What the New Funding Deal Means for Public Health
Congress just passed the Continuing Appropriations Act, 2026 to end the federal government shutdown and keep agencies running. The bill is a mix of short-term and long-term funding. Some agencies are funded through September 30, 2026, while others only have temporary funding through January 30, 2026, under a continuing resolution (CR). The deal keeps the government open and gives Congress more time to pass full-year spending bills—but it also means
AzPHA Student Representative, Dr. Rynn Whealy, Receives National Award
On November 1st, the AzPHA Board of Directors Student Representative, Dr. Ryann Whealy was presented the Council of Affiliates Outstanding Student Award. And coincidentally, her fellow board member, Rebecca Nevedale, had the honor or presenting the award in her role as Chair of the Council of Affiliates. Congratulations, Ryann, on receiving this prestigious award! Below are the remarks Rebecca shared about Ryann’s contribution to AzPHA. “Our next award to present
GRRC Approves ADHS’ Licensing Fee Update
Last Tuesday the Arizona Governor’s Regulatory Review Council unanimously approved ADHS request to raise fees for licensing healthcare institutions! The new fees will replace about $3.4M in state general funds that were used to help ADHS fix serious problems in its licensing system. Those problems grew worse under the previous administration, when the agency was short on staff, struggling financially, and suffering from poor leadership. A report from the Arizona
Noem & Rubio’s $100K H-1B Visa Surcharge: How their decision will harm rural voters who overwhelmingly voted for their boss
The US Homeland Security and State Departments are adding a $100,000 surcharge for most new H-1B applications including physicians and nurses – something that will have a profoundly bad impact in some hospitals, especially rural ones. The new fee doesn’t apply to docs and nurses who are already in the U.S. on H-1B status –but all new H-1B applications will be subject to the new fee. Noem can approve waivers
Arizona Submits Rural Health Transformation Grant Application to Feds
Governor Hobbs’ team turned in Arizona’s plan for the federal Rural Health Transformation Program, which is meant to help people in rural areas get better access to health care and support the doctors, nurses, and clinics that serve them. The $10B national fund was included in HR1 as political cover for cutting Medicaid funding starting in 2027 which will, over time, have a profoundly bad impact on access to care
A Win for Mental Health in Maricopa County
Good news! Voters in Maricopa County said yes to Proposition 409, narrowly approving (51-49) a $898M bond for Valleywise Health — our county’s public safety‑net health system. What this means in plain language: for about $25‑30 more per year in property tax for the average household, we’re going to build and improve real mental and behavioral health services. Valleywise will be building a new 200‑bed behavioral health hospital to replace the old facility —