SANTA FE, NM – While New Mexico earns an A for effort and is working very hard to ensure children receive dental care, the reality is little has changed in the ten years since a U.S. Surgeon General Report called dental disease a “silent epidemic”. New Mexico earns high marks for effort, including paying dentists more for low-income patients, fluoridating their water supplies, and targeting high-risk schools for sealant programs. But results have fallen short of what they need to be. Fewer than half of low-income children are getting dental care and fewer dentists are taking Medicaid patients.

• The Oral Health Gap in New Mexico, maps showing geographic disparities and provider shortages
• Op-Ed by Dolores E. Roybal, Executive Director, Con Alma Health Foundation

2010 Grant Cycle Calendar

• April 1st - Guidelines released for 2010 grant cycle
• May - Pre-proposal workshops
• June 1st - Small & MultiYear Grant Applications due
• June 25th - Northern NM Health Grant Group Applications due
• Nov - Grants Announced

Mission

Con Alma Health Foundation is organized to be aware of and respond to the health rights and needs of culturally and demographically diverse peoples and communities of New Mexico. Con Alma will seek to improve the health status and access to health care services for all New Mexicans and will advocate for a health policy which will address the health needs of all New Mexicans. The Foundation will make grants, contributions, and program related investments to fulfill its Mission.

Con Alma Health Foundation (CAHF) thanks all who participated in the live webcast and statewide conversation about health held on December 3rd, 2009 to honor the work of Con Alma Health Foundation grantees. Click here to watch the December 3rd webcast.

Broadcast from the New Mexico History Museum, the free online interactive event featured Senator Jeff Bingaman as the keynote speaker. The event connected more than 400 people around New Mexico, conducting a statewide conversation about health using Facebook, the popular social networking website, with viewing parties for the event held in Los Alamos, Espanola, Taos, Estancia, Albuquerque, Las Cruces, and Roswell.

The webcast event fostered discussion on a number of subjects, including Health IT, suggested funding focus for CAHF, social networking as a communication tool and recommendations for New Mexico health policy changes. See what your colleagues said and add your own comments here.

As part of Con Alma Health Foundation’s tribute to efforts being made to improve health in New Mexico, the Foundation is recognizing the contributions of 15 New Mexico Heroes of Health. Con Alma Health Foundation thanks them for the impact they make and for the progress they inspire. More information about each honoree can be found at http://www.conalma.org/nm-heroes-of-health.html.

More information about our 2009-10 grantees can be found here.