2024 – Page 20 – AZ Public Health Association

The health committees in the House and Senate have full agendas for the first time this legislative session. House Health meets Monday at 1:30pm and Senate at 1:30 Tuesday.

We’ve signed up in support of several bills in both committees next week. Several more aren’t in our wheelhouse and we haven’t taken a position. The bills that are bold are ones we’re supporting. The two that are in underlined are the bills I’ve selected to speak about at the podium this week.

Arizona Legislative Session Underway: Here’s Our Advocacy Approach

Let Legislators Know What You Think: Here’s How

Senate HHS (Tuesday 1:30pm Jan 30)

Note: Vitalyst put together this terrific compilation of categorized public health related bills this week. Rather than recreate their work I decided to just link to it above. Really good summary from Ana Roscetti.

January 24, 2024January 24, 2024

Will Humble Assurance & Licensure, State Legislature, Wills Blog

Governor Hobbs Proposes Budget: Proposal Includes Investments in ADHS Licensing and Transparency Measures

Governor Hobbs has proposed a $16 billion budget, a decrease from last year’s $17.8 billion state spending plan. The economists at the JLBC think the deficit for the next two years is $1.7 billion, nearly twice the amount Hobbs’ $900 million estimate. The Governor’s Office estimates Arizona will pull in $823 million more revenue than the JLBC thinks the state will. The JLBC estimates baseline spending will decrease $1.5 million in the next fiscal year due to the cessation of one-time spending in last year’s budget.

Hobbs proposed cutting about $1 billion from the budget in a mix of cuts, sweeps and clawbacks and delays including clawing back $770 million in existing funding:

- $419 million in transportation projects, like the I-10 widening in the West Valley.
- $188 million for capital projects, including state corrections department repairs.
- $163 million in operating expenses, like the Prescott Rodeo and Arizona Department of Education.
- Sweep $282 million in funds from 44 agencies.

For the next fiscal year, the governor proposes cutting $737 million, including:

$413 million in ESA cost.
$300 million of planned funding for long-term water projects.
$4 million from the House and Senate budgets, combined.
$3 million from the Governor’s Office budget, including $1 million from the Missing and Murdered Indigenous People Task Force.

ADHS Licensing Program Investments

Hobbs made several proposals to improve ADHS’ healthcare licensing system after a series of articles in the Arizona Republic highlighting the impact that the lack of investment in and poor leadership at ADHS licensing programs during the Ducey Administration had – as well as the scathing Auditor General Reviews.

Arizona Republic Article Prompts Hobbs to Direct DHS & APS to Investigate Regulation of Assisted Living Facilities

Governor Hobbs proposes an increase of $24.8 million in ADHS’ licensing programs including $1.9 million ongoing and $157,500 one-time to add 16 employees to follow up on complaints, general inspections, and enforcement. She’s also proposing $500K ongoing and $900K one-time to fund improvements to AZCARECHECK to improve transparency.

There’s also $500K earmarked for an independent assessment of AZ’s network of services for persons with a serious mental illness, and $485K for ADES Ombudsmen and $271K ongoing for an ombudsman for the AZ State Hospital.

The budget also includes a $10M item for AHCCCS to get more people to join behavioral health quality improvement initiatives.

January 24, 2024January 24, 2024

Will Humble Professional Development, Wills Blog

AZPHA 2024 Conference Addressing Arizona’s Opioid Crisis: Registration & Sponsorship Opportunities Open!

2024 AzPHA Annual Conference:

Addressing Arizona’s Opioid Crisis

Desert Willow Conference Center

4340 E Cotton Center Blvd, Phoenix, AZ 85040

Thursday, February 29, 2024

8:30am – 4:30pm

View Our Final Conference Agenda

Over 40 Arizona public health professionals presenting with lots of opportunities for in-person networking! Special guests include Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes, AHCCCS Executive Officer Carmen Heredia, and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Region IX Administrator Dr. Jeffery Reynoso.

Register Today!

Sponsorship Opportunities

Title Sponsor

Silver Sponsor

Flagstaff's The Guidance Center is Now a Subsidiary of The NARBHA Institute

Bronze Partner

Ad Specifications for Sponsors

January 21, 2024January 21, 2024

Will Humble Uncategorized

Legislative Session Kicks Off In Earnest this Week: Our Positions on Bills So Far

The legislative session kicked off on paper last week – but this upcoming week is really the first set of committee hearings, including the first hearings of the Health and Human Services Committees.

