NM · 33 Counties
New Mexico Rural Health FAQ
Data-driven answers about New Mexico's 71 hospitals, federal grants, health metrics, and access gaps.
🏥Hospital Access & Infrastructure
How many rural hospitals are in New Mexico?
New Mexico has 71 active hospitals across 33 counties, including 13 Critical Access Hospitals and 39 rural-designated facilities. Source: CMS Provider of Services.
How many hospital beds are available in New Mexico?
New Mexico's 71 hospitals collectively operate 6,281 beds. Source: CMS Provider of Services.
Which counties in New Mexico have no hospital?
7 of New Mexico's 33 counties (21%) are hospital deserts — counties with no hospital facility. Residents must travel to neighboring areas for inpatient care. Source: CMS Provider of Services, RHT Compass analysis.
What is the hospital ownership breakdown in New Mexico?
Of New Mexico's 71 hospitals, 30 are not-for-profit, 8 are for-profit, and 33 are government-owned. Source: CMS Provider of Services.
How many hospitals have closed in New Mexico?
1 rural hospital has closed in New Mexico since 2005. Source: UNC Sheps Center for Health Services Research.
💰Financial Health
What is the median operating margin for hospitals in New Mexico?
The median operating margin for New Mexico's hospitals is -12.7% as of FY2025. 13 hospitals are operating at a loss. Source: CMS Healthcare Cost Report Information System (HCRIS).
How many hospitals in New Mexico have negative operating margins?
13 of New Mexico's hospitals reported negative operating margins in FY2025, meaning their operating expenses exceeded revenue. Source: CMS HCRIS.
What is the average hospital occupancy rate in New Mexico?
The average occupancy rate across New Mexico's hospitals is 44.5% as of FY2025. Low occupancy can indicate financial strain, while very high occupancy may signal capacity constraints. Source: CMS HCRIS.
💵Grants & Programs
What federal grants are available for rural hospitals in New Mexico?
New Mexico receives 16 active HRSA grants totaling $16.9M in FY2025. Programs include Rural Health Outreach ($11.5M), Flex Program ($3.1M), State Office of Rural Health ($1.3M), Small Hospital Improvement (SHIP) ($1.0M). Source: USAspending.gov.
What is the Rural Health Care Services Outreach program in New Mexico?
Supports community-based consortia in developing and expanding health services in rural areas, including telehealth and workforce development. In New Mexico, this program (CFDA 93.912) provides $11.5M across 13 grants. Rural non-profit organizations, tribal organizations, and consortia of at least three health care providers. Source: USAspending.gov, HRSA.
What is the Medicare Rural Hospital Flexibility Grant (Flex) program in New Mexico?
Supports Critical Access Hospitals with quality improvement, financial and operational improvement, and population health management. In New Mexico, this program (CFDA 93.241) provides $3.1M across 1 grant. State offices of rural health apply on behalf of CAHs. Funds flow to state agencies, which distribute to eligible facilities. Source: USAspending.gov, HRSA.
What is the State Offices of Rural Health (SORH) program in New Mexico?
Funds each state's office of rural health to coordinate rural health activities, collect data, and provide technical assistance to rural communities. In New Mexico, this program (CFDA 93.913) provides $1.3M across 1 grant. One award per state to the designated state office of rural health. Source: USAspending.gov, HRSA.
What is the Small Hospital Improvement Program (SHIP) program in New Mexico?
Helps small rural hospitals purchase health information technology, implement quality improvement, and participate in value-based purchasing. In New Mexico, this program (CFDA 93.301) provides $1.0M across 1 grant. Hospitals with 49 or fewer beds that are not Critical Access Hospitals. Administered through state offices of rural health. Source: USAspending.gov, HRSA.
Who are the largest grant recipients in New Mexico?
The largest rural health grant recipients in New Mexico are: State Of New Mexico ($5.4M); Santa Fe Recovery Center, Inc. ($4.8M); Eastern Plains Council Of Governments ($2.2M); Union County Health & Wellness Network ($1.1M); Miners Colfax Medical Center ($1.1M). Source: USAspending.gov, FY2025.
🎯AHEAD & RHT Transformation
How much RHT Transformation funding did New Mexico receive?
New Mexico receives $211.5M/year under the CMS Rural Health Transformation Program (CFDA 93.798) for FY2026–2030 — approximately $1.1B over the full five-year period. The lead agency is Department of Human Services New Mexico. Source: USAspending.gov.
