Family Planning

AZPHA Breakfast & Learn – Social & Reproductive Justice: Advancing Reproductive Justice through Advocacy

Friday, March 22, 2024: 9-10am Multiple social conditions interfere with people’s right not to have children but also to have children and raise them with dignity in safe, healthy, and supportive environments. Webinar attendees will explore the major tenets of reproductive justice and how to apply the framework to advance their reproductive health and rights advocacy. Our Speaker: DeShawn Taylor, MD CEO of Desert Star Institute for Family Planning Author: Undue Burden:

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Social Determinants

Hobbs to Use COVID Funds to Cancel Some Medical Debt as a Public Health Intervention

Governor Hobbs announced that she’s using $30M in COVID relief funds to purchase the medical debt of some Arizonans who earn less than 400% of the Federal Poverty Line or who owe more than 5% of their annual income to medical debt. AZ Gov. Hobbs to erase medical debt for 1M using COVID relief funds The state is contracting with RIP Medical Debt (a nonprofit) to identify and buy debt held

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Nutrition

WIC Could Be Decimated by HCR2060

It’s no secret that the House & Senate majority are frustrated that Governor Hobbs has been vetoing some of their priority bills. As an end-around, they’re increasingly turning to things called ‘SCR’s and HCR’s’ – Resolutions that, if passed via each chamber, place the bill directly on the ballot during the next general election (the state constitution doesn’t allow the Governor to veto those Resolutions). Last legislative session saw 4

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Early Childhood

Federal Funding for WIC & SNAP Saved at the Bell

WIC to Get a 16% Funding Increase Congress needed to approve funding legislation by Friday to protect two critical public health programs – the Women Infant and Children program (WIC) and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program – aka food stamps (SNAP). They did so with just a few hours to spare before those two critical public health programs would have had a funding cliff. Public health DC insiders expected it

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Behavioral Health

Senate Fails Key Arizona State Hospital Governance Reform Bill: State Hospital will (or may) Continue to be Run & ‘Regulated’ by ADHS

No hospital should regulate itself. Especially a hospital that helps patients with challenging psychiatric conditions that require the highest level of care. But that’s exactly what’s been happening ever since 1974. The Arizona Department of Health Services has been both running & ‘regulating’ our Arizona State Hospital. That conflicted governance model has caused unchecked substandard care over the years when ADHS leadership soft-pedals regulatory oversight to give the appearance that

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Early Childhood

Federal Funding for WIC & SNAP Ends Friday: What You Need to Know

Congress needs to approve funding legislation by Friday to protect two critical public health programs – the Women Infant and Children program (WIC) and food stamps (SNAP). This Friday (March 8) is the expiration date for the Agriculture Appropriation part of the budget – and without action this week, WIC & SNAP funding will expire this Friday. Fortunately, ADHS says they have enough encumbered funds to cover a funding gap for

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Will’s Blog