New Mexico's 2.1 million residents are served by a single pediatric kidney center — UNM Children's Hospital in Albuquerque. It is a capable full-service program with dialysis and transplant, but families in southern New Mexico (Las Cruces, Roswell) face 3–5 hour drives, and rural communities on the Navajo Nation and Pueblo reservations face even greater barriers. New Mexico has one of the highest rates of diabetes in the US, driving elevated CKD risk in Hispanic (~50%) and Native American (~11%) communities. Hand-curated and independently verified.
1
Pediatric kidney center for the entire state — UNM Children's Hospital, Albuquerque
New Mexico 2026
~65K
Adults estimated to have CKD in New Mexico
2.1M population · ~4.0% CKD prevalence
~50%
Hispanic population — one of the highest CKD-risk demographics nationally
US Census Bureau
Centennial Care
New Mexico's Medicaid program — hsd.state.nm.us
NM Human Services Dept.
Access Context
Understanding Care Access in New Mexico
Single-center state: UNM Children's Hospital in Albuquerque is New Mexico's ONLY pediatric nephrology program with full dialysis and transplant services. Families in Las Cruces (~225 miles), Roswell (~200 miles), and Farmington (~180 miles) all travel to Albuquerque for complex kidney care.
Native American and tribal health: New Mexico's Navajo Nation (northwestern NM), the 19 Pueblo nations, and other tribal communities have access to Indian Health Service (IHS) facilities for primary kidney care. Complex cases are referred to UNM Children's in Albuquerque. The IHS Navajo Area office coordinates care across the Four Corners region. Families should ask their IHS provider about transportation assistance and care coordination.
Out-of-state options for southern NM: Families in the El Paso border region may access Texas Children's Hospital El Paso or UT Health El Paso for pediatric care. Phoenix Children's Hospital (~460 miles) is an option for Tucson-area families in southern NM. Children's Colorado (Aurora) is ~450 miles from Albuquerque and accessible for northern NM families needing a second opinion or transplant evaluation at a top-10 center.
Geography First
New Mexico Kidney Care by Region
Nearly all pediatric kidney care in New Mexico flows through Albuquerque.
🏙️ Central New Mexico (Albuquerque / Santa Fe)
UNM Children's Hospital — Albuquerque (state's only program)
UNM Health adult nephrology & transplant network
Santa Fe families are 60 miles from UNM
🌵 Southern New Mexico (Las Cruces / Roswell)
UNM Children's — 225 miles from Las Cruces (3–4 hours)
Texas Children's El Paso accessible from the Mesilla Valley
IHS Fort Bayard Medical Center for primary care coordination
🏔️ Northern New Mexico (Taos / Farmington)
UNM Children's — 135–180 miles from northern NM (2–3 hours)
Navajo Nation IHS facilities (Gallup, Shiprock) for primary coordination
Children's Colorado accessible from Farmington/Four Corners area
🌄 Eastern New Mexico (Roswell / Clovis / Portales)
UNM Children's — 200+ miles from eastern NM
Texas Tech Lubbock accessible for some Clovis/Portales families
Very limited local subspecialty access
For Children
Pediatric Nephrology Centers
For Adults
Adult Nephrology & Transplant
Community
Support Organizations
Financial Help
Financial Assistance
Education
Kidney Explorers in New Mexico
Request Kidney Explorers for Your School
Our interactive kidney education module is designed for elementary and middle school students. Ask your school to bring it into the classroom.
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