On Monday August 21, 2023, National Fentanyl Awareness Day, Arizona's Governor Katie Hobbs and Senator Kyrsten Sinema made statements acknowledging the national opioid crisis and highlighting state and federal initiatives to curb overdose and deaths.
As Sen. Sinema notes in her press release, in Arizona more than five people die each...Arizona News
Last week, Arizona Governor Katie Hobbs announced an executive order that would place the prosecution of all abortion cases under the purview of pro-choice Attorney General Kris Mayes. This week, county attorneys from across the state ask the Governor to reconsider.
All but three of the state's county attorneys are calling on Gov....
In a historic move, Governor Katie Hobbs issued an executive order saying that she's granting Attorney General Kris Mayes authority over any abortion prosecutions in Arizona. Mayes has stated explicitly that she does not support such prosecutions and under the authority granted to her by the governor's order would not pursue any criminal...
The Arizona Legislature has recessed until Monday June 12, but before they went they passed a slew of legislation that Governor Katie Hobbs then either vetoed or signed.
Governor Hobbs signed three pieces of legislation related directly to healthcare including extensions of state regulatory boards for dentists and naturopaths, and...
In a news conference Tuesday morning, Arizona Governor Katie Hobbs, Attorney General Kris Mayes and representatives from 13 Arizona tribes made an announcement that fraudulent rehabilitation facilities cost the state "hundreds of millions of dollars" and victimized countless vulnerable Indigenous people.
AZCentral reports that the...
Last week, the Arizona Senate voted to approve federal funding for Arizona's Medicaid program. Senators voted 26-3 to allocate $3.36 billion to the Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System (AHCCCS), Arizona's Medicaid program. However, the Senate Appropriations Committee failed to pass a bill that would continue the program through...Arizona News
The Arizona State Legislature is currently on their "spring break," meaning that tracking bills is on a hiatus. But some bills of interest are still viable, and Governor Katie Hobbs signed a handful of new laws.
The Arizona Senate passed a bill that would expand cochlear implant coverage for adults on Medicaid, the Arizona Capitol...
Maybe it was a lab leak after all? Or maybe not. This week the U.S. Energy Department announced that it determined that the COVID-19 pandemic most likely arise from a laboratory leak. Governor Katie Hobbs proclaims COVID-19 Memorial Day.
According to the Wall Street Journal, the announcement was made after a classified report was...
This week, the Arizona State Hospital (ASH) gets closer to being led by an independent governing board as the Arizona Senate approved SB 1710, sponsored by Senator Gowan.
As the Arizona Public Health Association (AzPHA) notes, the bill is widely supported because it resolves the current conflict of interest for the Arizona Department...Arizona News
Things are starting to heat up at the legislature with Republican lawmakers sparring with the Democratic Governor's Office over the budget and nominations to department leadership positions.
A bill introduced by Rep. Steve Kaiser (R-Paradise Valley), would allow the Arizona Department of Health Services (ADHS) to contract with a third...
The Arizona Senate's new Committee on Director Nominations rejected Governor Katie Hobbs's appointee for director of Arizona Department of Health Services, Dr. Theresa Cullen.
Dr. Cullen headed the Pima County Department of Public Health throughout the pandemic. Senator Jake Hoffman (R-Queen Creek), who leads the panel and the...
After years of pubic outcry from incarcerated people and their families and a federal judge's condemnation of medical care in Arizona prisons, Governor Katie Hobbs issued an executive order to thoroughly investigate Arizona's entire corrections system.
The top-to-bottom investigation will be conducted by an "Independent Prison...Arizona News
The Arizona Legislature convened its 56th First Regular Session on January 9, and a slew of bills were introduced that could have lasting impacts across the Arizona healthcare landscape. Throughout the legislative session, the Hertel Report will monitor the progress of bills identified by stakeholders, advocacy organizations, other...Arizona News
As Arizona is caught in the midst of a multi-front surge of not only COVID-19 but also influenza, with rates of COVID infections in nursing homes continuing to rise, Representative Andy Biggs (R-AZ) reintroduced legislation in Congress to curb federal oversight of the nation's pandemic response. Meanwhile, the Arizona Department of...
