Smart Brevity^® count: 6.5 mins...1787 words

In this issue, read about:

• The Arizona Senate voting to repeal the abortion ban.
• The relaunch of AzHHA’s job board.
• An upcoming EMTALA webinar series.

116 Days in with no end in sight.

On Wednesday, both the House and Senate held their weekly sessions.

• This week, attention was on the Senate, following the transfer of HB2677 from the House.
• HB2677 would repeal the near-total abortion ban recently upheld by the Arizona Supreme Court.

The Senate's session was dominated by lengthy discussions on abortion. Senator Anna Hernandez (D-Dist. 24) initiated the proceedings by proposing that HB2677 be read for the first time and immediately moved to a third reading.

• This move faced opposition from several Republican senators who attempted to halt the voting process.
• Despite hours of testimony and procedural delays, the bill passed the Senate with a narrow 16-14 vote, with two Republican senators breaking ranks to support the repeal.

What's next: Governor Hobbs already stated her intention to sign the repeal, and is expected to sign it today (Thursday). It will not take effect until 90 days after the Legislature adjourns for the year.

Where is HB2035? Our priority bill focusing on health insurance accountability remains active and under consideration.

• The topic of abortion has dominated legislative discussions in recent weeks, but we have been proactive with HB2035.
• Last week, we met with the bill's sponsor to strategize and ensure its progress.
• The bill faces a hold in the Senate due to financial concerns raised by the Joint Legislative Budget Committee (JLBC).
• The JLBC originally estimated that implementing the bill could cost the state between $900,000 and $2.9 million. They are now reevaluating this fiscal note to potentially lower these costs.
• We will remain active working with Senate members and the bill's sponsor to advance HB2035 to the Governor’s desk.

If you have any questions, please contact our Director of Government Relations Damien Johnson.

AzHHA is excited to share its new and improved job board, AzHealthJobs.

Go deeper: The new back-end partner, Web Scribble, offers enhanced customer service and a sales team who actively scrub the internet for jobseekers.

• Select from basic, enhanced or premium posting opportunities.
• Customize your postings with corporate branding and gain access to multiple partner job sites with the premium selection.

Benefit to AzHHA members: Use code “AzHHA15” and receive 15% off all job postings and packages through the end of July 2024.

Questions? Contact [email protected] or reach out to Web Scribble directly at [email protected].

In response to a member education request, AzHHA will offer a three-part webinar series to answer questions about EMTALA, the Emergency Medical Treatment and Active Labor Act. Our esteemed speakers include:

• Karen Owens, a partner in the Phoenix, Ariz. law firm of Coppersmith Brockelman, PLC, and
• Odette Colburn, director of accreditation and regulatory for Valleywise Health.

Webinar dates and times:

• EMTALA basics – noon to 1:30 p.m. on Thursday, May 16, 2024. 
• EMTALA for special issues – noon to 1:30 p.m. on Thursday, June 13, 2024. 
• EMTALA surveys, deficiencies and interactions with agencies – noon to 1:30 p.m. on Thursday, Aug. 22, 2024. 

The bottom line: AzHHA members do not need to attend all three sessions, but you will receive the most benefit if you can attend the entire series.

• If you register for one or more of the sessions, please also download the EMTALA manual by acknowledging the licensing agreement here.
• The webinars are free of charge for AzHHA members.
• Attendees who will most benefit from this webinar series include legal and compliance representatives, hospital CEOs, hospital CNOs, risk managers, ED nurse managers and ED medical directors.

For questions and registration information, please reach out to [email protected].

Ahead of UnitedHealth Group CEO Andrew Witty testifying on Wednesday, May 1, 2024, before House and Senate committees regarding the Change Healthcare cyberattack, American Healthcare Association (AHA) President and CEO Rick Pollack wrote an advertorial for the Washington Post.

Why it matters: A devastating cyberattack on Change Healthcare, a subsidiary of UnitedHealth Group, on Wednesday, Feb. 21, 2024, crippled the American healthcare system. Here’s what Pollack wrote:

• The attack caused widespread disruptions, including difficulties in obtaining prescriptions, care scheduling delays and financial strains on hospitals and providers.
• UnitedHealth Group's immense presence in healthcare, with subsidiaries spanning insurance, physician employment, prescription management and more, made it a critical target.
• Change Healthcare, a key player in processing healthcare transactions, further amplified the risk due to its vast influence on the system.
• Despite UnitedHealth Group's claims of rapid restoration post-attack, its dominance and lack of contingency planning contributed to the severity of the crisis. Congress is now scrutinizing the incident and the concept of entities being "too big to fail" in healthcare, emphasizing the need for stronger cybersecurity measures and regulatory oversight.

Go deeper: The AHA sent letters to the leaders of the Senate Committee on Finance and House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations to provide updates regarding outstanding issues continuing to impact patients and hospitals following the Change Healthcare cyberattack, as well as additional actions for Congress and the Administration to consider related to the cybersecurity of the healthcare sector.

What they’re saying: Last week, Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes joined 21 other state attorneys general in sending a letter to Witty expressing concern over UnitedHealth’s response.

Congratulations to all the facilities that will have new graduate registered nurses participating in the Arizona Transition to Practice Program’s second cohort starting in June 2024.

Informational sessions about the program, including a program overview, onboarding information and the implementation plan, will be held:

• 9 to 9:45 a.m. on Friday, May 3, 2024
• 1 to 1:45 p.m. on Friday, May 3, 2024
• 11:30 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. on Monday, May 6, 2024

Who should attend?

• Key stakeholders at participating facilities for the June 2024 cohort, including site champions, executive sponsors, unit managers (on the new graduate’s unit) and educators.
• Anyone who is interested in learning more about the program.

If you haven’t received an invite and are interested in attending one of the sessions, please email [email protected].

What’s next: For the facilities participating in the June 2024 cohort, here are some other key upcoming dates:

• Preceptor Academy launches Monday, May 13, 2024
• New graduate cohort start date is Monday, June 24, 2024

What’s new: Access the latest Contract Labor Market Report from Adaptive Workforce Solutions, an affiliated partner and endorsed vendor of AzHHA.

• This report provides insights derived from the detailed examination of national and regional healthcare provider bill rates, including insights into bill rate fluctuations and utilization trends.
• You'll also get an update on first-quarter legislative activity, litigation of interest (re: Capital Health System, Inc., v. Symmetry Workforce Solutions, LLC and AYA Healthcare, INC.) and other events impacting the healthcare labor market.

Access your copy here.

Questions? Contact Alma Del Toro, regional director of Workforce Solutions, at [email protected].

In relationship with DataGen, AzHHA distributes reports to hospitals based on information submitted to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. DataGen generates hospital-specific reports which are sent to AzHHA hospital members as part of their membership.

Why it matters: This data helps hospitals understand the financial impact of proposed changes and annual updates.

• The reports can also assist in preparing budgets or benchmarking results with other similar organizations.

The below reports were recently sent to members:

• Post Acute Care Transfer Policy Analysis (sent Tuesday, April 2, 2024)
• Medicare Margins 4Q2023 FFS Analysis (sent Wednesday, April 3, 2024)
• 4Q2023 Outpatient Quality Measure Trends Analysis (sent Thursday, April 11, 2024)\
• FFY 2025 Skilled Nursing Facility (SNF) Proposed Rule (sent Monday, April 22, 2024)
• FFY 2025 Medicare Inpatient Rehabilitation Facility Proposed Rule (sent Tuesday, April 30, 2024)