The House Health committee will meet on Mondays at 2pm. Senate Health and Human Services will meet Tuesdays at 2pm. There are only four bills posted in each committee this week. We’ve signed up in support of a couple bills being heard this week including SB1037 which would allow adult Medicaid members to use their $1000 annual dental benefit for more tha just emergency procedures.

On the House side, we’ve signed in against HB2183 which would entitle parents with the right to receive from a health care entity equivalent access to any electronic portal or other health care delivery platform for their minor child.

While that might sound reasonable, we believe it would pose a risk to kids who are being abused – making even more difficult to get treatment – especially those being sexually abused. Also, other teenagers who are sexually active may be discouraged from seeking treatment if they know their parents have access to their medical records – causing unaddressed infections and increasing the spread of STIs.

AZPHA has taken positions on about 40 bills so far. A short synopsis of where we are on these bills is below:


House

Bill #	Description	Position
HB2002	power plants; transmission lines; definition	No
HB2003	replacement lines; structures; commission hearings	No
HB2004	utilities; electronic filings; corporation commission	No
HB2005	Arizona power authority; DWR cooperation	No
HB2130	counties; maximum acreage; energy production	No
HB2131	residential utility consumer office; businesses	No
HB2133	solar panel disposal fund	No
HB2035	insurance; claims; appeals; provider credentialing	Yes
HB2041	school safety program; mental health	Yes
HB2042	food preparation; sale; cottage food	N/A
HB2051	joint training; surveyors; providers	Yes
HB2079	food handler certificate; volunteers; limits	Yes
HB2081	cremation	Yes
HB2183	parental rights; medical records	No
HB2111	licensed facilities; transfer; sale; prohibition	Yes
HB2112	insurance coverage; hearing aids; children	Yes
HB2130	counties; maximum acreage; energy production	No



HB2137	infants; toddlers; developmental delays	Yes
HB2139	medical records; minors; confidentiality; consent	No
HB2192	energy projects; grazing operations; compensation	No
HB2221	firearm purchases; waiting period; offense	Yes
HB2223	sentencing; concealed weapons permits; surrender	Yes
HB2224	TPT; exemption; firearm storage devices	Yes
HB2226	nursing care institutions; advisory council	Yes
HB2228	AHCCCS; complex rehabilitation technology	Yes
HB2230	AHCCCS; outpatient services	Yes
HB2231	nursing care institutions; medical directors	Yes
HB2233	firearms; ammunition; storage; civil penalty	Yes
HB2238	severe threat order of protection	Yes
HB2239	firearm sales; permit verification; requirements	Yes
HB2240	firearms dealers; firearms transfers; requirements	Yes
HB2249	residential care institutions; inspections	Yes
HB2281	solar royalties fund; county residents	No
HB2315	assisted living facilities; ownership; employees	Yes
HB2468	community fridge; liability; prohibition	Yes
HB2471	rulemaking; legislative approval	No
HB2513	AHCCCS; preventative dental care	Yes
HB2560	sober living; behavioral health; licensure	Yes





Senate

SB1002	drug paraphernalia; testing; analyzing; repeal	Yes
SB1002	drug paraphernalia; testing; analyzing; repeal	Yes
SB1003	prohibition; photo radar	No
SB1010	vehicle mileage; tracking; tax; prohibitions	No
SB1013	government investments; products; fiduciaries; plans	No
SB1014	business; discrimination prohibition; social criteria	No
SB1019	appropriation; health innovation trust fund	Yes
SB1024	spina bifida, developmental disabilities	Yes
SB1028	medical assistance; drugs; prohibited arrest	Yes
SB1037	AHCCCS, comprehensive dental	Yes
SB1045	public restrooms; feminine hygiene products	Yes
SB1067	DCS; group homes; investigations	Yes
SB1066	solar royalties fund; county residents.	No
SB1068	secure behavioral health facilities; appropriations	Yes
SB1100	Arizona state hospital; private entity	Neutral
SB1101	secure behavioral health facilities; appropriations	Yes
SB1102	civil reintegration unit; state hospital	Yes
SB1103	state hospital; governing board; governance	Yes
SB1157	influenza response plan; updates; review	Yes

January 17, 2024February 16, 2024

Will Humble Behavioral Health, State Legislature

Several Bipartisan Bills to Focus on Improving Care for Persons with a Serious Mental Illness

The Arizona State Hospital is located on a 260 bed 93-acre campus in Phoenix providing inpatient psychiatric care to people with mental illnesses who are under court order for treatment. Treatment at ASH is considered “the highest and most restrictive” level of care in the state. Patients are admitted because of an inability to be treated in a community facility or because of their legal status.

