PHTC Weekly News

Partnership for
a Healthy
Torrance
Community
Volume 1, Issue 1
November 20, 2015

NM Health System Innovation Update

The New Mexico Health
System Innovation Team
provided the following
update on progress toward the State HSI Plan
development.
First, an update on the
HSI Plan:
The Department of
Health received notice
from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation that they were
allowing State Innovation
Model (SIM) Design
states the option of applying for a No Cost Extension to complete our New
Mexico Health System
Innovation Plan
(NMHSIP). We are going
to take them up on it,
which will allow more
time for completion of
stakeholder input on the
All Payer Claims Database component and from

Mercer, the Human Services Department Actuary, who will be evaluating potential cost savings
related to design strategies. It will also allow
more time for stakeholder
plan review and feedback
over the next few months.
Please take note of the
following:

stakeholders when it becomes available. A survey

link will accompany the
plan when posted, which
will allow you to provide
feedback, if you wish.
http://nmhealth.org/
about/asd/opa/sim/

The December 15, 2015

Stakeholder Summit
has been postponed
and will be rescheduled to
take place in March 2016
at the Doubletree Hotel
in Albuquerque, details
on the exact date and
time to follow at a later
date.
The NMHSIP will be
posted on the DOH website as planned with an
opportunity to provide
feedback. A notice of the
posting will be sent out to

Inside this issue:

New PHTC Weekly Newsletter

This is the first edition of
the health councils weekly newsletter.
Instead of forwarding
countless emails, I will try
to include newsworthy
information/ announcements in this format each
Friday.

So be sure to send me
what you think should be
shared with our PHTC
readers.
Let me know your feedback Im a novice at
this.
Billie R. Clark
bclark@lobo.net

No newsletter next
week due to holiday.

DWI Awareness Week

DWI Memorial Open

House

NMPHA Health Policy

Legislative Forum

A Dose of RxEality

Underage Drinking
Prevention

TCPO Open House

Page 2

PHTC Weekly News

DWI Awareness Week Nov 1621, 2015

Torrance County values the health and
safety of all our citizens. Local leaders, in
government and in the community, know
that the support of the people in our communities is the most effective tool they
can have in their efforts to reduce use of
alcohol and other drugs by New Mexicans.
Torrance County is joining with the New
Mexico DWI Coordinators Affiliate to
support their efforts to reduce DWI
crashes, DWI fatalities and the use of
alcohol by residents throughout the
State. The New Mexico DWI Coordinators Affiliate represents 33 counties with
the common goal of reducing the incidence of DWI, alcoholism, alcohol abuse,
drug addiction or drug abuse and preventing or reducing the incidence of domestic abuse related to the use or abuse
of alcohol.
The DWI Coordinators in these counties
provide services under Local DWI Programs that provide Compliance Monitoring/Tracking for over 13,634 DWI Offenders ensuring that these offenders are in
compliance with Court Ordered requirements. These programs throughout the
State also provided more than 29,145
hours of treatment in 2014 with over

13,875 offenders receiving detoxification services.

alcohol related behaviors of New Mexico youth.

Alcohol involved fatalities in New Mexico are down from 152 in 2009 to 133 in
2013 and serious alcohol involved injuries are down from 987 in 2009 to 668
on 2013. Alcohol involved crashes in
New Mexico have also been on a downward trend from 3,396 in 2006 to 1,955
on 2013

The purpose of DWI Awareness Week

is to raise awareness around DWI, alcoholism, alcohol abuse, drug addiction
and/or drug abuse, and the efforts of
the DWI Affiliates and the Local DWI
Programs. Activities will focus on educating Legislators and the community
on the efforts of the DWI Affiliates and
Local DWI Programs.

The reduction in alcohol involved vehicle crash fatalities and serious alcohol
involved vehicle crash injuries is due in
part to the hard work of the Local DWI
Programs.
22,745 students (K-12th grade)
throughout the State received prevention education/activities through these
programs. The New Mexico Youth
Risk and Resiliency Survey data for
students in grades 9 through 12 shows
the following changes from 2009-2013:
Current Drinking down from 50.7% to
28.9%; Binge Drinking down from
35.4% to 17.1%; Drinking & Driving
down from 19.1% to 8.9%; and Drinking
Before Age 13 down from 35.8% to
22.3%. The LDWI prevention programs
appear to have a positive impact on

DWI
Memorial
Open House
Dec 6, 2015

This story can fit 75-125 words.