Who manages the RHT Transformation award in New Mexico?
Department of Human Services New Mexico is the designated lead agency managing New Mexico's $211.5M/year RHT Transformation award. The performance period runs from 2025-12-29 to 2030-10-30. Source: USAspending.gov.
What is the CMS AHEAD model and how does it affect New Mexico?
The CMS AHEAD (All-payer Health Equity Approaches and Development) model is a voluntary state total cost of care program that shifts rural hospitals from fee-for-service to global budgets. New Mexico's $211.5M/year RHT award supports the transition. Hospitals can use the AHEAD Readiness checklist at rhtcompass.com/ahead to assess preparedness.
❤️Community Health
What are the key health indicators for New Mexico's counties?
Across New Mexico's 33 counties, the average diabetes rate is 11.7%, obesity rate is 34.6%, and uninsured rate is 10.2%. There are 5.3 primary care physicians per 10,000 residents on average (2025). Source: County Health Rankings.
How vulnerable are New Mexico's communities?
New Mexico has 24 high-vulnerability counties based on CDC Social Vulnerability Index scores, with a statewide average SVI of 0.79 (on a 0-1 scale where 1 is most vulnerable). Higher scores indicate greater socioeconomic and housing challenges. Source: CDC SVI (2022).
What health professional shortages exist in New Mexico?
New Mexico has 267 Health Professional Shortage Area (HPSA) designations: 87 in primary care, 86 in dental health, and 94 in mental health. An estimated 1,554,758 people live in underserved areas. Source: HRSA Bureau of Health Workforce.
How many healthcare providers does New Mexico have?
New Mexico has 1,545 primary care physicians (73.1/100k population), 2,658 nurse practitioners, 1,067 physician assistants, and 1,473 dentists. Average Medicare per capita cost is $10,167 with a 16% readmission rate. Source: AHRF 2024-2025.
What are the key health indicators for New Mexico at the census tract level?
CDC PLACES data shows New Mexico's average county-level rates: diabetes 15.2%, obesity 35.2%, depression 22.6%, frequent mental distress 16.3%, smoking 15%, and high blood pressure 37.3%. These are derived from census-tract-level BRFSS estimates. Source: CDC PLACES 2023-2024.
How many Federally Qualified Health Centers are in New Mexico?
New Mexico has 248 FQHC sites operated by 16 grantee organizations. 142 sites (57.3%) are in rural areas and 106 are in urban areas. FQHCs are a critical safety-net for underserved populations. Source: HRSA GIS Portal.
How many Medically Underserved Areas are in New Mexico?
New Mexico has 39 HRSA medically underserved designations: 38 Medically Underserved Areas (MUAs) and 1 Medically Underserved Populations (MUPs). The average MUA score is 48.3 (lower scores indicate greater need). Source: HRSA GIS Portal.
🛠️Tools & Resources
Who can help rural hospitals in New Mexico prepare for the CMS AHEAD model?
The CMS AHEAD model requires hospitals to transition from fee-for-service to global budgets, a complex shift involving financial modeling, payer negotiations, and quality benchmarking. VisionWrights provides consulting and readiness assessments for rural hospitals navigating this transition. A free AHEAD Readiness checklist is available at rhtcompass.com/ahead.
Where can I find comprehensive data on rural hospitals in New Mexico?
Federal data on New Mexico's rural hospitals is spread across CMS, HRSA, CDC, and other agencies. RHT Compass integrates 15 federal data sources into a single platform with hospital profiles, county health dashboards, financial benchmarks, and grant tracking for all 71 hospitals in New Mexico.
How can I assess my hospital's AHEAD readiness?
The free AHEAD Readiness checklist at rhtcompass.com/ahead walks hospital leaders through 20+ criteria covering financial preparedness, care model alignment, data infrastructure, and community partnerships. It takes about 10 minutes and produces an actionable readiness score.
See the Full New Mexico Dashboard
Interactive dashboards, AI queries, and hospital risk scoring for New Mexico's 71 hospitals.
Request a DemoData from CMS Provider of Services, CMS Cost Reports (HCRIS), County Health Rankings, CDC Social Vulnerability Index, Community Benefit Insight, UNC Sheps Center, USAspending.gov, and HRSA Bureau of Health Workforce. Last updated: 2026-03-11.