Report IDs Systemic Problems in NM Disabilities Program

Report IDs systemic problems in DOH developmental program

Failure to monitor safety reporting consistently. Unclear crisis response procedures. Lack of central data repository. These were among the list of problems found by outside consultants investigating the state health department’s Developmental Disabilities Waiver Program. DOH yesterday released that third-party report, which it contracted last spring in response to revelations of abuse within the system and the subsequent arrests of three people alleged with horrific alleged abuse resulting in the death of a 38-year-old disabled woman. The report from German Burnette & Associates and Accenture recommends improvements in what it categorizes as three “key” areas: people; process and program; and technology. “We take the health and well-being of our DD waiver clients very seriously,” DOH Secretary Patrick Allen said in a statement. “We value the insights and recommendations offered by Accenture, as they aid us in delivering the highest quality care to our clients.” DOH says in response to the report it will continue to work with Accenture both to identify systemic issues and revise protocols as needed. “We wholeheartedly recognize the importance of these recommendations for our DD Waiver program, and we are fully prepared to take decisive action,” DDSD Director Dr. José Acosta said in a statement. “Acknowledging the identified shortcomings, we have already set in motion corrective actions. Treating these issues as our utmost priority, we are resolutely committed to implementing the necessary improvements.”

South Meadows/Agua Fria construction starts next week

Road signs went up on both South Meadows Road and Agua Fría Street last weekend, signaling construction on the long-awaited project will begin Monday, July 31. City of Santa Fe Public Works Director Regina Wheeler tells SFR via email the project is expected to take six to nine months, “depending on time to secure materials.” As for the project’s impact on increased Agua Fría traffic from the West Alameda closure, Wheeler writes that the South Meadows construction traffic control plan “did take into account the West Alameda closure. That detour is distant from this project, but some additional traffic was considered, probably entering from South Meadows and 599. Detours during construction ensure that all properties can be safely and efficiently accessed.” Capital Projects Manager Romella Glorioso-Moss tells SFR via email the city became aware of the problems at the intersection in 2014, and notes the considerable increase in traffic—and accidents—in the area between 2013 and 2015, possibly due to construction of the El Camino Real Academy, as well as increased residential development in the area. A 2019 presentation on the proposed roadwork notes the traffic congestion and hazards in play at the intersection, and outlined improvements that would address those issues with an upgraded traffic signal, turning lanes and improved pedestrian and bicycle access. The construction was subsequently delayed, with the Santa Fe City Council in May approving a resolution from District 3 City Councilors Lee Garcia and Chris Rivera, in whose district the construction falls, granting a third time extension for the project, which carries an estimated $3.2 million price tag (not including design), the lion’s share of which will come from the state.

City councilor questions delays on charter amendments

Santa Fe city councilors introduced three potential charter amendments at last night’s meeting of the governing body, but District 2 City Councilor Michael Garcia says he’s disappointed all six recommended amendments haven’t yet been drafted by the city attorney’s office, despite his requests. “I’m a bit concerned given that I’ve done my due diligence, and I’ve followed the requested timeline in regards to getting the legislation introduced through the City Attorney’s Office, and it still has yet to be prepared for introduction,” Garcia tells SFR. City Attorney Erin McSherry, in turn, tells SFR via email her office has been “busy,” due to a high volume of legislative requests from councilors: approximately 40 pending ones at present, she says. Of the three resolutions introduced last night, two originate from the charter commission: changing the referendum and initiative signature numbers and amending the judicial language. A third proposal establishing a city inspector general officials previously considered in 2017. The remaining proposals, which include a re-evaluation of the mayor and city councilors’ roles, remain in limbo, and might require either waived committee hearings or special governing body meetings to make it on the ballot. Garcia says he supports doing what it takes: “I think we should give these proposals a fair shake,” he said last night.

