The issue requires comprehensive, multi-sectoral approaches. Unfortunately, firearm-related violence remains a leading cause of death across the nation. While the issue is widespread, rates of firearm-related deaths have been comparatively high in New Mexico for years.
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New Mexico by the Numbers
As of 2020,
New Mexico ranked:
5th
in the U.S. for age-adjusted rate of firearm-related suicide deaths.
7th
in the U.S. for age-adjusted rate of firearm-related deaths.
16th
in the U.S. for age-adjusted rate of firearm-related homocide deaths.
In 2020,
For every 100,000 people in New Mexico, there were 23 firearm related fatalities, which is 64% increase since 2005.
FASTER
FASTER
New Mexico FASTER aims to provide a coordinated response to emerging firearm issues and reduce firearm injury and death.
In 2019, the New Mexico Department of Health (NMDOH or the Department) applied for and received funding to implement FASTER, a CDC-funded initiative to provide surveillance data on emergency visits for nonfatal firearm injuries in near-real-time.
NMDOH uses FASTER funding to help provide a coordinated response to emerging firearm issues and to reduce firearm injuries. Funding is being used to pilot and improve the surveillance of nonfatal firearm injuries in emergency departments across the state. As part of this effort, NMDOH is: Assessing the accuracy of surveillance definitions. Increasing the timeliness and use of geographically specific aggregate reporting of ED visits for nonfatal firearm injuries. Increasing use and/or data sharing of syndromic surveillance data with key stakeholders. Regularly disseminating surveillance findings promptly to critical stakeholders.
EXAMPLE Activity
The first year of New Mexico's FASTER program used funding to verify and validate definitions put forth by CDC, develop partnerships, and surface policy options.
New Mexico FASTER aims to provide a coordinated response to emerging firearm issues and reduce firearm injury and death.
In 2019, the New Mexico Department of Health (NMDOH or the Department) applied for and received funding to implement FASTER, a CDC-funded initiative to provide surveillance data on emergency visits for nonfatal firearm injuries in near-real-time.
NMDOH uses FASTER funding to help provide a coordinated response to emerging firearm issues and to reduce firearm injuries. Funding is being used to pilot and improve the surveillance of nonfatal firearm injuries in emergency departments across the state. As part of this effort, NMDOH is: Assessing the accuracy of surveillance definitions. Increasing the timeliness and use of geographically specific aggregate reporting of ED visits for nonfatal firearm injuries. Increasing use and/or data sharing of syndromic surveillance data with key stakeholders. Regularly disseminating surveillance findings promptly to critical stakeholders.
EXAMPLE Activity
The first year of New Mexico's FASTER program used funding to verify and validate definitions put forth by CDC, develop partnerships, and surface policy options.
Rachel Wexler
Injury Prevention Section Manager,
New Mexico Department of Health
"...[we are] improving the quality of data related to firearm-related injuries."
Listen to the full quote by pressing play below.
During year two, the project has continued developing partnerships and has hired a dedicated epidemiologist.
Partnerships are essential to preventing firearm injury and death. The New Mexico Department of Health's FASTER program has multiple partners, including New Mexicans to Prevent Gun Violence and the New Mexico Alliance of Health Councils. Together they distributed gun locks and safes across the state.
Hiring an epidemiologist was a crucial step to achieving the program's goals. The epidemiologist supports prevention efforts through data collection and analysis. They provide data to inform actions including developing a firearm injury strategic plan for the state.
The epidemiologist's work is empowering upstream prevention efforts by focusing on risk and protective factors. For example, limiting access to firearms is an upstream risk factor. In 2019, New Mexico enacted an extreme risk protective order law. The law is meant to limit access to firearms by individuals deemed a risk to themselves or others.
Garry Kelley
Senior Injury Epidemiologist, NMDOH
“The FASTER project has allowed NMDOH to thoroughly examine the validity of the definitions used for firearm injury…”
Listen to the full quote by pressing play below.
Clarifying definitions of diagnoses helped the program assess issues with how emergency departments (ED) track firearm injuries with medical diagnosis codes.
Clearing up these issues and expanding data tracking to include injuries as well as deaths allows the FASTER program to obtain a fuller picture of the toll firearms are taking on New Mexico.
The FASTER program has encouraged collaboration between the Health Systems Epidemiology Program and the Injury Prevention Program within the New Mexico Department of Health.
One product of this partnership that is currently in development is the integration of non-fatal firearm injury data into a publicly facing user interface New Mexico's Indicator-Based Information System (IBIS) launch , which will provide near real-time data on firearm injury for community partners and state legislators.
New Mexicans to Prevent Gun Violence has partnered with FASTER to share data and support strategic planning around prevention efforts.
The New Mexico Department of Health and New Mexicans to Prevent Gun Violence are also working together to implement The Gun Shop Project help_center, which empowers gun shops to play an important role in violence prevention.
With FASTER funding, the Department purchased 20,000 gun locks which were distributed throughout the state by New Mexicans to Prevent Gun Violence.
Other key partnerships include:
The University of New Mexico Prevention Research Center
Created the strategic plan for prevention and continues to help manage the strategic planning process.
The Albuquerque Mayor's Office
Implemented a community violence prevention project.
The University of New Mexico Hospital
Provides ongoing clinical support.
Forensic Lab Partners
Their interests in the New Mexico Violent Death Reporting System, an incident- and population-based surveillance system designed to collect information about every violent death in New Mexico, align with FASTER's data-based tracking of firearm injuries.
The New Mexico Suicide Coalition
A strong and vocal advocacy group supported by the Office of Injury Prevention focused on the intersection of firearms and preventable injuries.
Rachel Wexler
Injury Prevention Section Manager,
New Mexico Department of Health
"...the real issue is addressing the rate of firearm-related deaths and injuries in New Mexico."
Listen to the full quote by pressing play below.
Moving Forward
The New Mexico Department of Health has recently received $5 million from the New Mexico State Legislature for violence prevention - their first funding from outside CDC sources. The funding is managed by the Injury Prevention Program and will be spent in the next three years.
The New Mexico FASTER program is eagerly awaiting receipt of a portion of the money and plans to implement a variety of initiatives, including:
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Improving data quality standards across the state
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Expanding improvements in data collection and analysis to rural areas
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Ongoing development of strategic plans for internal impact and data collection systems, which have already proved fruitful. In the third funding year, FASTER plans to expand and share these systems with partners and out-of-state organizations pursuing similar goals
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Continuing to examine and improve definitions used for firearm injury in emergency departments
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Making firearm injury data more accessible and understandable to the general population