Dr. Nityamo Lian submitted this summary of the survey she conducted earlier this year. The NMSAAM board is posting the document as food for thought, and for whatever useful information can be gleaned from it. We are not taking an official position regarding its accuracy or lack of same, only reporting Dr. Lian’s findings as she gave them.
NM State of the DOM Workforce Survey by Public Health Acupuncture of NM, 2023
This survey was conducted in January and February 2023 primarily by Public Health Acupuncture of NM, with the help of NMSAAM members. Results were shared with NM Board of AOM and NMSAAM in April.
DOM Locations around NM.
The BAOM website had 586 Active DOM Licensees in September 2022; 100 had an address out of state or were known to be out of state, 486 were in state. During the first part of 2023 the BAOM website was down and licensee info was not available, so we used info from Sept 2022.
|
Here are the locations of the NM DOM licensee address – not necessarily the same as practice area: 184 Albuquerque |
|
20 Near Abq (Rio Ranchos, Ranchos de Abq, Bernalillo, Placitas) |
|
146 Santa Fe |
|
65 Unknown location |
|
72 Elsewhere in the State (Not Greater Albuquerque or Santa Fe) |
|
11 Taos |
|
5 Las Cruces |
|
4 Las Vegas |
|
5 Los Alamos |
|
4 Los Lunas/Belen |
|
11 Sandia Park/Tijeras/Cedar Crest/Cerrillos |
|
3 Espanola |
|
3 Farmington |
|
3 Tesuque |
|
3 Silver City |
|
2 each Gallup, Hobbs, Pecos, |
|
1 each Alcalde, Aragon, Artesia, Carlsbad, Cimarron, Clayton, Dixon, Holman, Lamy, Ojo Caliente, Rociado, Roswell, Socorro, T or C |
Note: there are 65 with unknown location, so these could be anywhere in or out of state.
In other words:
42% of DOMs are in Greater Albuquerque which has around 44% of NM population.
30% of DOMs are in Santa Fe which has 4% of NM population.
1.5% of DOMs are in the rest of New Mexico which has 51% of NM population.
(Remember we don’t have info on where 13% of DOMs practice. )
Survey – How Many DOMs are Currently Practicing.
Method:
NL* took a random sample of all 486 active licensees (active DOMs who did not have an address out of state). The sample was of 49 DOMs (10%). The list of names was given to 7 DOMs to see if any knew the status of those on the list. Later these were verified with an internet search.
NL conducted an internet and google maps search. If the DOM website had full time hours (20+ clinical hours) they were marked as full time. If they noted a different profession or several modalities offered that were not acupuncture/OM related, they were marked as part time. NL emailed those she knew personally for an answer.
If there was no website but a phone number on google maps or NPI site etc., NL texted the question – “Are you still practicing Acupuncture?” If a response was given, a follow up text was sent to ask if they were full time or part time. If no response, NL called them. If the phone was disconnected and they had no website they were marked as not practicing. If there was no web presence, or phone number or email on-line, and no-one knew them, they were marked as not practicing.
NL identified herself as from Public Health Acupuncture of NM, but said that she would share the results with NMSAAM.
Results:
Of the sample of 49 DOMs:
16 (33%) were practicing full time (FT defined as 20 hours or more in clinic),
14 (29%) were practicing part time (2 stated “very part time”),
17 (35%) were no longer practicing,
2 (4%) unknown
Conclusion
A good third of active licensed DOMs post COVID were no longer in practice at the beginning of 2023. One third of DOMs were practicing full time and a little under a third were practicing part time.
If we extrapolate these results to all DOMs in NM, we have 301 still in practice (160 FT, 141 PT):
In Albuquerque – 67 full time, and 59 part time DOMs (1 DOM per 7,580 people)
In Santa Fe – 48 full time and 42 part time DOMs (1 DOM per 991 people)
In the rest of NM – 23 full time and 21 part time DOMs (1 DOM per 24,450 people)
[Note: 2023 Population of NM 2.116 million; Greater Abq 955,000; Santa Fe 89,220]
* Nityamo Lian, DOM, MPH (Epidemiology)