by Caleb Fort
Daily Lobo
UNM's top priority during the legislative session that began Tuesday in Santa Fe is to improve funding for the Health Sciences Center.
Whether the Health Sciences Center succeeds in getting funding will have an impact on the rest of the University, said Carlos Romero, UNM's director of government affairs.
"The financial viability of the hospital is extremely important to financial stability of the University," he said. "And the financial situation is extremely worrisome at the hospital right now."
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The Health Sciences Center provided $131.3 million of uncompensated care in fiscal year 2005, according to a brochure about UNM's priorities in the legislature.
"It's a dire situation at the hospital right now," Romero said.
He said the most important part of the funding is getting money to give raises to faculty in the UNM School of Medicine and to hire staff and instructors.
Romero wants to get $4.9 million to give faculty members raises, and $5 million to hire 28.5 full-time employees, he said.
The School of Medicine's budget is not calculated from a formula like other educational institutions, so it has not kept up with inflation and a growing student body, he said.
Also, in 1991 UNM Hospital agreed to pay Bernalillo County's share of the County-Supported Medicaid Fund, according to the brochure. In fiscal year 2005, UNM Hospital paid $9.2 million to the state because of this agreement.
"That causes a $10 million hole in the hospital's budget," Romero said.
The solution to the problem is either to replace the mil levy with a county gross receipts tax, or have the county give direct support to UNM Hospital, which would fulfill its obligation to the Medicaid fund, he said.
UNM is also asking for $46.9 million for new buildings and equipment, as well as maintenance of existing facilities, according to the brochure.
Capital improvements are important for the future of the hospital, Romero said.
"It's very important for the university hospitals and Health Sciences Center because of the tight budget at the hospital," he said. "The capital replacement has fallen behind, so there's a lot of equipment that needs to be purchased."
The buildings include a surgical specialties building and phase 2 of the Health Science Center Education Building, according to the brochure.
Romero also wants the state to increase the number of patients at UNM enrolled in the New Mexico State Coverage Insurance, he said.
UNM is only allowed to enroll 3,500 patients in the program - if that number was increased to 10,000 patients UNM could receive $14 million to $20 million per year, according to the brochure.
The change would not just help the hospital, Romero said.
"It's very important not only to the hospital, but to the working poor of Albuquerque," he said. "They could benefit from being able to use this insurance at UNM."
The New Mexico Congressional delegation should also seek more federal funding for the hospital because it serves a large number of low-income patients, according to the brochure.
If the hospital does not succeed, UNM students could feel the effects, Romero said.
"Not only are we talking about medical students and nursing students, we're talking about all the students at the University," he said. "A financial strain on the hospital would put a financial strain on all of UNM."
The Health Sciences Center has a good chance of getting the funding it needs, he said.
"The competition's for dollars with other programs across the state," he said. "I think we're in a pretty good position, given how we help people from all over the state."
