Arizona Department of Health Services, Director’s Blog

Arizona State Hospital In Good Standing

Last September the Arizona State Hospital (ASH) was inspected (surveyed) for the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). The survey team can review over 20 different areas and three were identified that we needed to address: Governing Body, Patient Rights, and Nursing Services.   In December, we developed and implemented a Plan of Correction which was submitted to CMS.  Some […]

By | March 14th, 2014|Behavioral Health, Licensing|1 Comment

This Week’s Lawsuit

We were sued this week by a group of same-gender couples in Arizona- challenging Arizona’s ban on gay marriage. The lawsuit challenges Arizona’s marriage criteria which excludes same-gender couples from marriage. The lawsuit was filed in U.S. District Court in Phoenix by seven same-gender couples and two people […]

By | March 14th, 2014|Uncategorized|1 Comment

Improving Arizona’s Birth Outcomes

Arizona ranks in the middle of the pack in infant mortality.  We’re doing many things right to improve the health of our babies-  but we have a way to go. Last fall we participated in a learning collaborative sponsored by the National Governors Association.  About 160 folks met to begin […]

By | March 13th, 2014|Prevention|Comments Off on Improving Arizona’s Birth Outcomes

Planned Parenthood v. Humble

We were served Wednesday with a lawsuit seeking declaratory and injunctive relief from our new Abortion Clinic Regulations that are scheduled to go into effect on April 1.  The new regulations were in response to HB 2036, which was passed and signed during the 2012 legislative session…  tasking us with several things related to the […]

By | March 11th, 2014|Licensing|Comments Off on Planned Parenthood v. Humble

Licensing & Rulemaking

Our Licensing & Rulemaking teams have spent the past two years working with numerous associations and stakeholders from various licensed facilities as part of our regulatory reform initiative. The last legislative session extended our “exempt” rulemaking authority through April of 2014. This gave us the unique opportunity to live with the new rules for a little while to find […]

By | March 10th, 2014|Licensing|Comments Off on Licensing & Rulemaking