professional education.
Richards proposed a 330,000-square-foot replacement for Fitts Hall to modernize medical education and increase the medical class from 100 toward 200 seats, enabling roughly 100 additional medical students per year and substantial statewide economic impact. He said the School of Medicine replacement would also allow growth across other health-professional programs (physical therapy, physician assistant, biomedical sciences), and that a larger class would help supply physicians to the state.
The HSC detailed other asks and activity: $22.5 million for quantum research and related public service projects, $5 million from the Technology Enhancement Fund for UNM's quantum work with federal matching funds, an office of substance-use disorder and treatment (approx. $4.25 million start-up), and recurring RPSP increases to support cancer center registries and behavioral health efforts. Richards highlighted UNM's successful growth in residency slots (24% increase since 2018) and graduate medical education programs that now exceed national norms for resident counts.
He also noted rising liability and professional-premium costs for the university: medical professional liability premiums for the university could rise from about $7.5 million to roughly $14 million in a single year. He characterized a multi-pronged strategy — training, infrastructure, retention and recruitment — as necessary to address statewide provider shortages.
Sources: Mike Richards, UNM Health Sciences Center presentation and Q&A with committee members.
