Statutes > New Mexico Statutes > Chapter 24 - Health and Safety. > Article 1B - Maternal and Child Health Plan, 24-1B-1 through 24-1B-7. > Section 24-1B-5 - Maternal and child health plans.

Section 24-1B-5 - Maternal and child health plans.

24-1B-5. Maternal and child health plans.

A.     The board or its designee with the advice of the planning council may prepare a maternal and child health plan.  The plan shall have the approval of the planning council and the board before it may be submitted by the board to the department for approval.  

B.     Two or more boards may agree among themselves to establish a maternal and child health plan.  

C.     Each maternal and child health plan shall include:  

(1)     a needs assessment that identifies and quantifies: 

(a)     those populations that are unable to obtain adequate maternal and child health services; 

(b)     the major factors that affect accessibility to local maternal and child health services; 

(c)     the gaps in locally available maternal and child health services; and 

(d)     the extent to which county and tribal residents use maternal and child health services available in other counties; 

(2)     an inventory that identifies existing public and private providers, services and maternal and child health plans, medicaid and other governmental, tribal and charitable resources, program duplications and the county's current monetary contributions to maternal and child health programs; 

(3)     recommendations on how to improve and fund maternal and child health based upon the needs assessment and inventory of existing services and resources; 

(4)     recommendations to eliminate duplications of services, improve access and initiate new services as needed; and 

(5)     conclusions about the need to rely on services available in other counties and on the level of charitable, federal, state, county or tribal funding and in-kind contributions that are required to implement the maternal and child health plan fully.  

D.     The recommendations contained in the maternal and child health plan may be based on the development of comprehensive maternal and child health services.  Development of the maternal and child health plan may include a consideration of: 

(1)     teen pregnancy; 

(2)     family planning; 

(3)     prenatal care; 

(4)     financing of perinatal care for persons not eligible for medicaid; 

(5)     proposals to expand provider capacity; 

(6)     outreach, information, referral, risk assessment and case management for both pregnant women and their children; 

(7)     perinatal health education projects; 

(8)     home visiting and social support groups; 

(9)     projects that reduce poor pregnancy and child outcomes; 

(10)     projects that enhance utilization of well-child care; 

(11)     projects that remove transportation barriers from perinatal services; and 

(12)     projects that coordinate local community services, including those services provided by the county's state public health office.  

E.     The maternal and child health plan shall be updated at the request of the board or the department if the plan as implemented is not achieving the stated goals or if the needs of the local population have changed.