UNM Sandoval Regional Medical Center is experiencing record-low employee turnover and significant improvements in patient care, officials told the Sandoval County Commission on Feb. 11.
The hospital’s turnover rate sits below 6.5%, far lower than the national average of 12% to 18%, CEO Kate Becker said during her quarterly update to commissioners.
“The relationship of the staff to their one-up leader” drives retention, Becker said. “People don’t quit their job. They quit their boss.”
An employee engagement survey showed 82% participation, with improvements in key areas including workplace recommendations and safety culture. Most departing employees are pursuing advanced degrees, and the hospital hopes they will return after completing their education, Becker said.
The medical center has expanded services to include New Mexico’s only comprehensive thyroid and parathyroid specialty clinic. The program, which offers complete care at the Sandoval facility, performs about 350 surgeries annually between SRMC and UNM Hospital in Albuquerque.
Trauma care has also grown, with Dr. Trevor Crean leading orthopedic trauma expansion. The hospital now treats more complex fractures without transferring patients to Albuquerque.
SRMC served 2,034 trauma patients in 2025, compared with 2,132 in 2024 and 1,656 in 2023. The most common injuries involved falls among people over 65, vehicle ejections and assaults.
Clinic volume exceeded budget by 3,900 visits in the first six months of fiscal year 2026. New providers have joined in orthopedics, general surgery, urology, gynecology and family practice.
Emergency department access improved significantly. While visit volume remained stable at about 23,000 annually, the percentage of patients leaving without being seen dropped by more than 40% from 2024 to 2025.
“That constant communication and just updating people on here’s where you are, here’s what’s going on” keeps patients from leaving, Becker said.AZS
Quality metrics showed the hospital has gone 241 days without a catheter-associated urinary tract infection. Medication scanning compliance reached 96% in December, and sepsis mortality rates have decreased significantly.
The hospital launched its first Patient Family Advisory Committee in November with 10 members who meet quarterly to provide feedback on care experiences.
Mill levy funding totaled $4.55 million for the six months ending December 2025. Trauma services accounted for $4.48 million, behavioral health services $478,422 and Sandoval County Detention Center services $422,313. Total program expenses were $5.38 million, exceeding mill levy funding by $823,285.
Behavioral health visits at the primary care clinic totaled 1,459 for the first half of fiscal 2026, while the Rio Rancho clinic recorded 2,306 visits.
The hospital is replacing its 13-year-old nuclear medicine camera with a SPECT-CT system that will expand the types of imaging exams available.
When asked how the county could help, Becker said: “Talk about it. Tell people what’s going on there. Tell people about the new services.”
For the first six months of fiscal 2026, SRMC recorded 29,703 outpatient visits, 10,777 emergency department visits, 1,748 discharges, 1,969 surgeries and 32,376 radiology procedures.