Phoenix Prohibiting Humanitarian Aid in City Parks
Last week the Phoenix City Council did exactly what we expected they’d do. Rubber stamp Parks Department director Cynthia Aguilar and City Manager Ed Zuercher’s proposal to dramatically restrict (essentially eliminate) humanitarian aid in city parks. By a 6-3 vote, the Council approved the ordinance despite hours of testimony from healthcare providers, outreach workers, harm reduction advocates, and community members warning that the policy will make life even harder for
Suspended Animation at the Capitol
We’re still in the suspended animation at the state capitol. The House and Senate passed their (party line) budget last week. Hobbs has already vetoed it. The governor argued the proposal didn’t include executive branch priorities, cut too much from safety net services, and didn’t fund things needed to implement the red tape provisions in HR1. Then the House took a one-month paid vacation until June 1. As far as
Remembering ADHS Director Jim Schamadan
Dr. James (Jim) Schamadan passed away on April 19 at the age of 98. He was the ADHS director twice. He was a physician, an engineer, and a healthcare executive who helped build Scottsdale Memorial Healthcare and served as its CEO through the mid-1990s. From there, he was appointed ADHS Director. He served twice including a later stint as an interim director in the late 1990s. The exact dates are
Public Health Journalism this Week
Phoenix OKs ‘punitive’ limits on feeding, treating homeless in parks Arizona health officials monitor hantavirus cruise passenger Unpacking the fight over telehealth access to abortion medication | Arizona Mirror Give me liberty, or give me… a preventable outbreak | Arizona Capitol Times Op-ed: Phoenix treating homeless like biohazards instead of people
From Lab Bench to Treatment: Why NIH Funding Matters for New Cancer Treatments
When people hear about breakthrough cancer treatment in a statement from a drug company it might seem can sound like they suddenly invented something amazing. That’s usually not how it works. Most new treatments start with basic research funded by the NIH and the National Cancer Institute. That early funding helps scientists learn how diseases work and test new ideas long before any company is ready to spend big money.
AHCCCS 101 Series: What We Covered
Over the last month, we took a deep dive into Arizona’s Medicaid program… the Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System (AHCCCS). It’s a $20+ billion system that covers more than 2 million Arizonans and runs very differently than most state Medicaid programs. If you missed any part of the series, here’s the full rundown—and why it matters for public health policy right now. Part 1: Why Arizona Built Medicaid Differently