New Mexico Trauma Centers Struggle with Staffing, Costs

University of New Mexico Hospital, the state's only Level I trauma center, faces challenges in maintaining readiness for emergencies across vast distances.

Mar. 11, 2026 at 10:38pm

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New Mexico's only Level I trauma center, the University of New Mexico Hospital, is facing rising costs and staff shortages as it works to provide life-saving care to patients across the state's vast and rural landscape. The hospital operates under a readiness model, requiring a 24/7 team of specialized medical professionals, which is costly to maintain but essential for serving the state's remote areas and responding to mass-casualty events.

Why it matters

Trauma readiness is a critical public safety and national security issue for New Mexico, which has some of the longest transport times in the nation. The University of New Mexico Hospital serves as a regional lifeline, but the financial model supporting this readiness has not kept pace with rising costs, putting the state's trauma care system at risk.

The details

The University of New Mexico Hospital, the state's only Level I trauma center, must maintain a constant state of preparedness with a 24/7 team of specialized medical professionals, including surgeons, emergency physicians, nurses, and operating room staff. This readiness model, similar to a fire department, costs millions of dollars annually before a single patient is treated. However, the hospital is absorbing these skyrocketing costs while serving a high proportion of uninsured and underinsured patients, making the current financial model unsustainable.

  • New Mexico's health care workforce shortage has already led to the loss of nearly one-third of the state's primary care physicians and left hospitals short thousands of nurses and emergency medical technicians.

The players

University of New Mexico Hospital

The state's only Level I trauma center, responsible for providing life-saving care across New Mexico's vast and rural landscape.

Michael Chicarelli

The chief operating officer at the University of New Mexico Hospital and a member of the Board of the Trauma Center Association of America.

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What they’re saying

“Trauma care cannot operate like a typical health care business. It is not volume driven; it operates under a readiness model. Much like a fire department, the capability must exist before the alarm sounds. We do not staff based on how many people we expect to be injured; we staff for the worst-case scenario.”

— Michael Chicarelli, Chief Operating Officer, University of New Mexico Hospital (Albuquerque Journal)

What’s next

Congress has the opportunity and responsibility to treat trauma care as the essential national emergency preparedness infrastructure it is. By robustly funding grant programs and expanding funding for the MISSION Zero program, the federal government can help states like New Mexico maintain the high-tech equipment and specialized personnel required to save lives.

The takeaway

New Mexico's trauma care system, anchored by the University of New Mexico Hospital, is facing significant challenges in maintaining readiness and providing life-saving care across the state's vast and rural landscape. Federal investment is crucial to sustaining this critical public safety and national security infrastructure.