NM film/TV workers picket Netflix

More than 250 New Mexicans picketed Netflix Studios in Albuquerque yesterday, the Albuquerque Journal reports, an official SAG-Aftra strike picket event; the union has been on strike since July 14. The union says the companies represented by the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers, including Netflix, “are committed to prioritizing shareholders and Wall Street.” Some of the sticking points in negotiations include wages, work breaks and other labor considerations. Artificial intelligence also has emerged as a sticking point, with SAG-Aftra requesting “a comprehensive set of provisions to protect human-created work and require informed consent and fair compensation when a ‘digital replica’ is made of a performer, or when their voice, likeness, or performance will be substantially changed using AI.” At yesterday’s strike, picketers emphasized the amount of work in New Mexico. “We want to be able to have a living wage, not a king’s ransom,” local member Marc Comstoc said.

Listen up

The At the Brink podcast, dedicated to exploring “humanity’s most terrible weapon and the stories of those who have shaped its history,” kicks off its second season with an episode devoted to the atomic-testing Downwinders exposed to radioactive fallout and still seeking compensation from the federal government. Guests include New Mexico’s Tularosa Basin Downwinders Consortium founder and downwinder Tina Cordova; downwinder and activist Ilene Hacker; downwinder and cancer survivor Barbara Kent; and nuclear engineer Dr. Arjun Makhijani, president of the Institute for Energy and Environmental Research and author of Radioactive Heaven and Earth.

Oppenheimer tourism

Drift magazine exhorts viewers of Christopher Nolan’s film Oppenheimer to “deepen” their experience with an educational trip to Albuquerque. Specifically, the story recommends the National Museum of Nuclear Science & History, and its exhibition “Critical Assembly, the Secrets of Los Alamos 1944: An Installation by American Sculptor Jim Sanborn,” which includes original electronic instruments, hardware, tools and more used at Los Alamos during the 1940s. The story also recommends hands-on science museum Explora, particularly its “My Chain Reaction” exhibit, as well as other non-Albuquerque sites, such as Los Alamos’ Bradbury Science Museum, whose J. Robert Oppenheimer exhibition is open through October; and the Trinity site at White Sands National Park, which is only open to the public twice a year. Officials expect Trinity’s last open house for 2023 on Oct. 21 to be crowded due to the interest in Oppenheimer, and advise folks they may have to wait in line up to two hours and anyone not among the first 5,000 visitors may not make it in prior to the site’s 2 pm closure that day. In other Oppenheimer-adjacent coverage, Vogue magazine poses a series of its “lingering questions” to Atomic Heritage Foundation founder and President Cindy Kelly, including the query: “Is the Los Alamos town still there?” (The answer is yes). And Elle magazine digs a little farther into the background and life story of Oppenheimer’s wife Kitty.

NM Poet Laureate named national fellow

The Academy of American Poets announced this week it is awarding $50,000 each to its 2023 Poet Laureate Fellows, a cohort that includes New Mexico Poet Laureate Lauren Camp. “It is humbling to be part of this incredible group of people!” Camp said via social media. “I’m grateful for the support to be able to highlight and encourage New Mexican voices and perspectives.” In partnership with the New Mexico Center for the Book and New Mexico Arts, Camp, author of seven poetry collections, including the recent An Eye in Each Square, will lead a series of free creative writing workshops in schools and libraries throughout the state “with a focus on students and elders in underserved and rural communities,” a news release says, and also will partner with the New Mexico History Museum to create printed materials that will be available to state libraries in 2025. “The Academy of American Poets celebrates the unique position poets laureate occupy at state and local levels, elevating the possibilities poetry can bring to community conversations and reminding us that our national spirit can be nourished by the power of the written and spoken word,” Academy President and Executive Director Ricardo Maldonado said in a statement. “We are inspired by these projects—which include intergenerational workshops, city- and statewide festivals, community-generated publications, and more.”

Into every life, a little rain must fall

The National Weather Service forecasts a 40% chance for precipitation today and tonight, with scattered showers and thunderstorms after noon. Otherwise, it will be mostly sunny, with a high temperature near 92 degrees and west wind 10 to 15 mph.

Thanks for reading! The Word joins the chorus of sorrow over the death of the great Sinéad O’Connor.