New Mexico
University of New Mexico Health System provides first-time sleep apnea device surgery
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (KRQE) – For those who struggle with lack of sleep, the University of New Mexico Health System and Sciences is providing a new way to treat sleep apnea.
High blood pressure, heart, and lung issues are just some of the impacts of sleep apnea, a condition where people have trouble breathing while they sleep.
“There’s been a device for many years called a CPAP that many people are familiar, which is a positive pressure device that a ‘not-surgical’ treatment, but some people can’t use that for whatever reason,” said Dr. Noah Syme, head and neck surgeon at the University of New Mexico.
A big issue with the current treatment is that most people who wear it to sleep find it highly uncomfortable. Dr. Syme is hoping to change that with the newer “inspire therapy” device.
“It’s all internal, and it’s portable. The battery does have to be replaced eventually, but it has a 10-year battery life,” said Dr. Syme.
After an eight-year wait, Dr. Syme performed the first two surgeries at UNMH in June. In the surgery, he made two incisions, one under the jawline and the other on the chest. He then put in a device that looks similar to a pacemaker into position, which charges a wire.
“We place the wire in the neck around a nerve, and it’s the nerve that moves our tongue that helps us protrude our tongue. Because one of the things that happens with sleep apnea is the tongue falls to the back of the throat, and that’s how that upper airway gets closed,” said Dr. Syme.
While this treatment was first introduced in New Mexico two years ago, the recipients were extremely limited due to insurance. Now, it will be accessible to a much larger crowd.
“For me, that’s sort of the reason why I’m at the university is so that we can treat everybody regardless of what their insurance status is,” said Dr. Syme.
Potential patients do have to meet certain requirements including being diagnosed with moderate to severe sleep apnea. Which is determined by a sleep study. You also need to meet a certain weight-to-height ratio or BMI. Finally, you must have already tried and failed the CPAP treatment.
“It’s important to me because it’s not just a new shiny thing to do, but it’s a thing that I think people really respond to well,” said Dr. Syme.
Dr. Syme stated his first patients have healed well and their devices will be activated on July 26, one month after the surgery.
Leapfrog released its 2026 spring hospital safety grades.
Grades are assigned based on overall performance, including patient safety.
The Leapfrog Group’s goal is to publicly report patient safety and quality information for the benefit of consumers, purchasers, and referring physicians as they make decisions about where to seek care and where to direct patients,” the company stated on its website.
Here’s how your local hospitals performed.
MountainView Regional Medical Center – A
Leapfrog gave MountainView an “A.”
“Being the only hospital in Doña Ana County to earn an ‘A’ from The Leapfrog Group speaks to the high standards our team sets – and meets – every day,” said MountainView CEO Patrick Shannon. “This achievement reflects the dedication of our physicians, nurses, and employees to deliver the safest care possible for our community.”
“An ‘A’ Grade is a strong sign that MountainView is deeply committed to protecting patients from harm,” said Leah Binder, president and CEO of The Leapfrog Group. “We commend the leadership, Board, clinicians, staff and volunteers for the role each played in earning this distinction.”
The hospital performed better than average in several areas including low infection rates, addressing safety problems, and ICU care. The hospital received below average performances ratings in surgical site infections post colon surgery, communication about medicine and discharge, communication with doctors and nurses and nursing and bedside care for patients.
Memorial Medical Center – B
Memorial Medical Center received a “B” grade from Leapfrog.
The hospital performed well in effective leadership, reduction and prevention of infections and addressing safety problems.
The hospital received below average ratings for kidney injury after surgery, serious breathing problems, harmful events, communication about medicine and discharge, and communication with doctors and nurses.
Not rated by Leapfrog were Three Crosses Regional Hospital.
Nearby top rated hospitals
Leapfrog gave an A to William Beaumont Army Medical Center and Del Sol Medical Center in El Paso. Las Palmas Medical Center in El Paso received a B.
How did other New Mexico hospitals perform?
A recipients were:
- CHRISTUS Southern New Mexico in Alamogordo
B recipients were:
- Lovelace Women’s Hospital in Albuquerque
C recipients were:
- Carlsbad Medical Center in Carlsbad
- CHRISTUS St. Vincent in Santa FE
- Eastern New Mexico Medical Center in Roswell
- Lovelace Medical Center-Downtown in Albuquerque
- Lovelace Regional Hospital in Roswell
- Lovelace Westside Hospital in Albuquerque
- University of New Mexico Hospital in Albuquerque
D recipients were:
- San Juan Regional Medical Center in Farmington
- UNM Sandoval Regional Medical Center in Rio Rancho
Explore the full survey results at https://www.hospitalsafetygrade.org/.
Jessica Onsurez is editor of the Las Cruces Sun-News. Reach her by email at jonsurez@usatodayco.com.
NEW MEXICO (KRQE) — The Social Security Office released the most popular baby names for 2025 on Thursday. And here in New Mexico, we saw some familiar names top the charts once again.
Coming in at No. 1 for girls is Mia, and as for the boys, Noah ranks No. 1. That’s no change from 2024 when Mia and Noah also led the pack, both coming in at No 1. For 2025, there were a total of 66 babies named Mia and 115 babies named Noah, while in 2024, there were 81 Mias and 105 Noahs.
What do the names mean? Online sources list a few different interpretations for Mia, but one common association is with the Italian word “mia,” which means “mine.” As for Noah, the name is most commonly associated with the prominent bible figure. It’s thought to mean “rest,” or “comfort.”
Here’s a look at some of the other top baby names in New Mexico for 2025.
- Girls:
- Olivia (65 total)
- Sophia (65 total)
- Sofia (60 total)
- Camila (59 total)
- Eliana (57 total)
- Isabella (56 total)
- Amelia (53 total)
- Aria (45 total)
- Aurora (45 total)
- Boys:
- Liam (109 total)
- Mateo (99 total)
- Elijah (76 total)
- Santiago (70 total)
- Sebastian (69 total)
- Ezra (67 total)
- Elias (66 total)
- Ezekiel (66 total)
- Levi (69 total)
Nationally, Olivia and Liam are the most popular baby names, and have been for the past seven years, according to the Social Security Administration. As for the fastest-rising names, Klarity jumped nearly 1,400 spots on the girls’ list, and Kasai jumped 1,108 for boy names.
Other names rising in popularity for boys include Atlas, Adriel, Emiliano, Arthur, and Archer. On the girls’ list, Ailany, Sienna, Amara, and Georgia are becoming more popular.
You can find the full list by state online.
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