The Civil portion of the hospital provides services to people civilly committed as a danger to self, danger to others, gravely disabled and/or persistently and acutely disabled. Forensic patients are court-ordered for pre- or post-trial treatment because of involvement with the criminal justice system due to a mental health issue.

The needs of patients at ASH can be complex and the patients are vulnerable, so it’s critical to ensure the facility uses best practice treatment and is following a rigorous set of regulations. To achieve fidelity to best practice standards, it’s critical that the governance structure ensures accountability and is free from conflicts of interests.

The existing governance structure is insufficient to ensure quality care is provided at ASH. The fundamental flaw is that ADHS both runs & regulates ASH.

The lack of independent regulation & oversight of the Arizona State Hospital results in poor accountability and can lead to unchecked substandard care when ADHS leadership soft-pedals regulatory oversight to give the appearance that the facilities are providing care that meets standards.

There is evidence that this occurred during the Ducey Administration. For example, in 2021, ADHS’ licensing division investigated multiple suicides and a homicide and concluded that no operating deficiencies led to those deaths. Suicides and homicides only occur when there are deficient practices.

For context read this article by Amy Silverman: Patient deaths at Arizona State Hospital raise questions about staffing levels, lack of oversight, this piece by Mary Jo Pitzl at the Arizona Republic and these important investigative stories by Stephanie Innes: Arizona State Hospital patients have died since 2015 and More oversight is needed at the Arizona State Hospital

AzPHA was a supporter of SB1710 during last year’s legislation because it was commonsense solution to governance problem that’s jeopardizing care at ASH by separating the operational functions of running ASH from the regulation of ASH. Sadly, there was a last second amendment that gutted all of the meaningful governance reform in that bill, and the Arizona Department of Health Services continues to both run and ‘regulate’ the Arizona State Hospital. See: Governance Reform of the Arizona State Hospital Goes Up in a Puff of Smoke

Fortunately, Senators Miranda and Shope continued to work with informed stakeholders, pursuing governance reform for our Arizona State Hospital. They even published a couple of op-eds in the Arizona Republic explaining their vision for improving care:

Arizona State Hospital Needs Independent Oversight, Isn’t Getting It

Arizona State Hospital needs reform. Here’s how to do it

That ‘off-season’ work bore some important fruit. A series of bills were just posted to the State Legislature’s website this afternoon with a set of bipartisan plans sponsored by Senator Miranda and several other legislators (of both parties) to improve services and governance of the Arizona State Hospital and other psychiatric care resources.

SB1100 Arizona state hospital; private entity would direct the ADHS to go out to bid to identify a private entity who would operate the state hospital, removing the conflict-of-interest ADHS has by being responsible for both running and regulating the facilities.
Another more desirable alternative is SB1688 (Gowan) state hospital; governing board; governance which would establish a 5-member Governing Board who would be responsible for hiring and managing the State Hospital Director. The state hospital would report to and serve at the pleasure of the Board. SB1688 got a unanimous (7-0) pass recommendation from the Senate Health Committee on February 13 and awaits a floor vote in the Senate.
SB1102 civil reintegration unit; state hospital would provide a badly needed Civil Unit Reintegration Unit at the Hospital as outlined in ADHS’ Clinical Improvement and Human Resource Plan.
Finally, SB1101 appropriations; secure behavioral health facilities would create and fund more secure residential treatment facilities for persons under a court order for treatment – a huge gap in the continuum of care – also identified as a gap in ADHS’ Clinical Improvement Plan.

AZPHA will be carefully following the progress of these bills and will be an active partner to help inform the debate as these important bills work their way through the legislative process this session.

January 14, 2024January 14, 2024

Will Humble Opioids, Professional Development, Wills Blog

Register Today for AZPHA’s 2024 Conference: Addressing Arizona’s Opioid Crisis

AzPHA Annual Conference

Addressing Arizona’s Opioid Crisis

Desert Willow Conference Center

4340 E Cotton Center Blvd, Phoenix, AZ 85040

Thursday, February 29, 2024 (Leap Day)

8:30am – 4:30pm

View Our Conference Agenda*

*Subject to invitation acceptance by presenters

Sponsorship Opportunities

Register Here!