Selecting pictures or graphics is an
important part of adding content to
your newsletter.
Think about your article and ask yourself if the picture supports or enhances
the message youre trying to convey.
Avoid selecting images that appear to
be out of context.
Microsoft Publisher includes thousands
of clip art images from which you can

DWI Awareness Week will be celebrated in every county in New Mexico the
week of November 1621, 2015.
All citizens, parents, governmental
agencies, public and private institutions, businesses, health providers and
schools in Torrance County are urged
to support efforts that will increase
community awareness, understanding
and action to address DWI in our community.

Volume 1, Issue 1

Page 3

NMPHA Legislative Forum

Hello Public Health Champions!
The 12th Annual NMPHA Health Policy Forum is coming up on December
9th at the Albuquerque Embassy Suites
Hotel! Registration is now open at
www.nmpha.org. Early bird registration ends November 30th, so
make sure to register early!
As part of the Legislative Forum agenda, time is reserved for the annual
presentation of legislation being proposed for the upcoming NM Legislative
session in January. Whether you are in
the development stage or fully intend to
submit legislation, this is an opportuni-

ty to share it with your public health

colleagues and potential supporters. Complete and submit the Legislative Proposal Submission Form
found on the NMPHA website
http://www.nmpha.org/ and your
effort will be included in the conference brochure and you, or a representative, will have an opportunity to briefly present (generally
in 2-4 minutes) a summary of your
legislative initiative at the morning general session. Please tell
NMPHA about your initiative, and be
part of this annual event! We have
extended the deadline to December
1st.

12th ANNUAL
NMPHA HEALTH POLICY
LEGISLATIVE FORUM
Healthy Communities
Wednesday, December 9, 2015
7:30 am5:00 pm
Embassy Suites Albuquerque
1000 Wood ward Place NE
Albuquerque NM

Prescription Painkiller Abuse

New Mexicos drug overdose death rate
jumped 20% last year, with
prescription painkillers to blame in
more than half of those deaths.
NM now ranks 3rd for the number of
teens who report abusing dangerous
opioid drugs. Nearly two-thirds of those
teens say they get the drugs from family members or friends. And because
they are prescription drugs, they believe they are safer than street drugs
like heroin or cocaine.

out where your kids, grandkids,

babysitters, friends or strangers can get
their hands on them.

We must educate everyone about the

dangers and risk of addiction from
abusing prescription painkillers, AND
the dangers of leaving your medicine

Underage Drinking Prevention

Law enforcement agencies will conduct
holiday season saturation patrols on
the following nights:

Fridays - Nov 20, Nov 27, Dec 4,

Dec 11, Dec 18
SaturdaysNov 28, Dec 5, Dec 12,
Dec 19, Dec 26
Thursday, Dec 31

Officer overtime pay provided by the

Torrance County DWI Program.

Thanks to our state and community

partners who are helping PHTC United
Prevention to educate and inform:
NMBHSD Office of Substance Prevention (OSAP), Mountainair Meds n
More, May Pharmacy, KXNM 88.7 FM,
and PMS Torrance Senior Services.

Partnership for a Healthy Torrance Community

c/o DWI Memorial

P.O. Box 534
Moriarty NM 87035
Phone: 505-832-4495
E-

Page 4

A healthy community is one where all people have the opportunity

to lead productive lives and develop to their fullest potential. It is
rooted in the soil of stable families, schools, bodies of governance,
service agencies, and a cohesive local economy. Health and wellbeing reflect in qualities of resiliency in the face of challenge, lifegiving connectedness to people and place, creative expression in
home and work, and loyalty to community. Knowing that health
and well-being are both individual and collective, all residents of
Torrance County have the opportunity and responsibility to learn,
grow and participate in making decisions that support abundant
life in our shared home.
Our mission is to improve the quality of daily living for
all Torrance County residents through shared services,
collaboration, and enhancement of health and social
service programs.

TCPO
Open House
Dec 8, 2015