HOUSE MEMORIAL 8

53rd legislature - STATE OF NEW MEXICO - second session, 2018

INTRODUCED BY

Deborah A. Armstrong

A MEMORIAL

REQUESTING THE BOARD OF REGENTS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF NEW MEXICO TO ESTABLISH A MOVEMENT DISORDERS CENTER TO PROVIDE CURRICULUM TO TRAIN MEDICAL TRAINEES IN MOVEMENT DISORDERS AND TO PROVIDE TREATMENT FOR THOSE AFFLICTED WITH MOVEMENT DISORDERS.

     WHEREAS, movement disorders are a group of neurological illnesses that affect one's ability to move normally and include Parkinson's disease, essential tremor and other tremor disorders, Tourette syndrome, Huntington's disease, dystonia, restless legs syndrome and ataxia; and

     WHEREAS, collectively, these disorders affect up to ten million people in the United States, more than two hundred fifty thousand of whom live in New Mexico, and these numbers are expected to rise with the aging of the population; and

     WHEREAS, movement disorders are mostly chronic, progressive brain disorders for which there is currently no cure; and

     WHEREAS, a movement disorders center provides advanced diagnosis and interdisciplinary care for movement disorders patients as well as support for caregivers; and

     WHEREAS, a movement disorders center provides a means to minimize and manage the morbidity associated with movement disorders; and

     WHEREAS, movement disorders patients require an accurate early diagnosis, best medical management practices and a multidisciplinary approach to address the myriad chronic issues that patients and caregivers face daily; and

     WHEREAS, at a movement disorders center, patients may receive care from neurologists having movement disorders specialty certification, as well as from psychiatrists, neurosurgeons and other physicians; and

     WHEREAS, at a movement disorders center, movement disorders patients routinely receive care from allied health professionals such as neuropsychologists and physical, occupational and speech therapists; and

     WHEREAS, medical treatments for movement disorders include medications that require sophisticated individual management and a team approach; and

     WHEREAS, there are currently only three neurologists in New Mexico who have fellowship training in movement disorders: one who is limited largely to serving the United States veterans health administration and two others with only limited availability for new patients; and

     WHEREAS, it can take up to nine months to get a first appointment with a movement disorders specialist in New Mexico; and

     WHEREAS, the symptoms of patients who experience long delays in gaining access to specialty movement disorders care often worsen considerably during their waits; and

     WHEREAS, there are access disparities for movement disorders care in New Mexico as, very often, those patients who can afford it and are mobile enough to travel seek care for their movement disorders in other states where adequate movement disorders care is available, such as Colorado or Arizona, while the average movement disorders patient does not have the ability to obtain care out of state; and

     WHEREAS, Colorado and Arizona both have many movement disorders centers, which are often located at teaching hospitals that are specially able to treat these movement disorders and provide a comprehensive level of care that is not available in New Mexico; and

     WHEREAS, the university of New Mexico provides New Mexico with access to a teaching hospital that houses a neuroscience center;

     NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE STATE OF NEW MEXICO that the board of regents of the university of New Mexico be requested to devise a plan to create a movement disorders center that is staffed with movement disorders specialists with fellowship training and provides support and allied health care to patients; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the board of regents of the university of New Mexico be requested to house the movement disorders center in a facility that has physical access that is appropriate for providing care to patients with movement disorders; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the board of regents of the university of New Mexico be requested to report its plan for creating a movement disorders center at the university of New Mexico to the legislative health and human services committee by November 1, 2018; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that copies of this memorial be transmitted to the president of the board of regents of the university of New Mexico, the president of the university of New Mexico, the chancellor for health sciences of the university of New Mexico and the chair and vice chair of the legislative health and human services committee.

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