Sliding Fee Clinics Help Increase Access to Healthcare
For many uninsured Arizonans, a doctor’s visit is a luxury that they simply can’t afford. That is unless they’re visiting a Sliding Fee Schedule Clinic. These clinics are a vital part of our healthcare system and provide a broad range of primary care, dental and mental health services to uninsured patients regardless of their ability to pay. Patients at these [...]
City Planning & Population Health
Last week I wrote about how improving the health of Arizonans is critical to improving the quality of life and reducing health care costs… and that effective strategies are ones that incorporate the principles of population health. A city’s General Plan can be a large public health lever to improve outcomes because it’s the long-range planning guide for the city… addressing [...]
Arizona Medical Marijuana Program Snapshot at 2
This month marked the 2nd anniversary of our Arizona Medical Marijuana Program. We began issuing cards to qualifying patients 2 years ago this week, and as of April 16th we had about 38,000 qualified patients in AZ. On the Dispensary side of the house… 16 dispensaries are approved to operate in AZ, and another 13 have turned in their paperwork [...]
First Aiders Save Lives
The events in Boston and in West, TX highlight the important role of our EMS Agencies and trauma centers in helping badly injured victims… but they also remind us that each of us may be unexpectedly needed to help during an emergency. But where can you start to bring up your first aid skill set so you’ll be effective? A quick [...]
Behavioral Health Protests Denied this Week
A few weeks ago, we announced that we’ve awarded the contract to manage the Maricopa County Integrated Regional Behavioral Health Authority (beginning on October 1) to Mercy Maricopa Integrated Care, who will be bringing some exciting ideas to the table while building on the great things already happening in our system. A couple of weeks ago, 2 of the bidders [...]
Empower Conference
Our Empower program is hosting its second annual conference Empowering Habits, Empowering Lives: Super Heroes in Action on May 4. The conference is a great opportunity for providers in Early Care and Education settings to learn the new 10 Empower standards that have been established for 2013. The conference sessions will also equip participants with the resources and tools essential [...]