Register now to take advantage of the early bird discount.
The discount is available until Wednesday, Sept. 2, 2026.
The big picture: This educational event is dedicated to supporting a vibrant healthcare delivery system, including a robust network of acute care, critical access, behavioral health and post-acute care hospitals.
This will be an inspirational gathering of more than 200 hospital and healthcare executives seeking opportunities for continuing education, meaningful discussion and relationship building.
Arizona erases over $1 billion in medical debt with hospital support
Arizona has erased over $1 billion in medical debt for hundreds of thousands of residents through a partnership with Undue Medical Debt.
Governor Katie Hobbs started the initiative in 2024, aiming to erase up to $2 billion in debt for one million Arizonans.
Why it matters: Medical debt creates lasting financial stress and can deter people from seeking care.
This initiative offers relief, made possible with help from Arizona hospitals.
It demonstrates something hospitals across Arizona work toward every day: Caring for patients includes recognizing the financial realities families face when they need healthcare.
Residents don’t need to apply; eligible debt is identified automatically.
What they're saying: AzHHA is proud to participate in this initiative as highlighted in the governor’s news release.
The big picture: Debt relief is an important tool, but preventing medical debt in the first place requires continued work to keep Arizonans insured, make coverage meaningful and ensure patients can access care without facing financial hardship.
Arizona hospitals help by offering financial assistance and partnering on initiatives that reduce families’ financial burdens.
The bottom line: Passing $1 billion shows what’s possible when leaders, hospitals and communities work together to make healthcare more affordable.
Post-primary election review
The big picture: Arizona's July 21 primary delivered few surprises, with turnout low and most incumbents holding on.
Results were certified statewide on Thursday, Aug. 6, 2026. Candidates had until Tuesday, Aug. 11, 206, to file court challenges.
Statewide turnout: just 25% of registered voters.
Statewide races
Governor
Katie Hobbs (D) ran unopposed.
Andy Biggs (R) won the GOP primary with 73% of the vote.
Attorney general
Kris Mayes (D) ran unopposed.
Senate President Warren Petersen (R) won the GOP primary with 56% of the vote.
Secretary of state
Adrian Fontes (D) ran unopposed.
State Rep. Alexander Kolodin (R) won the GOP primary with 59% of the vote.
None of these offices are healthcare-specific, but AzHHA tracks all three because the governor appoints state department leadership, including the Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System (AHCCCS) and Department of Insurance and Financial Institutions, and the attorney general's office handles healthcare fraud and consumer protection enforcement.
Arizona Legislature
Few upsets; most incumbents advanced. One exception matters for hospitals:
Rep. Stephanie Stahl Hamilton (D), the ranking Democrat on the House Appropriations Committee, lost her primary. She's been a steady voice for hospitals on AHCCCS/Medicaid budget matters amid recent funding uncertainty; her exit is a significant change to the committee's makeup heading into the next session.
What's next:
AzHHA Voter Toolkit: AzHHA offers a nonpartisan resource hospitals can adapt for their own staff and communities, ready to use as-is or customized with your organization's branding. Access the toolkit.
Key dates to know:
Oct. 5, 2026 – Last day to register to vote
Oct. 27, 2026 – Recommended deadline to mail back your ballot
Nov. 3, 2026 – General election
Jan. 11, 2027 – New Arizona Legislature convenes
Hospitals bear the brunt of Trump 2.0 health policy
While President Trump's first year featured high-profile deals with drugmakers and a win for insurers on Medicare Advantage rates, hospitals are proving to be the hardest-hit sector.
Second-quarter earnings from HCA and Tenet show that patients losing Affordable Care Act exchange coverage are landing almost entirely in the uninsured pool rather than shifting to other insurance, squeezing admissions and margins.
The pressure is expected to intensify as last year's federal Medicaid law tightens provider tax and state-directed payment rules, with the largest changes phasing in next year.
Fitch Ratings recently warned that the sector's five-year run of balance-sheet gains is ending.
Conservative think tank Paragon Health Institute, influential in shaping those Medicaid cuts, argues that hospitals deserve little sympathy and calls them the least efficient part of the health system.
The American Hospital Association counters that the cuts threaten patient access to care.
Meanwhile, Senate Democrats' emerging affordability agenda has largely kept hospital pricing off the table so far, even as outside groups push for rate caps and site-neutral payment policies.
Friday, Sept. 11, 2026 and Saturday, Sept. 12, 2026 – Alzheimer’s and Dementia in Practice: Bridging the Gap Between Diagnosis and Treatment Yavapai County Community Health Services is hosting two free, three-hour professional development classes in Cottonwood and Prescott to learn from medical experts in the field of Alzheimer’s and dementia on how to bridge the gap between early diagnosis and effective treatment by improving screening practices and connecting patients and caregivers with valuable resources. Register here for the Cottonwood session on Sept. 11 and register here for the Prescott session on Sept. 12.
Sept. 12, Sept. 19 and Oct. 3, 2026 – AzNA Regional Townhalls
Join the Arizona Nurses Association (AzNA) for its regional townhalls in September and October. Townhalls will be held in Phoenix, Flagstaff and Yuma. Board reports and networking will take place at all three events, and the full business meeting (including the induction of new board members) will occur in Phoenix. Learn more and register.
Oct. 21-23 – 2026 Arizona Hospital Leadership Conference The 2026 Arizona Hospital Leadership Conference will be held at the El Conquistador Tucson, a Hilton Resort on Oct. 21-23. This will be an inspirational gathering of more than 200 hospital and healthcare executives seeking opportunities for continuing education, meaningful discussion and relationship building. Registerby Wednesday, Sept. 2, 2026, to receive the early bird discount.
