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Connection Newsletter
By AzHHA Communications ● Feb. 13, 2025
Smart Brevity® count: 5 mins...1359 words
This week, read about:
- Upcoming legislative deadlines and committee updates.
- AHCCCS releasing policy guidelines for the Maternal Syphilis Program DAP.
- AzCHER’s Annual Report.
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Upcoming legislative deadlines and committee updates
This week has seen an intense start, with both chambers operating at full throttle. Committees are running extended sessions, floor meetings are stretching and bills are swiftly moving from one chamber to the other.
Key legislative deadlines: Monday was a crucial day, marking the final opportunity for bill introductions in the House. This has set the stage for a flurry of last-minute filings.
- Now, all eyes are on whether these bills will secure a hearing before the looming deadline of next Friday, Feb. 21, 2025.
- If a bill doesn’t get a hearing, it stalls and ultimately dies.
- Brace for several bills to drop off in the coming days as committees make their final decisions.
House update:
- The House Health and Human Services Committee met Monday afternoon to review ten bills.
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AzHHA weighed in with strong support for HB2329, which provides funding for the Health Care Directives Registry, a crucial service that requires financial support to continue beyond this fiscal year.
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The committee will reconvene this afternoon to hear an additional eleven bills, including HB2173, which we are actively advocating for.
- Our priority bill, HB2124, was scheduled for a hearing in the House Commerce Committee on Tuesday but was held back by the sponsor due to a lack of initial support from the committee’s majority members.
Senate update: The Senate Health and Human Services Committee convened Thursday morning.
- Our priority bill, SB1291, was set for discussion but was delayed due to a technicality. It will be back on the agenda next week.
What’s next: Looking ahead, next week promises to be a thrilling one, packed with full agendas and possibly special committee meetings to accommodate additional bills ahead of the Feb. 21 deadline.
- If you have any questions or concerns, please get in touch with Damien Johnson, director of government relations.
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AHCCCS releases policy guidelines for the Maternal Syphilis Program DAP
Since the initial Differential Adjusted Payments (DAP) proposal was published, the Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System (AHCCCS) released its policy standards/guidelines for the Maternal Syphilis Program DAP initiative.
Highlights of the proposal include:
- The policy targets females ages 15-44, regardless of known pregnancy status presenting in the hospital or emergency department.
- AHCCCS mentions the possibility of adopting an opt-out approach but does not clarify if it plans to do so.
- In most cases, implementing a point of care rapid test is acceptable.
- Hospitals must have a designated Maternal Syphilis Program Manager.
Why it matters: Hospitals with emergency departments that participate with this DAP initiative will receive a 0.25-0.5% increase on all AHCCCS payments for date of service Oct. 1, 2025 through Sept. 30, 2026.
The big picture: The complete DAP proposal is available here.
Comments: AzHHA is soliciting feedback on the DAP proposal from its members to be included in its comment letter to AHCCCS. Please submit comments to Amy Upston by Monday, Feb. 24, 2025.
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🎉Now available: AzCHER Annual Report
The Arizona Coalition for Healthcare Emergency Response (AzCHER) has released its annual report, showcasing key achievements and insights from the past year.
Why it matters: This report provides essential updates on AzCHER’s initiatives, highlighting its impact on healthcare preparedness and emergency response.
- It serves as a valuable resource for healthcare professionals, policymakers and stakeholders invested in strengthening emergency response strategies.
What’s next: Stakeholders are encouraged to review the report to stay informed about the coalition’s ongoing efforts and future plans.
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Member contact information update
AzHHA will be launching a new interactive platform for members to access events, information and resources.
Why it matters: Members are asked to confirm or update essential contacts for the new platform.
- This will ensure that educational webinars, business connections, toolkits, virtual discussions, listening sessions and in-person networking events are targeted at the appropriate individuals.
Some examples of requested contacts include but are not limited to:
- CFOs and revenue cycle managers
- Public relations
- Human resources
- CNOs and CMOs
- Compliance, legal staff and risk managers
- Government relations
Next steps: Your facility will receive an information request within the next week.
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CDC posts Maternal Mortality Rates Report
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recently posted a report for maternal mortality rates for 2023 based on data from the National Vital Statistics System.
Why it matters: This data showed some positive news:
- In 2023, 669 women died of maternal causes in the U.S., compared with 817 in 2022.
- The maternal mortality rate for 2023 decreased to 18.6 deaths per 100,000 live births, compared with a rate of 22.3 in 2022.
- Rates decreased significantly for White and Hispanic women.
However, the observed decrease for Asian and increase for Black women was not statistically significant.
- In 2023, the maternal mortality rate for Black women was 50.3 deaths per 100,000 live births and was significantly higher than rates for White (14.5), Hispanic (12.4) and Asian (10.7) women.
The bottom line: The Arizona Alliance for Innovation on Maternal Health (AIM) Collaborative continues to work on driving down maternal mortality rates in Arizona through the implementation of evidence-based practices and safety bundles. Learn more.
- On Tuesday, Feb. 4, 2025, Little Colorado Medical Center participated in a Laerdal OB simulation, which they won at the AzHHA OB emergency simulation day in November 2024.
- The simulation was focused on hypertensive emergency and postpartum hemorrhage with many nurses, providers and nursing assistants participating throughout the day in four separate events.
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Tuesday, March 11 - Health Equity Roadmap Workshop: The Waypoint
The Institute for Diversity and Health Equity (IFDHE) will convene hospitals and health systems engaged in the Health Equity Roadmap. Attendees may earn one or two ACHE Qualified Education Hours toward initial certification or recertification of the Fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives (FACHE) designation. Learn more and register.
Thursday, April 3 - AzPHA Annual Conference
This year’s conference theme is “building an innovative and inclusive infrastructure for the public health of the future” and will feature topics such as using AI to enhance public health practice and population outcomes, data infrastructure and informatics, public health workforce and engaging public health professionals. Register now.
April 15-16 - 2025 Arizona Immunization Conference
This one-of-a-kind event provides education and resources so you can better understand the challenges around vaccine confidence and leave the conference encouraged by the success stories from around the state. Join over 500 attendees at the 2025 conference. Register here.
May 4-6 - American Hospital Association Annual Membership Meeting
This event will feature insightful conversations with policymakers, legislators and thought leaders on our most pressing issues. You’ll connect with decision makers who create, shape and implement healthcare policy and influence the political landscape. Register now and save with early bird registration pricing until Monday, March 3, 2025.
Wednesday, May 28 - Introduction to POLST
Join physician orders for life-sustaining treatment paradigm (POLST) for their one-hour virtual workshops equipping healthcare professionals with knowledge and resources to begin using POLST in Arizona. Register here.
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