New Mexico
Union leaders upset after hospital staff bill went nowhere in Roundhouse
Hospital staffing has been a hot topic for a while, but it didn’t get much traction in this past legislative session. House Bill 138 would have established a staff to patient ratio but stalled in committee.
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — Hospital staffing has been a hot topic for a while, but it didn’t get much traction in this past legislative session. House Bill 138 would have established a staff to patient ratio but stalled in committee.
The New Mexico Patient Safety Act was one of several pieces of legislation that never made it past the finish line.
“The patients are the ones that are hurting, besides our nurses, because they don’t have enough nurses or any healthcare employees to run the facility,” said Yolanda Ulmer, the District 1199 New Mexico CEO.
The bill would limit the number of patients a nurse can care for on shift, forcing hospitals to create staffing limits. Local union leaders said the nursing shortage is causing burn out and this would help retention.
“You have patients waiting to get medicines, you have patients waiting to be discharged, you have patients waiting in the hall to be seen, you know nurses are spread so thin,” said Ulmer.
A spokesperson for UNM Health said they did not support HB 138 initially, and one “key initiative has been expanding the nurse residency program in response to the UNM College of Nursing increasing its class sizes.”
“Within two years, nurses are leaving the profession after getting their degree, and they are just not staying. Working conditions is the number one reason that they site,” said Adrienne Enghouse, RN who is also an organizer with United Health Professionals in New Mexico.
KOB 4 reached out to the New Mexico Hospital Association as well. Along with UNMH, they believe, “More efforts must be focused on training and recruiting additional healthcare workers to serve New Mexico.”
“The hospital association and the hospitals have brought forth solutions that have not sent us in the right direction. It is time for us to turn this ship around and head in the right direction. It is a multi-prong approach, absolutely, but they must start adding working conditions and how we perform our work as part of one of the things that needs fixed,” said Enghouse.
Full statement from UNM Health:
“As stated before, UNM Hospital does not support legislation mandating hospital staffing ratios, as such measures pose significant risks, including the potential closure of beds, reduced capacity to care for those in need, and limitations on accepting critical patients from across New Mexico. Staffing ratios fail to consider the varying levels of patient acuity—a critical factor in determining safe and appropriate care. A “one size fits all” model of care undermines the flexibility hospitals need to address the unique and dynamic needs of their patients. Maintaining adaptability in staffing is essential to continuing our mission of delivering exceptional care to our community.
Mandated staffing ratios will not fix health worker shortages or make health care more safe in New Mexico. For nearly five years, UNM Hospital has taken proactive steps to address higher patient volumes and work through the national health worker shortage. One key initiative has been expanding the nurse residency program in response to the UNM College of Nursing increasing its class sizes. This approach creates a sustainable nursing labor pipeline that strengthens our staffing capabilities. Additionally, we are collaborating with community partners to increase the availability of post-acute care discharge beds, which enhances hospital throughput. By improving the efficiency of care delivery, we are also reducing the length of hospital stays, enabling us to care for more patients.”
Full statement from the New Mexico Hospital Association:
“New Mexico continues to face a severe healthcare workforce shortage that threatens access to care when and where people need it, including a need for nearly 7,000 nurses. Without more healthcare providers readily available, had HB138 passed, hospitals across our state would have been forced to close beds in order to meet the staffing ratios proposed by the bill sponsors, resulting in fewer patients seen and longer waits for care. Community hospitals and healthcare providers across our state recognize and value the doctors, nurses and all healthcare workers who deliver the expert care we need and agree with frontline providers that the number of patients and the severity of their conditions are higher than prior to the pandemic. We do not believe that HB138 would have solved the problems it seeks to address. We need more nurses. We believe that more efforts must be focused on training and recruiting additional healthcare workers to serve New Mexico. HB138 would have caused more families to have to seek care outside of the state and far from their homes by reducing access to care within our state
New Mexico
Landlord AC ordinance, Rio Grande water levels, Spotty rain, New legislative office, New Mexico Motorfest
Monday’s Top Stories
Monday’s Five Facts
[1] ABQ City Councilor aims to bolster protections for renters amid unseasonable warmth – Albuquerque city councilor is looking to make sure city landlords are not only providing cooling systems, but also ensuring they actually work when they’re needed. City Councilor Tammy Fiebelkorn spearheaded an ordinance in December of 2024, requiring all Albuquerque rental properties to have a cooling system. Now, Fiebelkorn is taking it a step further, hoping to establish cooling system performance requirements. The ordinance is expected to be voted on in final action at Monday’s city council meeting.
[2] Rio Grande showing dry spots in Valencia County amid record-low snowpack – Portions of the Rio Grande are now seeing dry spots earlier than expected. Officials say the timing is not normal. In Valencia County, parts of the river are already running dry. Near the river crossing in Los Lunas, the river has open pockets. Further south, it is being reported as dry as well. There is a slight positive outlook for the monsoon season, with forecasters and officials predicting a strong season in the Middle Rio Grande Valley.
[3] Very spotty rainfall, warmer, & mostly calm week – Warmer weather will continue building in across the state throughout the upcoming week. A few isolated rain chances will return Monday in parts of New Mexico, but some of that rain may evaporate before reaching the ground. Temperatures will continue to increase through the middle of the week.
[4] NM representatives celebrate grand opening of new office with open house – A new state legislative office made its debut for representatives Eleanor Chavez and Yanira Gurrola. The new location is just one of the handful of new legislative offices now open across the state. They hosted a grand opening for the building that was open to the public. Representative Gurrola says it’s just one step towards modernizing the state’s legislature. The new office will allow residents to stay more connected to each representative.