Conference Topics Subject to Final Speaker Confirmation

Opening Remarks by Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes (confirmed)
Closing General Session: AHCCCS Policy, Programs and Resources Targeting the Opioid Epidemic; Increasing Service, Support and Cross-sector Engagement –Catherine Dobler, Polly Knape, et.al. AHCCCS
Rates & Trends of Opioid/Fentanyl Overdose Deaths in Arizona, 2003-2023: Implications for Public Health Policy – Allan Williams, PhD & Will Humble, AZPHA
Statewide overdose surveillance: strategies from the overdose data to action program at the ADHS – Martín Celaya, MPH , ADHS & Charles Katz, PhD – Arizona State University
Findings from a Mixed-Methods Needs Assessment of People Who Use Drugs — Maricopa County, AZ, April–June 2023 – Christina Mrukowicz – Maricopa County Department of Public Health
Risks from opioid use during extreme heat- Marisa Domino – ASU, Center for Health Information and Research
Collaborative problem solving in rural communities to address the opioid crisis – Rocio Torres – Arizona Center for Rural Health & Christy Crowley – Easter Seals
Collaborative efforts in rural consortium of SUD/OUD partners to support youth and young adults along the US-Mexico border – Yara Castro & Tsion Meles Mariposa Community Health Center
Perceptions of overdose risks among persons who use illicitly manufactured fentanyl in Phoenix, Arizona – Raminta Daniulaityte & Kaylin Sweeney – ASU College Health Solutions
From Stigma, to Hope, to Healing: Maricopa SHIFT: Safe, Healthy Infants and Families Thrive Clay Jones, M.Ed., IMH-E Maricopa County Department of Public Health
A Citywide Approach to Opioid Response Planning – Nicole Witt, MPH & Yanitza Soto – City of Phoenix Public Health Advisor Office of Public Health
A Tale of Two Cities: An Overview of Opioid Use Prevention Initiatives in Phoenix, AZ and Kansas City, KS – Jeffery Hanna, MPH, MSc & –Justin Zeien, MD, MPH Zeihan Prohealth Consulting, LLC
Evidence to Action: Reducing Opioid Overdoses in Arizona through Medical and Pharmacy Practice Change- Beth Meyerson – Harm Reduction Research Lab, UArizona College of Medicine-Tucson
Expanding MOUD Prescribers: How the Arizona State University Edson College of Nursing is addressing the Opioid epidemic – Ann Guthery PhD, PMHNP-BC & Matthew Martin– ASU
The Yavapai County Connection Center: Serving recently incarcerated individuals, addressing the challenges of housing-employment-food insecurity, mental health needs, and substance abuse. James Tobin & Beya Thayer – Yavapai Community Health Services
MCDPH Fellowship: Catalyst for Change in Maricopa County’s Correctional Health Services- Tori Osmundson Maricopa County Department of Public Health & Megan Baker – Maricopa County Correctional Health Services
Access to treatment for incarcerated individuals experiencing opioid withdrawal in the Maricopa County, Arizona Jail System – Matthew Martin, PhD &Swetha Gansan, MS- ASU College of Health Solutions
Using Overdose Data to Transform Care: What Data Matters- Amanda Sapp – Pima County Health Department
Data to Action: Opioid Surveillance, Fatality Review, and Prevention Measures in State Public Health – Ginger Dixon & Mercedeh Reamer, MPH – ADHS
From Overdose to Treatment & Recovery – Andy Sparks Director of Commercial Development at Integrative Strategies: Combining Medicine, Peer Support, and Care for Opioid Recovery – Riley Monahan & Barbara Lee – Crossroads
Beyond Free Narcan. A Proposal for Meaningful Legislative Changes to Combat the Opioid Crisis – Hon. Gary E. Donahoe Judge of the Arizona Superior Court (ret.) & Jahanzeb Ali Khan, MD – Crossroads
Perinatal Harm Reduction – Danielle Treiber Sonoran Prevention Works
The Impact of Opioids on Maternal and Child Health and Strategies to Improve Outcomes in Arizona – Aubrianna Perez & Morgan Anderson – ADHS
Public Health & Libraries Harm Reduction Partnership – Mark Person & –Kate DeMeester-Lane – Pima County Health Department
Turning the Page on Opioids: Libraries as Community Partners – Dana Abbey Network of the National Library of Medicine, Engagement Specialist
Saving Lives: Strategies and Successes of the City of Phoenix Naloxone Program – Yanitza Soto, MPH City of Phoenix Special Project Administrator Office of Public Health & Dominic Orso, MBA – Maricopa County Public Health
Naloxone Leave Behind in Arizona – Julia Vinton & Adam Rodriguez– ADHS

