AzHHA announces new slate for the 2027 Board of Directors
What’s new: The AzHHA Board of Directors announced today that it approved five new healthcare executives, to serve on its board and confirmed its roster for 2027.
The following Arizona healthcare executives were approved to join the AzHHA Board of Directors:
LaDessa Forrest, market CEO, Encompass Health Rehabilitation Hospital of West Valley
Melinda White, CEO, Sage Memorial Hospital
Michael White, M.D., president and CEO, Valleywise Health
Why it matters: AzHHA’s Board of Directors includes hospital and healthcare leaders representing various hospitals throughout Arizona – from large health systems to rural hospitals. The fundamental responsibilities of the board officers and Board of Directors are to set policy and broad strategic direction toward the fulfillment of AzHHA’s mission.
Steve Purves, former president and CEO of Valleywise Health, was presented with the 2026 Grassroots Champion Award.
Why it matters: The award honors a hospital leader from an American Hospital Association (AHA) member organization in each state who excels at building strong relationships with lawmakers and their staff and works tirelessly to advocate for the well-being of patients, hospitals and the communities they serve.
“Steve has been a powerful voice for Arizona’s hospitals and health systems, bringing the realities they face, particularly the challenges confronting safety-net providers, directly to policymakers and helping them understand how policy decisions affect hospitals’ ability to care for their communities. Through his advocacy, his national and state leadership positions and his ability to build meaningful relationships with lawmakers, Steve has helped ensure the experiences and needs of hospitals are heard and understood. His leadership exemplifies the impact recognized by the AHA Grassroots Champion Award.”
-Mary Naylor, regional executive, Region 8, American Hospital Association
Congratulations, Steve!
The Legislator of the Year Award goes to…
Representative Selina Bliss (R-Dist. 1) was presented the 2026 Legislator of the Year Award.
👉This award honors the steadfast commitment of a public servant who has gone above and beyond in championing the needs of Arizona’s hospitals.
“Representative Bliss brings a nurse’s perspective to every healthcare conversation at the Capitol. On SB1127, she ensured Arizona’s child abuse reporting law protects children without pulling caregivers away from the bedside when patients need them most. Her steady, practical leadership has made a real difference for Arizona hospitals and the patients we serve.”
-Damien Johnson, director of government relations, AzHHA
Congratulations, Representative Bliss!
AzHHA Quality Awards – Top Overall Excellence winner
🎉This year’s Top Overall Excellence Award was presented to Kingman Regional Medical Center for its submission titled “Building a sustainable pre-licensure nurse workforce pipeline.”
The submission detailed the LevelUp Nursing Internship Program, developed to address nursing shortages, high registered nurse vacancy rates, turnover and lengthy orientation periods for new graduate nurses. The program created a sustainable pipeline of future nurses by partnering with a workforce development organization and aligning nurse education with early clinical integration.
Why it matters: This award recognizes the highest achievement among the top scorers from each category.
The top scorers were blinded and scored by volunteer leaders from other state hospital associations.
The winners of the Outstanding Patient/Community Impact Award, listed by classification, are:
25 beds or less: Sage Memorial Hospital for its submission titled “Inpatient hemodialysis program development and implementation.”
26-100 beds: Valley View Medical Center for its submission titled “Quarterly RQI: Enhancing competency through low-dose, high-frequency learning.”
101-300 beds: Southern Arizona VA Health Care System for its submission titled “Enhancing ICU medication safety.”
More than 300 beds: Onvida Health for its submission titled “Reducing blood culture contamination rate.”
Why it matters: This award recognizes healthcare facilities that have made a direct and measurable difference in patient outcomes in the hospital and community setting. This includes initiatives that reduce hospital-acquired infection rates, lower fall rates, improve maternal and mental health, enhance patient safety and quality of care, and promote equitable and respectful treatment.
The winners of the Workforce Engagement Award, listed by classification, are:
25 beds or less: San Carlos Apache Healthcare for its submission titled “Flourishing as a new nurse in rural Arizona: Gozhǫǫ in nursing at Izee֙ Baa Gowąh.”
26-100 beds: Valley View Medical Center for its submission titled “Improving the patient experience: Leader Rounding 2.0.”
101-300 beds: Kingman Regional Medical Center for its submission titled “Building a sustainable pre-licensure nurse workforce pipeline.”
More than 300 beds: Northern Arizona Healthcare for its submission titled “Advancing early discharges to improve throughput and patient flow.”
Why it matters: This award celebrates healthcare facilities and teams that have achieved outstanding results in clinical workflows, workforce and process improvement. This recognition highlights initiatives that positively influence care delivery, staff engagement and clinical relationships.
Congratulations!
UPCOMING EVENTS
Friday, Oct. 30, 2026 –Training Transformative Mental Healthcare Teams Conference This virtual session is designed for behavioral healthcare preceptors working with rural and underserved communities. The training will equip preceptors with effective strategies to strengthen the clinical competence, confidence and engagement of experiential learners in behavioral healthcare. Learn more and register.
Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2026 – Changing National Landscape of 340B webinar Join SunRx for an informative webinar featuring special guest speaker Bharath Krishnamurthy, health policy and analytics at the American Hospital Association. This webinar will provide an overview of the key developments shaping 340B today and what they may mean for 340B entities in the future. Register here.
Wednesday, Nov. 4, 2026 – Strengthening the Rural Nursing Workforce: Transition to Practice as a Statewide Strategy webinar This webinar, hosted by the American Organization for Nursing Leadership, will highlight the Arizona Transition to Practice Program. Karen Ofafa, EdD, MPH, BSN, R.N., vice president of Workforce and Clinical Excellence at AzHHA, will share implementation strategies, sustainability considerations and lessons learned that can inform broader efforts to strengthen the rural nursing workforce. Register now.
Jan. 8-9, 2027 – 3rd National Pediatric Disaster Conference The conference, which will be held in Scottsdale, Ariz., will focus on pediatric mass casualty incidents and innovative approaches to strengthening preparedness, response and recovery efforts for children. AzCHER encourages members to save the date and take advantage of this opportunity to learn, connect and strengthen pediatric readiness. Learn more and register.
