Lordsburg to take over senior center from Hidalgo Medical Services

The city of Lordsburg will assume operations of the community’s senior center in August, once Hidalgo Medical Services’ contract expires, the Non-Metro Area Agency on Aging announced this week.

Lordsburg city councilors voted to take on the responsibility at a joint meeting with the Hidalgo County Commission on Monday, ensuring that services such as meals and transportation offered by the Ena Mitchell Senior Center will continue.

Lordsburg Mayor Glenda Greene said she was excited about the change, telling the Journal, “Our seniors are the heart of this community, and we won’t let them go without. The city is stepping in to ensure continuity of services, and we thank NMAAA for their trust.”

In June, the NMAAA, which funds senior programs across most of New Mexico, declined to extend a new contract to HMS to continue operating the center. The nonprofit’s current contract to provide services at Ena Mitchell expires Aug. 9. HMS announced last month it will also cease operations at four senior centers in Grant County on that date.

In concluding HMS’ senior services in Hidalgo County, NMAAA cited “shortcomings in HMS’s budget management” over three years and excessive spending, as well as an alleged contractual violation for “misrepresenting the amounts of local funding” during the 2025 fiscal year.

HMS pushed back on those allegations, stating on its website that NMAAA had reviewed and accepted its budgets and financial audits and had previously presented favorable assessments of HMS operations. It also said it had not received documentation it was required to submit from counties and municipalities under its state contract.

“In summary, HMS publicly refutes the accusations made by NMAAA regarding the insinuations of budget mismanagement or contribution misrepresentation,” HMS said in a written statement. “HMS stands ready to assist local agencies through the transition period to ensure service to local seniors is transferred smoothly.”

On July 10, Grant County commissioners approved a “no confidence” letter to HMS’ board of directors over a list of complaints, including alleged staffing inadequacies at senior centers and the Tu Casa behavioral health facility in Silver City; the end of its contract with NMAAA; and calls from medical providers in the community for changes in the community health organization’s leadership. The commissioners also echoed NMAAA’s complaints about financial transparency.

HMS CEO Dan Otero told the Journal, “The HMS Board of Directors never received a formal letter from Grant County; however, they did send it to the press.” The board was preparing a response to the county commissioners, he added.

HMS, founded in Lordsburg in 1995 as an outgrowth of the National Health Service Corps, operates medical, dental and behavioral health clinics and provides other services at over a dozen locations in Hidalgo and Grant counties.

The NMAAA said it was providing training and technical assistance to three municipalities stepping in as service providers for their senior centers: Lordsburg as well as the town of Silver City and the village of Santa Clara, all starting on Aug. 9.