January 8, 2024January 8, 2024

Will Humble Social Determinants, Wills Blog

ADHS Awards First Round of Justice Reinvestment Grants to Arizona Nonprofits

The Arizona Department of Health Services (ADHS) was charged with creating the Justice Reinvestment Program through the passage of Prop 207 (retail marijuana) in November 2020. The proposition legalized recreational marijuana use for adults 21 and older as well as created initiatives to increase safety and community resilience around arrest and incarceration, including the Justice Reinvestment Program.

The Office started by completing a statewide data and funding landscape analysis to decide which local communities were most impacted by drug enforcement, arrest, and incarceration. The analysis found priority communities across the state, where 18 listening sessions were held. Listening session participants expressed the following services would be beneficial for their communities:

Neighborhood safety and community gathering infrastructure (such as parks, community centers, etc.)
Cultural awareness training
Accessible options for healthy food
Affordable and accessible housing
Stigma reduction and culturally proper health services
Technology re-training for people who have been formerly incarcerated
Positive youth development
Substance use education and prevention

The Office of Health Equity then released a competitive grant application open to qualified Arizona nonprofits to support Justice Reinvestment programming this year.

The awarded projects address all of the key focus areas outlined in the statute and in the community listening sessions and represent communities from across the state of Arizona. ADHS is proud to announce the following grant awardees:

Northland Family Help Center
Hushabye Nursery
Axiom Community of Recovery
Cihuapactli Collective
Stuck Community Acupuncture, Inc
Phoenix Indian Center
Arouet Foundation
Friendly House
Jobs for Arizona’s Graduates (JAG)
Persevere
Constructing Circles of Peace
Regional Center for Border Health, Inc. – Yuma
Regional Center for Border Health, Inc. – Parker
Arizona Democracy Resource Center
Southern Arizona Legal Aid, Inc.
The Bambi Fund
Just Communities Arizona
Our Sister Our Brother

Additional Justice Reinvestment funding will be made available in the near future. Earlier and new applicants are encouraged to apply. Visit the ADHS Office of Health Equity’s Justice Reinvestment Program page for updates.

January 8, 2024January 8, 2024

Will Humble State Legislature, Wills Blog

Legislative Session Kicks Off Today with the Governor’s State of the State Address

Monday marks the beginning of the 2024 legislative session. Governor Hobbs will give her State of the State address in the House at 2pm on Monday. You can attend the speech live from the top floor of the House (take the stairs/elevator to the top floor and go to the Gallery’.

It’s usually pretty packed so your best bet is to watch it on Capitol TV. Several media outlets will no doubt be covering it live as well.

I expect the Governor to talk about statutory changes and resources needed to improve the performance of ADHS’ Licensing Division, who is responsible for assuring the health and safety of Arizonans residing in assisted living and skilled nursing facilities as well as medical facilities, clinics, residential group homes, sober living homes etc.

Look for proposals to:

Hike the limit the ADHS can assess against facilities for noncompliance. Right now only fine facilities $500 for each violation.
Give ADHS additional authority to revoke licenses for cause.
Close some loopholes like the law that allows assisted living facilities to skip annual inspection if they have a clean inspection the year prior. She may even propose eliminating ‘deemed status’ licenses, although I doubt it.
Appropriations to hire more licensure staff.
Create a quality rating system for nursing homes, assisted living and long-term care facilities.

Editorial Note: When you hear these proposals take note that they are a DIRECT result of the series by reporters Caitlin McGlade, Sahana Jayaraman and Melina Walling focusing unaddressed senior living violence and sexually assaults and a piece about how senior living facilities are often understaffed, endangering workers and residents.

It’s possible the governor may mention mental health care as well given the solid series of stories via Stephanie Innes about AZ’s behavioral health system – especially the Arizona State Hospital: Arizona is in a mental health crisis. Here’s what needs to improve.

About 200 bills have already been filed in the House, but only about 40 in the Senate so far. Those numbers will go up into the several hundred range in the coming days as legislators file their bills. You can find the inventory of bills in both chambers on the AZLEG website here: Introduced Bills.

So far we’re tracking about 12 of the pre-filed bills. That will dramatically increase in the coming days.

