Better Together:
Arizona's Hospitals Advocate for Patients

The Arizona Hospital and Healthcare Association (AzHHA) is a statewide trade association representing more than 100 hospitals, healthcare systems, affiliated health organizations, and the patients and communities they serve. With a mission of sustaining and improving the health of Arizonans, AzHHA supports its members by providing advocacy, education and services.

UA Medical Students Serve in Dominican Republic Cl... uanews.org | 1/24/2012
UA College of Medicine-Phoenix students volunteer during a winter break trip. PHOENIX – If Brenna Derksen had any doubts about her chosen career path, they were swept away during her holiday break. "It brought me back into why I wanted to get into medicine in the first place," Derksen said. "It's real easy to get caught up in the stress of medical school, and I think the trip was invaluabl...
Banner Boswell volunteer celebrates 105th birthday yourwestvalley.com | 1/24/2012
On Sunday, Banner Boswell Medical Center volunteer Ruthie Culver will turn 105. She was born on Jan. 22, 1907. Culver began volunteering at the hospital when she was 96. Since then, she has logged more than 1,660 hours of volunteer service at Banner Boswell. The staff celebrated Culver’s birthday on Wednesday in Banner Boswell’s cafeteria, where she performs her weekly volunteer duties of fo...
No relief for hospitals in Arizona Gov. Brewer’s b... dolanmedia.com | 1/24/2012
PHOENIX, AZ -- With an uptick in state revenues, Gov. Jan Brewer is proposing to alleviate some of the pain the state’s Medicaid providers have been experiencing. The governor wants to give a 3 percent rate increase to state health care providers, including physicians, behavioral health professionals and nursing facilities. But one group that is among the worst hit by years of incessant budg...
Kingman Letter: VA should utilize HMMC kingmandailyminer.com | 1/24/2012
I read your public notice in the Kingman Daily Miner regarding property rental/lease for a medical facility here in Kingman. There is a brand new clinic/hospital sitting vacant. It is a three-story building that was built by a group of doctors. The Kingman Regional Medical Center is now the current owners of that property. I, as a veteran who has to travel to Prescott to get medical help, woul...
Expanding Local Cancer Care KYMA-TV (NBC) Yuma | 1/23/2012
Chances are you know someone who has, or had, cancer in Yuma. Odds are patients had to go out of town to get the services they need. Yuma Regional Medical Center is working to change that. Doctor Peter Sullivan at Yuma Regional Medical Center is honored in helping YRMC get one step closer to one of the hospital's top priorities, "That people do not have to leave the community in order to get canc...
St. Joseph's parent changes name to Dignity Health Phoenix Arizona Republic | 1/23/2012
Catholic Healthcare West, the parent organization of St. Joseph's Hospital and two East Valley hospitals, announced Monday that it has ended governing ties with the Catholic Church and changed its name to Dignity Health as it embarks on plans to grow the organization. San Francisco-based Dignity Health said the governing separation from the church will not impact the status of its 25 Catholic ho...
Foundation honors longtime Yuma oncologist Yuma Daily Sun | 1/23/2012
As Yuma Regional Medical Center expands cancer care in Yuma, the Foundation of YRMC celebrated the new journey with a special luncheon Monday. The foundation honored a longtime Yuma physician with the announcement of the Dr. Peter Sullivan Fellowship Award, completely surprising the Yuma Regional Cancer Care oncologist. “I'm totally undone by this wonderful honor,” Sullivan said. Th...
In Quest to Grow, Catholic Hospital System Pares R... kaiserhealthnews.org | 1/23/2012
Catholic Healthcare West, one of the nation's largest hospital systems, is ending its governing board's affiliation with the Catholic Church and changing its name, two steps intended to help the system expand throughout the states in which it operates — California, Arizona and Nevada — and beyond. The changes, which executives announced today, underscore the unique challenges facing Catholic...
Medical Center’s new look Uplifting Eastern Arizona Courier | 1/23/2012
By Stephany Mae Robinson Staff Writer Published on Sunday, January 22, 2012 3:13 PM MST The Mt. Graham Regional Medical Center unveiled a newly designed lobby and two eye-catching signs earlier this month. With the state-of-the-art Magnetic Resonance Imaging facility built adjacent to the Emergency Room, the hospital decided to renovate the lobby, while the ER’s lobby was restructured....
Giffords Puts Recovery First; Leaves Open a Return... abcnews.com | 1/23/2012
The decision by Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, D-Ariz., to resign from the U.S. House of Representatives and focus on her recovery was the right one, both for her and her constituents, experts say. The three-term Democrat announced her decision in a video posted Sunday. “I have more work to do on my recovery,” Giffords says in the two-minute message. “So to do what’s best for Arizona, I will step...

Unveiling Some Cuts Don’t Heal: A New Grassroots Advocacy Website

The Arizona Hospital and Healthcare Association (AzHHA) is pleased to launch Some Cuts Don't Heal, a new grassroots advocacy website to increase awareness of cuts to our state’s Medicaid program and promote our proposed alternative, the special healthcare assessment. Please click here to learn how these cuts will affect healthcare in Arizona and to let your lawmakers know there is an alternative.

coalition launches "don't hurt the ones you love" campaign

The Coalition to Protect America's Health Care launched the "Don't hurt the ones you love" campaign, urging lawmakers to oppose any further federal reductions to hospital care as part of any debt-limit/deficit reduction agreement. The Coalition is an organization of hospitals and national, state, regional and metropolitan associations united with the business community to protect and preserve the financial viability of America's hospitals. Please contact your lawmakers and reinforce this important message.
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ARIZONA HOSPITAL AND HEALTHCARE ASSOCIATION'S NEW HEALTH REFORM
WEB PAGE

On March 23, 2010, President Obama signed into law H.R. 3590, the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act(ACA). The following week, the president signed into law H.R. 4872, the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010, which made modifications to H.R. 3590. Together, these bills constitute the largest change to America’s healthcare system since the creation of Medicare and Medicaid.
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statement from the Arizona Hospital and Healthcare Association on the state budget

The Arizona Hospital and Healthcare Association (AzHHA) is deeply concerned that the budget will damage Arizona’s economy at a time when we are struggling mightily to recover from the recession. The budget authorizes the Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System (AHCCCS) Administration to alter eligibility in a way that could result in 120,000 patients losing their healthcare coverage and financially harm the hospitals and healthcare professionals who will care for them when they become ill or injured.
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CLICK HERE to see impact of Governor's proposed plan on hospitals...

CLICK HERE to see AHCCCS economic impact fact sheet ...

CLICK HERE to see AzHHA's letter to Sec. Sebelius regarding demonstration waiver request ...

HQA Updates Hospital Compare Data

The Hospital Quality Alliance updated the Hospital Compare website with the latest hospital inpatient and outpatient quality data, including the yearly update of 30-day readmission and mortality rates for heart attack, heart failure and pneumonia inpatients. According to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, the national mortality and readmission rates for heart attack were slightly lower this year, while the rates for heart failure and pneumonia were slightly higher.

member spotlight:
PHOENIX BAPTIST HOSPITAL

Phoenix Baptist Hospital, an affiliate of Abrazo Health Care, is a 216-bed acute care facility and teaching hospital that has been providing quality care to patients in the Phoenix community for more than 40 years. The hospital is recognized for cardiovascular care, orthopedics, breast health, women’s services, radiology and 24-hour emergency services.
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