The Division of Health Improvement (DHI) plays a critical role on improving the health outcomes and ensuring the safety of New Mexicans. DHI ensures that healthcare facilities, community based Medicaid waiver providers and community support services deliver safe and effective healthcare and community services in accordance with laws, regulations, and standards of practice.

DHI works closely with key stakeholders to promote and protect the health, safety, and quality of life of New Mexicans. Our stakeholders include executive and legislative policy makers; providers; facilities and contractors; other state, local, and federal government agencies; advocacy groups; professional organizations; provider associations; various task forces and commissions; and the tax paying public at large.

Key DHI enforcement activities include: conducting various health and safety surveys for both facilities and community-based programs; conducting investigations of alleged abuse, neglect, exploitation, death or environmental hazards; and processing over 44,000 caregiver criminal history screenings annually.

FY18 OPERATING BUDGET: $12,047,500

• General Funds: $4,192,600
• Other Transfers: $3,348,400
• Federal Funds: $2,613,000
• Other State Funds: $1,893,500

During the fourth quarter of FY18, some of DHI’s accomplishments included:

• The caregiver criminal history screening program processed 10,249 background checks during the fourth quarter. The average number of days to complete a background check was one day.

Health Facility Licensing and Certification:

• Established the new Minimum Data Set (MDS)/Outcome and Assessment Information Set (OASIS) coordinator roles with Long-Term Care (LTC) and Home Health Agency providers and their respective professional associations, as well as the Quality Improvement Organization (QIO).
• Provided updated resources and training to LTC providers and surveyors.
• Collaborated with Oklahoma, Texas, and Louisiana in Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) regional meeting.
• Hired a full time Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments (CLIA) surveyor.
• Currently on target for completing federal Mission Priority Document (MPD) requirements for CMS.
• Began tracking complaints of Abuse, Neglect, and Exploitation in health facilities in the Aspen Complaints Tracking System (ACTS).
• Completed all End Stage Renal Disease initial certifications.

  Community Based Waiver Programs:

• Fully staffed the Individual Qualty Review (IQR) survey team.
• The Quality Management Bureau (QMB) trained surveyors and implemented the new survey tools for the new 2018 version of the Developmental Disabilitiies Waiver Standards.
• QMB conducted provider training in four regions to-date at the Developemental Disabilities Supports Division regional meetings on the new survey scoring and changes to the tools.