[5] New Mexico Motorfest 2026 takes place in celebration of Route 66 Centennial – Another Route 66 celebration took place over the weekend and this one was all about cars. The New Mexico Motorfest happened at the Expo New Mexico racetrack. Over 300 vehicles from classic hot rods to lifted trucks were featured at the event. Some of the proceeds went to New Mexico veterans.
New Mexico
Los Alamos Public Schools Students Compete At 2026 New Mexico State Science & Engineering Fair
Students from Barranca Mesa Elementary, Mountain Elementary, Los Alamos Middle School, and Los Alamos High School at the 2026 New Mexico State Science & Engineering Fair at New Mexico Tech. Photo CourtesyLAPS
LAHS junior Tate Plohr and freshman Linus Plohr qualified to attend the 2026 Regeneron International Science and Engineering Fair in May in Phoenix, Ariz. Photo Courtesy LAPS
Los Alamos Middle School student Branden Keller was awarded the CO2 & Greenhouse Gas Scholarship in the amount of $2,000 at the 2026 New Mexico State Science & Engineering Fair. Photo Courtesy/LAPS
LAPS NEWS RELEASE
Twenty students from Barranca Mesa Elementary, Mountain Elementary, Los Alamos Middle School (LAMS) and Los Alamos High School (LAHS) competed, with several garnering awards at the 2026 New Mexico State Science and Engineering Fair held at New Mexico Tech in Socorro.
LAHS junior Tate Plohr qualified to attend the Regeneron International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF) next month in Phoenix, Ariz. He was awarded the 3rd-place Grand Award. Freshman Linus Plohr qualified as an alternate and will also be attending the Regeneron ISEF.
Students who participated in the state competition include, from Barranca Mesa Elementary, Sydney Chen, Mary Beth Kelsey, Lily Neale, Aurora Roberts Voss and Henry Rodarte; and Glyn Lo and Ernest Maupin, Mountain Elementary.
Students from LAMS who competed include Evelyn Fobes, Mason Garcia, Andrew Gilbertson, James Junghans, Sequoya Ke, Brandon Keller, Nejan Liyanage and Daniel Yampolsky.
LAHS students Julia Neale, Linus Plohr, Tate Plohr, Lilia Veteva, Helena Welch and Kalliope Welch competed at the senior level.
2026 Award winners:
Category Awards – Junior Division
- Animal Science, Cellular & Molecular
- Biomedical & Health Science
- Honorable Mention: Sequoya Ke
- Embedded Systems, Math, Robotics, Software & Technology
- 2nd place: Nejan Liyanage
- Physics & Astronomy
- 1st place: Sydney Chen
- 2nd place: Mason Garcia
- Honorable Mention: Marybeth Kelsey
- Plant Science
Category Awards – Senior Division
- Behavioral & Social Science:
- Honorable Mention: Linus Plohr
- Earth & Environmental
- Honorable Mention: Lilia Viteva
- Embedded Systems, Math, Robotics, & System Software
- 3rd Place: Helena Welch and Kalliope Welch
- Physics & Astronomy
Grand Awards
- ISEF finalist 3rd place: Tate Plohr
- Brandon Keller received the CO2 & Greenhouse Gas Scholarship in the amount of $2,000. James Jungans and Marybeth Kelsey garnered Thermo Fisher Awards.
Other special award winners include:
- CO2 & Greenhouse Reduction Awards (Junior Division)
- Daniel Yampolsky, 2nd place, Earth & Environmental Sciences
- Sequoya Ke, 1st place, Biomedical & Health Science
- Brandon Keller, 1st place, Energy & Materials Science
- Andrew Gilbertson, 1st place, Physics & Astronomy
- CO2 & Greenhouse Gas Reduction Award (Senior Division)
- Lilia Viteva, 1st place, Earth & Environmental Sciences
- Office of Naval Research Award
- David Shortess Award
- New Mexico AVS Award
- Citadel Award
- Naval Research Award
- NM Network for Women in Science & Engineering Award
- Yale Science & Engineering Award
- Rose Baca Rivet Award
Related
Arizona State baseball will host a four-game homestand, beginning with New Mexico State on Wednesday, April 22.
The Sun Devils and Aggies faced each other in late March, with ASU winning 10-4. The two teams will meet for the final time at 6:35 p.m. at Phoenix Municipal Stadium.
ASU will then welcome Baylor on Friday, April 24, for a three-game series. The Sun Devils have yet to face the Bears this season, but ASU has been doing well so far and has been in the top 25 for four weeks.
Sophomore center fielder Landon Hairston earned Big 12 player of the week honors on April 13, after delivering five home runs in five games. His 10 runs in that stretch were tied for the second-most nationally and his 14 runs batted in were tied for third-most nationally. All nine of his hits went for extra bases, three more than any other player.
ASU’s series against Baylor will start at 6:35 p.m. for the first two games, followed by a 1:05 p.m. start on Sunday, April 26.
April 19
Softball at Houston, Cougar Softball Stadium, noon.
April 22
Baseball vs New Mexico State, Phoenix Municipal Stadium, 6:35 p.m.
April 23
Women’s golf at Big 12 Championship, Dallas Athletic Club, TBA.
Track and field at Penn Relays, Franklin Field, 1:22 p.m.
Beach volleyball at Big 12 Championship, Bear Down Beach, all day.
April 24
Baseball vs Baylor, Phoenix Municipal Stadium, 6:35 p.m.
Softball vs Texas Tech, Farrington Stadium, 7 p.m.
April 25
Lacrosse at Colorado, Prentup Field, 11 a.m.
Softball vs Texas Tech, Farrington Stadium, 3 p.m.
Baseball vs Baylor, Phoenix Municipal Stadium, 6:35 p.m.
Reach the reporter or send tips for stories at jenna.ortiz@arizonarepublic.com, as well as @jennarortiz on X.
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