Public Health Journalism this Week
APS agrees to $7 million settlement after heat death Who is losing access to food stamps across Arizona? The truth behind Arizona’s SNAP free fall Health officials warn about measles exposure in Queen Creek Maricopa County confirms first heat death of 2026 County quota at Arizona psychiatric hospital could go away Navajo Nation officials report plague, chickenpox, measles cases
Register Today: From Crisis to Care: Improving Outcomes in Arizona’s Behavioral Health System
We’ve just about finalized our agenda for the Arizona Public Health Association’s 98th Annual Conference, and this year’s program focuses on one of the most important public health challenges facing Arizona: strengthening our behavioral health system. View Our Agenda and Conference Brochure Join us Friday, May 1 at the Desert Willow Conference Center in Phoenix for From Crisis to Care: Improving Outcomes in Arizona’s Behavioral Health System. The day will explore practical strategies
AZPHA Member Breakfast & Learn Soundbites vs. Science: Spotting Logical Fallacies in Public Health Debates
In an era where misleading and inaccurate information spreads rapidly online, public health professionals face the challenge of deciding how best to respond. One common instinct is to search out evidence that directly disproves the false claim. While such an approach is important it can also be time-consuming and can delay one’s response. It can also fail to address a common problem or tactic with public health rhetoric. In this
Public Comment Open on Phoenix Plan to Limit (forbid) Humanitarian Aid in City Parks
Last week I wrote about the City of Phoenix’s proposal to clamp down on humanitarian aid in public parks — things like wound care, vaccinations, and basic services that many unhoused folks need. Super basic safety net stuff. The parks department is in a full court press to get their proposal signed off on by the Council. Phoenix Parks Department Doubles Down on Red Tape to Stop Humanitarian Aid in
AHCCCS 101 Part 2: Waivers, State Plan Amendments and Who Decides
In Part 1, we walked through why Arizona built AHCCCS differently, using managed care from the start instead of fee-for-service. AHCCCS 101 (Part 1 of 4): AHCCCS’ Origin Story – Why Arizona Built Medicaid Different That raises the next logical question: how did and does Arizona get permission to design its Medicaid program this way? Remember – Arizona can’t just do what it wants because the federal government pays more
Kennedy’s 2027 Budget Guts Public Health
Secretary Kennedy and the president released their proposed federal budget for FFY 2027 (starting October 1, 2026) last week. As expected, it calls for deep cuts across core public health programs including some that Kennedy has publicly supported, like physical activity and nutrition. Bottom line: depending on how you define “core public health,” the proposal cuts funding in the range of roughly 20–30% across major prevention and public health program lines.