Hidalgo Medical Services has earned a five-star rating from the National Rural Rating System, which evaluates rural healthcare facilities using patient experience survey results. The rating measures areas such as communication with doctors and nurses, staff responsiveness, medication instructions, cleanliness, and patients’ willingness to recommend the facility. HMS reported a Net Promoter Score of 74 in its patient survey, while internal quality reports showed approximately 97% overall patient satisfaction.
Local governments and organizations in southwest New Mexico are facing new requirements for obtaining state capital outlay funding. The Southwest New Mexico Council of Governments and Grant County Prospectors reviewed changes to the funding process, including stricter spending deadlines and new planning requirements. Under the new rules, projects can receive only one reauthorization, lasting up to two years, and must spend at least 10% of their original allocation by January 1 following the funding award. The annual Grant County Prospectors forum is scheduled for December 3, giving local entities an opportunity to present funding needs to legislators and the Governor’s Office.
Western New Mexico University is highlighting a proposed $352.2 million statewide higher education bond that voters will consider in the November 3 general election. General Obligation Bond Question 3 includes $3 million for improvements at WNMU’s Silver City campus. The funding would support facility upgrades, modernize classrooms and training spaces, and address aging infrastructure. If approved, the funding could support campus improvements and generate construction-related economic activity in southwest New Mexico.
In other news:
The New Mexico Attorney General has issued a legal opinion concluding that the state’s 10% set-aside of big-game hunting licenses for hunters who hire outfitters violates the state constitution. The program provides guided hunters a separate opportunity in the annual license draw, with state data showing that more than 90% of elk licenses awarded through that pool during the 2022–2023 season went to nonresidents. Supporters of changing the system say it limits opportunities for New Mexico residents, while outfitters point to the economic benefits of guided hunting. The opinion does not overturn the existing law, but the New Mexico Attorney General is urging lawmakers to address the issue during the 2027 legislative session.