Region 5 Public Health Services

Behavioral Health Services - Southwest Pathways is a cross-program unit in Public Health Resource Center comprised of behavioral health specialists, including licensed counselors, clinicians, nurses, and health educators. This multi-disciplinary team focuses on mental health and substance abuse issues com- mon to different patient and client groups accessing public health services. Besides providing direct ser- vices in a safety-net to such persons who are uninsured or have low income, these staff members and

others collaborate in multi-level community approaches including coalitions, councils, and consortia to enhance access to and continuity of care for persons with chronic behavioral health challenges. For more information, call (575) 528-6006.

Border Mobile Health Clinic - Takes health screenings and clinical preventive services to places and persons that lack access to care or who do not readily utilize existing services. The Mobile Unit may regularly visit certain outreach sites lacking clinical capacity or where high-risk persons congregate; also, it may be used to promote special events or respond to a crisis situation in the community. This field function focuses on hard-to-reach populations who may be marginalized from the healthcare system because of personal or institutional barriers to care and on responding to service delivery needs in times of community disaster or threats to health and safety. For more information, call (575) 528-5041.

Children's Medical Services (CMS) - Case management and services coordination including financial payment for eligible conditions of children qualifying for CMS Healthier Kids Fund. Provides specialty clinics for children 0-21 years of age with chronic medical conditions or at risk for developmental delay. Services include the Family-Infant-Toddler Program and the Healthier Kids Fund. Specialty Clinics include: endocrine diabetes/thyroid, pulmonary/asthma, cleft palate, dysmorphology/genetic & neurology.

For more information call (575) 528-5077.

Clinical Services - Provides family planning services, immunizations, testing/treatment for tuberculosis and sexually transmitted diseases, breast and cervical cancer screening, HIV and Hepatitis C counseling/testing, and harm reduction with syringe exchange. Some local health offices provide prenatal care.  Staff assist private physician offices and community clinics to obtain free, federally funded vaccines for children and to monitor immunization coverage rates. For more information, call (575) 528-5023.

Community Wellness – The Special Projects Unit (SPU), which is a section of the program, has as its priorities primary (education, immunizations), secondary (screening, counseling, referral), and tertiary (care coordination, disease management) prevention for persons with chronic diseases, illnesses, or conditions and those at high risk of the same. Currently, the SPU staff of midlevel clinicians, registered nurses, health educators, and a registered dietitian focus primarily on adult diabetes, pediatric asthma, obesity, arthritis, depression, addictions and hepatitis C. SPU activities may be carried out in the Public Health Resource Center in Las Cruces and with outreach activities in satellite or off-site locations – schools, free clinics, homeless shelters, community centers, and jails. The program also has a Provider Contract Unit to manage/monitor agreements with private providers for perinatal case management (Families FIRST) and for breast and cervical cancer screening. For more information, call (575) 528-5063.

Dental Education and Sealants - Provides services to second and third graders in the southern portion

of the state. Other services are given at: Cleft Palate Clinics, Head Start programs, Preschool Summer Programs, Health Fairs and Oral health presentations to WIC clients. For more information, call (575) 528-5757.

Disease Prevention - The program concentrates on the prevention and control of Infectious Diseases with outreach, surveillance, outbreak response, testing/treatment, contact follow-up, and referrals for sexually transmitted diseases, tuberculosis, HIV/AIDS, and other communicable diseases along with immunizations for hepatitis A/B. The team performs harm reduction counseling and facilitates needle exchange/disposal to reduce the risk the transmission of HIV and Hepatitis B/C. For more information, call (575) 528-5031.

Disease Surveillance & Emergency Preparedness- The disease surveillance program carries out field follow up on notifiable conditions of non-STD or TB nature which are officially reportable to the State.  It also conducts interviews and investigations for confirmed, suspect, or probable case to find the source and spread of infections such as hepatitis, food borne illnesses, and vaccine preventable diseases like pertussis or bacterial meningitis.The unit is also responsible for assuring that the Region has standard operating guidelines in place for plans regarding man-made and natural disasters or threats (e.g., bioterrorism, floods, fires, etc.). They facilitate the training of staff for this purpose and arranges drills and exercises to practice emergency response and recovery. In times of alert or activation, the unit provides technical assistance to the Regional or Local Incident Command Post and to Point of Distribution Sites (PODS) for mass prophylaxis or other community interventions. Staff collaborate with Local Emergency Planning Commit-tees (LEPCs) and County Offices of Emergency Management to protect community residents. For more information, call (575)528-5058.

