The UNM Board of Regents recently approved a news health sciences education building at the University’s branch in Rio Rancho, according to the Albuquerque Journal.
The branch currently services about 1,500 students, according to the article, but UNM West CEO Wynn Goering said that some potential students have had to be turned away due to space constraints, which the new facility would address.
“UNM’s nursing program downtown takes about one out of five qualified applicants because they don’t have room, literally, to do any more,” Goering told the Journal.
The University will have to come up with the financials to pay for the project, which would cost about $20 million. Half of that amount would come from capital outlay requests, with the other $10 million coming from taxes, according to the article.
UNM is recognized by various national outlets as among the best when it comes to medical programs. It is ranked 35th by US News in terms of primary care, and 83rd when it comes to research – 10th in family medicine and 3rd in rural medicine.
Richard Draper, program manager for the Sandoval Country Health Collaborative, said in the article that the building is one step toward a larger initiative to create opportunities for those interested in the medical field.
“We’re well-positioned to help tell that story of what’s available, what are the openings, what kind of training do you need, what kind of certification you need, so that local students have a clear path to careers in this area,” Draper said in the article.
