Paid family and medical leave is essential for rural communities (like ours)
By Dr. Constance Liu (Originally published in the Gallup Independent on Maarch 8, 2025)
Passing paid family and medical and leave is an urgent health imperative, especially for rural communities like Gallup, where I live and practice as an obstetrician gynecologist (OBGYN). All too often, I see patients delay important procedures because they can’t afford to take time off from work. I also see people struggle to be there for their loved ones, as they try to balance work obligations with family needs.
Paid family leave means stronger and healthier families. I remember one patient who needed to emergently deliver her baby. Her partner’s employer told him he would be fired if he took the day off for the birth of his child. He couldn’t afford to lose his job with a new baby to care for, so my patient delivered her new baby, scared, alone, and traumatized.
Paid family leave means that critical health issues can be addressed early, which reduces complications, improves outcomes, and can ultimately save lives. I have had patients who delayed surgeries for issues like heavy uterine bleeding because they needed income from work. They ended up in the emergency room after trying to work while tired and dizzy, and ultimately needed blood transfusions or urgent hormone therapy. In the end, they had to be absent from work anyway because of their health issues.
It’s equally important for people to take the proper amount of time to heal after a procedure before returning to work. People who are forced to go back before they’re fully recovered due to the prospect of financial insecurity, could face complications or need additional surgeries down the line.
A paid family and medical leave proposal making its way through the Roundhouse would allow New Mexicans to take time off when they have a new child or need to recover from a serious medical issue, without worrying about losing out on vital income. This is a critical need for New Mexico communities, especially rural communities like Gallup, where access to health care is limited, economic opportunities are in shorter supply, and a greater percentage of people live below the poverty line.
These factors could contribute to the staggering statistic that rural Americans of prime working age are 43% more likely to die of natural causes than their urban counterparts. The largest increase in natural cause mortality rates for rural working age women has been for pregnancy-related deaths. New Mexico already has higher rates of maternal mortality per capita compared to the nation, in large part due to mental health conditions, like substance use disorders.
These facts are not just disheartening — they’re unacceptable. We can and we must do everything we can to create healthier outcomes for our communities. By passing paid family and medical leave, we can ensure that New Mexicans who already have lower incomes and less access to health care aren’t exposed to greater financial insecurity when life moments arise.
A statewide paid leave policy will ensure all New Mexicans can receive timely medical care, take the time they need to heal from medical conditions or surgery, and be there for their families when they’re needed most. It will reduce the financial strain on families and create healthier, more resilient communities, as evidenced by improved health outcomes in the 13 other states who have passed paid family and medical leave policies. It’s time for New Mexico to act — the urgency is clear and the need is immediate.
Dr. Constance Liu is a practicing obstetrician gynecologist in Gallup. This piece was originally published in the Gallup Independent on March 8.