Environmental Services - Are generally delivered by the New Mexico Environment Department (NMED) (Tel. 524-6300) through regional field offices and by local government.  City or County entities

or private contractors hired by these governmental units are usually responsible for vector control, animal control, and solid waste management.  State staff are usually engaged in regulatory functions concerning air and water monitoring and abatement along with issuing permits or licenses for such items as septic tanks, food facilities, underground storage tanks, landfills, concrete batch plants, swimming pools, and drinking water.  The NMED also inspects restaurants and, in close cooperation with the NMDOH through the Acute Disease Response Team, conducts food and water-borne illness investigations.  The Office of Bor-der Health in Las Cruces employees an environmental epidemiologist; he may be reached at 528-5152.

Epidemiology - Conducts the official reporting to the State for notifiable diseases, conditions, and illnes- ses relative to morbidity and mortality statistics; performs special research that contributes to the study of health status of residents; and participates in outbreak control measures for communicable diseases. Offers technical assistance and consultation to persons and agencies involved in community health improvement processes. To contact the Regional Community Epidemiologist, call (575) 528-5074 and for the Nurse Epidemiologist, call (575) 528-5758.

Families FIRST - A prenatal care coordination program designed to assist Medicaid eligible pregnant women and children 0-3 years of age to gain access to medical, social and education services that are necessary to foster positive birth outcomes and promote healthy infants and children. For more information, call (575) 528-6015.

Health Promotion - Initiates & sustains primary prevention and wellness efforts that address public health concerns through multi-level community approaches: A) policy development; B) recruitment of local leaders to assist in mobilizing community residents; and C) health coalition building toward stable & functional partnerships are key essential strategies in this work.

The Region 5 Health Promotion Team recently earned approval and recognition for formulating their

Region 5 Health Promotion Strategic Plan 2007-2010. For more information, call (575) 528-5061

Preventive Medicine Clinic (PMC) – Is located in the Las Cruces Public Health Office.  It focuses primarily on reproductive health services for adolescents and adults.  Clinical care is provided for family planning, sexually transmitted diseases, and breast and cervical cancer screening. Trained specialists are available to assist patients with notifying sexual or needle-sharing partners of possible exposure to STDs, HIV or HCV. 

Patients who are identified as being pregnant may receive assistance in applying for Medicaid and/or have a referral to perinatal case management services in the same building. One-to-one education and counseling regarding lifestyle risk factors may be offered to patients. In-house referrals to a registered dietician or nutritionist and a behavioral health therapist may be made for patients receiving PMC services.  Incidental primary care may be given to some patients as needed when they are uninsured or low income. 

Services may be accessed by appointments at 575-528-5006 and on a walk-in basis from 8am-5pm, M-F. On Wednesdays the clinic has extended hours until 7pm.

No appointment is needed for pregnancy testing, emergency contraception or Plan B, harm reduction with syringe exchange and overdose prevention with nasal Narcan (naloxone), and HIV/HCV counseling and testing.  TB testing for employment purposes and childhood immunizations are not offered at this site.  Staffing, supervision, and management of the PMC are collaboratively done by three programs – Disease Prevention, Clinical Services, and Community Wellness.

Public Relations - A NMDOH Regional Public Information Officer (PIO) is located in Las Cruces. The PIO strives to ensure that policy and priority messages are conveyed clearly and consistently with the pub-lic and media by serving as a designated agency spokesperson. The PIO maintains the Region 5 Internet homepage and oversees the production of local public services announcements for radio and television in the region's recording studio. For more information, call (575) 528-5197.

School Health - Advocates for integrated primary health care and behavioral/mental health services, health promotion and disease prevention for adolescents and families that are school linked or school-based. Special focus is on teen pregnancy and suicide prevention. For more information, call (575) 528-5129.

Vital Statistics - Provides application services and receipt of birth and death certificates in Doña Ana, Grant, Luna, Otero and Socorro counties. For more information, call (575) 528-5046.

Women, Infants and Children (WIC) - Screens woman, infants and children under five years of age to identify health and nutrition problems. Enrolled parents and guardians participate in nutrition education and receive monthly vouchers redeemable for high nutrient foods. Eligible clients include: women who are pregnant, postpartum not breastfeeding up to 6 months, breastfeeding up to one year and infants/children

up to five years old. For more information, call (575) 528-5047.

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© New Mexico Department of Health, Public Health Division, Region 5

1170 N. Solano, Las Cruces, NM 88001 • (575) 528-5001, Fax: (575) 528-6024

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