NMSORH activities are integrated with rural health efforts of NMDOH to create a coordinated approach to meeting the needs of rural underserved populations in the state. The PCRHO oversees several key programs important to the rural part of the state including:
The co-location of these programs permits the effective coordination of their efforts, maximizing the impact of both federal and state resources on rural communities.
The New Mexico Health Service Corps Program is divided into two programs, The Stipend Program and The Community Practice Site Support Program. The purpose of the Stipend Program is to recruit and place health professionals in rural and other medically underserved areas that are determined to have the most critical need in health care. The NMHSC provides financial support to health professional students in return for two years of full time service in underserved areas of New Mexico after graduation or completion of residency training. Through the Community Practice Site Support Program (also referred to as the Community Contract Program) the New Mexico Health Service Corps provides recruitment and/or retention support to NMHSC-eligible healthcare professionals through their community/practice sites.
Health care providers who provide care in rural, underserved areas may be eligible for an income tax credit of $3,000 or $5,000.
Practitioners who are eligible for a $5,000 tax credit per year are licensed doctors, osteopathic physicians, dentists, clinical psychologists, podiatrists and optometrists. Health care providers who are eligible for a $3,000 tax credit per year are licensed dental hygienists, physician assistants, certified nurse midwives, certified registered nurse anesthetists, certified nurse practitioners and clinical nurse specialists. The credit is available to eligible providers for taxable years beginning Jan. 1, 2007. See the RHCPTC program overview, here, for details.