Bill #	Description
HB2042	food preparation; sale; cottage food
HB2081	cremation.
HB2111	licensed facilities; transfer; sale; prohibition
HB2112	insurance coverage; hearing aids; children
HB2130	counties; maximum acreage; energy production
HB2137	infants; toddlers; developmental delays


SB1002	drug paraphernalia; testing; analyzing; repeal
SB1002	drug paraphernalia; testing; analyzing; repeal
SB1003	prohibition; photo radar
SB1024	spina bifida, developmental disabilities
SB1028	medical assistance; drugs; prohibited arrest
SB1037	AHCCCS, comprehensive dental

The days and times for the House and Senate Health & Human Services committees aren’t posted yet – but by this time next week you’ll be able to calendar those events.

Our Public Health Policy Committee has a discussion board on Basecamp and that’s also where we post information, research and documents related to public health policy. Let me know if you’d like to sign up for that Basecamp site at willhumble@azpha.org.

Our policy committee also has conference calls every other Friday at 2pm starting in mid January. Details are in our policy committee basecamp (email me at willhumble@azpha.org to get access to the members policy committee Basecamp).

Arizona Legislative Session Begins Monday, January 8: Here’s Our Advocacy Approach

Let Legislators Know What You Think: Here’s How

Learn How the Arizona State Legislature Works by Listening to this Consumable Podcast

January 6, 2024January 6, 2024

Will Humble Reproductive Health, Wills Blog

2022 Was Tumultuous for Access to Abortion in Arizona: New Report Provides Surveillance Detail

2022 was a tumultuous year for access to abortion care in Arizona. The chaos began when the US Supreme Court overturned the 1972 Roe v Wade ruling that had guaranteed the legal right to abortion care up to viability on June 24. Shortly after the Roe ruling, then AZ Attorney General Mark Brnovich filed a motion in Pima County Superior Court to make abortion illegal in AZ.

Nearly immediately, most abortion providers in Arizona stopped providing the procedure in late June and July. An abortion surveillance report published earlier this month shows the immediate impact of the Roe decision, with abortions going from about 1,200 in June to only 216 in July, as clinics and providers waited to find out exactly what was legal.

Arizona Supreme Court to Decide the Fate of Abortion Care in AZ: Oral Arguments December 12, 2023

Prior to Roe being overturned, the AZ Legislature passed and then Governor Ducey signed a law banning abortions after 15 weeks of gestation “absent a medical emergency” with no exceptions for rape or incest. While that law passed before Roe was overturned, it didn’t take effect until September 23, 2022, so between June 24 and September 23, the main law on the books, from Arizona’s territorial era, stated that all abortions are illegal to perform “unless it is necessary to save her life”.

Originally called ARS 13-211, 13-212, and 13-213, those 1901 anti-abortion laws were later renumbered 13-3603, 13-3604, and 13-3605. Statute 13-211 made it illegal for anyone to provide an abortion. Statute 13-212 made it illegal for any pregnant woman to solicit or receive any procedure that caused an abortion. Statute 13-213 made it illegal to advertise contraception or abortion services.

Almost immediately after the 15-week law took effect Pima County Superior Court Judge Kellie Johnson sided with Brnovich and reinstated the 19th-century law. The state appellate court quickly put the law on hold pending the outcome of Planned Parenthood Arizona’s appeal of Johnson’s decision.

Abortion care somewhat resumed by August. For the rest of 2022 abortion services were still limited as reflected in the new surveillance report, An average of 640 abortions were performed per month between August & December 2022 vs. an average of 1,300/month before Roe was overturned.

While abortions were down 18% in 2022 vs. 2021, the number of births was mostly unchanged between 2020, 2021 and 2022 (76,781, 77,857 & 78,355 respectively). This suggests many Arizona residents sought abortion care in neighboring states like CA, NV, CO, or NM

Abortion Report in Arizona – 2022

Report snapshots:

The vast majority of abortions were performed prior to 15 weeks’ gestation (96%)
Half of all abortions were medication and half used surgical procedures
There are several graphs in the report with data for marital and educational status, age distributions, race and ethnicity, pregnancy history, geography, maternal medical conditions cited for obtaining an abortion, and doctor’s field of specialty

View the Full Report

If you’d like to sign the petition to guarantee access to abortion care, visit the Arizona for Abortion Access website. Follow the link under the volunteer section to “Mobilize” and look for opportunities to sign the petition or volunteer to collect signatures (which requires training).

1 … 18 19 20 21