SPI Insights

New Mexico – Valencia County is working on a draft request for proposals (RFP) for the construction of a $50 million acute care hospital to serve rural areas of the county.

A 2020 report by the state’s Department of Health cited serious concerns about the county population’s life expectancy from birth and from age 65 as well as lung cancer deaths and pertussis.

Gov. Michelle Lujan recently signed HB2 to provide $50 million toward the project that may feature a 30,000-square-foot free-standing emergency department that has the ability to flip to a micro-hospital.

An emergency department would have to support the estimated 18,000 to 22,000 emergency department visits each year with four beds in a micro hospital but could expand to eight beds with additional specialties.

Additional funding for the project will come from a voter-approved mill levy that accrued $26.6 million from 2007 to 2014 for hospital construction.