AzHHA submitting a comment letter opposing licensing fee increases.
The looming government shutdown as fight over ACA subsidies intensifies.
How the general effective date is around the corner.
AzHHA submits comment letter opposing licensing fee increases
What’s happening: The Arizona Department of Health Services (ADHS) has proposed significant increases to licensing fees for hospitals and other healthcare institutions (R9-10-106, Table 1.3).
Why it matters: The proposal would significantly increase hospitals’ share of the costs associated with ADHS operating the Division of Licensing. At the same time, hospitals are contending with new federal financial pressures stemming from H.R.1.
Our take:
Fee increases without performance benchmarks risk compounding existing problems.
Hospitals report surveys that disrupt patient care, last up to a week and pull staff away from operations.
Members also cite inconsistent surveyor expertise, adversarial approaches and duplicative reporting requirements.
What we’re asking: ADHS should tie any fee increase to:
Clear performance and accountability standards.
Transparency on how new revenue improves licensing operations.
Assurances that funds will enhance consistency and fairness, not bureaucracy.
Government shutdown looms as fight over ACA subsidies intensifies
On Tuesday, President Trump abruptly canceled a meeting with Democratic leaders to discuss the quickly approaching federal funding deadline, heightening the risk of a government shutdown on Wednesday, Oct. 1, 2025.
Democrats insist on including an extension of the enhanced Affordable Care Act (ACA) premium subsidies in the continuing resolution (CR), while Republicans remain divided on the issue. Some dismiss the subsidies as wasteful pandemic-era benefits, while others recognize the political cost of allowing health premiums to spike.
The stalemate has left both parties dug in over the fate of the enhanced tax credits, which subsidize health insurance for millions of Americans.
Why it matters: A failure to extend the ACA subsidies by the end of the year will cause over four million Americans to lose health insurance by 2034, according to the Congressional Budget Office.
The CR passed by the House failed in the Senate last week, as did an alternative Democratic proposal that would permanently extend the ACA subsides and roll back the Medicaid cuts in the One Big Beautiful Bill.
What’s next: Republicans need 60 votes in the Senate to avert a shutdown by the Tuesday, Sept. 30, 2025 deadline.
General effective date is around the corner
Most laws passed during the 2025 legislative session will take effect on Friday, Sept. 26, 2025.
Why it matters: These new laws have a direct impact on Arizona hospitals, patients and the healthcare workforce.
HB2332 (maternal health committee): Creates an advisory committee to address rural OBGYN deserts and maternal health needs across Arizona.
HB2173 (mental health licensing questions): Removes outdated mental-health disclosures from professional licensing applications for past behavioral health treatment.
HB2742 (court-ordered evaluations): The 48-hour deadline for a screening agency to act on an application for a court-ordered mental health evaluation does not include weekends and holidays.
SB1219 (sober living reporting and surveyor training): Requires outpatient behavioral health centers to document sober living home information if the patient resides there. Mandates annual training for ADHS surveyors and their supervisors/managers.
Bills with delayed effective dates:
HB2175 (claims & prior authorization): Delayed effective date is July 1, 2026.
Requires healthcare insurers to individually review and exercise independent medical judgment before denying a provider-submitted claim or requested prior authorization.
SB1291 (provider credentialing and retroactive payment): Delayed effective date is April 1, 2026.
Streamlines provider credentialing and adds a retroactive payment option for providers.
The bottom line: These victories showcase AzHHA’s advocacy to enhance patient access, lessen administrative burdens and fortify Arizona’s healthcare system.
After more than 40 years in healthcare, Vicki Buchda, M.S., R.N., NEA-BC, is retiring from her role as senior vice president of care improvement at AzHHA.
The impact: Vicki joined AzHHA in 2017 and led statewide efforts to improve:
Patient safety and experience.
Health equity and outcomes.
Workforce development.
She’s known for her work in harm prevention, maternal health, nursing workforce development and advance care planning.
Zoom out: Vicki implemented cornerstone programs like the Arizona Alliance for Innovation on Maternal Health (AIM) Collaborative and the Arizona Transition to Practice Program from the ground up.
She actively sought and secured funding to bring these initiatives to life, ensuring they were sustainable and impactful for Arizona’s healthcare workforce and the patients we serve.
What’s next: AzHHA is proud to announce the promotion of Karen Ofafa, EdD, MPH, BSN, R.N., to vice president of care improvement. Karen has:
📢 Less than one month left to register! Deadline to register is Friday, Oct. 17, 2025. Register today!
