The bill amends the Medical Malpractice Act in New Mexico by updating the definition of "occurrence." The new definition specifies that "occurrence" refers to claims for damages arising from harm to a single patient, regardless of the number of health care providers or the errors and omissions that contributed to the harm. This replaces the previous definition, which focused on injuries caused by successive acts or omissions of health care providers that combined to create a malpractice claim.

Additionally, the bill makes several changes to the definitions of health care providers, including the replacement of the term "podiatrist" with "podiatric physician" and the inclusion of various other health care roles such as nurse anesthetists and certified nurse practitioners. These updates aim to clarify and expand the scope of who is considered a health care provider under the law, ensuring that a broader range of medical professionals is covered under the Medical Malpractice Act.

Statutes affected:
introduced version: 41-5-3