The ABC’s of Medicare
By now you know all about our goal of improving integration of care for individuals with a serious mental illness. In looking more closely at this population, we noticed that about 50% of folks with a serious mental illness who are enrolled with Medicaid (AHCCCS) are also enrolled in Medicare… meaning that they’re “dual eligible.” As part of our recent RFI [...]
It’s Back to School for Teen Drivers
Back-to-school time means that a new bolus of high-schoolers that got their license over the summer are hitting the streets for the first time during the school year. All the data suggests that the first year of driving is an especially important time for safe driving skill development. Fortunately, our State has a “Graduated Drivers License” provision to help better [...]
Arizona State Hospital New Forensic Unit On Track
The new Arizona State Hospital forensic unit construction is on track and progressing nicely. We're in the home stretch now- and the contractors are putting the finishing touches on the project. The new facility will be a huge help and will be much more conducive to helping our patients on their recovery path. It'll also really improve the working conditions for our dedicated staff- and [...]
Medical Marijuana Lawsuits
We’ve had a few inquiries about the number, kinds, and the contents of the (six) lawsuits that have been filed regarding medical marijuana in Arizona. We created a new Lawsuits webpage for folks that want to read the active suits.
PPAZ v. Humble et.al. Suit Resolved
A recent lawsuit (Planned Parenthood of Arizona v. Humble et.al.) was resolved this week. The lawsuit had challenged a new law (signed last legislative session) that (among other changes) requires us to license facilities that perform medication abortions. We already license and inspect facilities that do surgical abortions- the new law requires that facilities that perform “medication” abortions be licensed [...]
Health Centers- a Key Hub for Primary Care
We’re proud to join in the celebration of National Health Center Week by highlighting Health Centers throughout our State and the vital services they provide. Community Health Centers are community-based, patient directed organizations that provide services to medically underserved areas. These valuable safety net providers offer full-time comprehensive primary and preventative care to patients regardless of their ability to pay or their [...]