Deadline extended: Annual HVA/RGA survey - we need your participation!
The Arizona Coalition for Healthcare Emergency Response (AzCHER) has launched its annual Hazard Vulnerability Assessment (HVA) and Resource Gap Analysis (RGA) survey.
Why it matters: This vital tool helps identify risks, uncover gaps and strengthen emergency preparedness across Arizona’s healthcare system.
The survey link was sent to AzCHER members on Monday, Sept. 8, 2025. The deadline to complete the survey is now Friday, Oct. 3, 2025.
We need broad participation—your input directly contributes to statewide readiness and helps protect patients, staff and communities.
Get to know them: For more than four decades, HSAG has been committed to improving the quality of healthcare services in order to achieve the best possible patient outcomes.
They provide healthcare quality expertise to those who deliver care and those who receive care, and tools and resources for patients, families and caregivers to be advocates for their own health.
Since their beginning, HSAG has advanced to become a multi-state/territory Quality Innovation Network-Quality Improvement Organization (QIN-QIO) and serves as the West Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) QIN-QIO Region 7, which includes Arizona.
In this capacity, HSAG will align with CMS priority focus areas and collaborate closely with the Arizona Hospital and Healthcare Association and CMS-selected hospitals to provide expert healthcare quality improvement services and tailored assistance to help hospitals improve patient safety.
Coming in October: Medical Leadership in Disaster Preparedness and Response Conference
The Arizona Coalition for Healthcare Emergency Response (AzCHER) is excited to share the upcoming Medical Leadership in Disaster Preparedness and Response Conference, which takes place Oct. 28-29, 2025.
The event is co-hosted by ASPR TRACIE and ACEP.
Why it matters: This free, virtual event will help AzCHER members strengthen emergency readiness, enhance leadership skills and apply best practices to improve healthcare response across Arizona.
New SHARE Cardiac Arrest Annual Report dashboard is live
The Arizona Department of Health Services Bureau of EMS and Trauma System has published the Save Hearts in Arizona Registry and Education (SHARE) Cardiac Arrest Annual Report dashboard.
The dashboard includes:
Annual statewide SHARE reports for calendar years 2023 and 2024.
Outcome information for cardiac arrest cases included in the SHARE population.
The percent of patients who achieved sustained return of spontaneous circulation (ROSC) in the field.
Havasu Regional Medical Center celebrated the achievement of its first two employees to complete the Mohave Community College’s innovative Accelerated Nursing Program for Paramedics.
Jesus “Tito” Mireles and Azriel “Z” Ortega have successfully completed the rigorous three-semester program and are now eligible to take the national licensure exam to become registered nurses.
Why it matters: The Accelerated Nursing Program for Paramedics addresses two critical needs in healthcare: providing career advancement opportunities for experienced paramedics and helping to alleviate the ongoing nursing shortage.
The program builds upon the medical knowledge and clinical skills that paramedics possess which offers an efficient and effective pathway to nursing licensure.
The big picture: The program’s compact three-semester format allows working paramedics to advance their careers without the typical four-year commitment required for traditional nursing programs.
Congratulations!
UPCOMING EVENTS
Wednesday, Oct. 1 - Introduction to POLST Join physician orders for life-sustaining treatment (POLST) paradigm for their one-hour virtual workshops equipping healthcare professionals with knowledge and resources to begin using POLST in Arizona. Register here.
Thursday, Oct. 2 - careLearning CMS webinar for AzHHA members AzHHA members are invited to participate in a live product information webinar at 11:30 a.m. on Thursday, Oct. 2 to learn about careLearning’s Learning Management System (LMS). The LMS offers cost-effective eLearning solutions, regulatory compliance tracking and healthcare-related courses. Members can access exclusive discounts and fee waivers. To register, email careLearning’s Derrick Stowers directly.
Oct. 29-31 – 2025 Arizona Hospital Leadership Conference The 2025 Arizona Hospital Leadership Conference will be held at the exquisite Loews Ventana Canyon Resort in Tucson on Oct. 29-31. This will be an inspirational gathering of more than 200 hospital and healthcare executives seeking opportunities for continuing education, meaningful discussion and relationship building. Register now.
Friday, Nov. 7 - Peer support training for health professionals The Wellbeing Collaborative is offering a powerful in-person training for healthcare professionals interested in building or strengthening peer support programs in their organizations. This interactive training includes real-world strategies, hands-on practice and expert guidance to promote connection, resilience and psychological safety across teams. Learn more and register.
