As we reflect with gratitude on 2025 and look ahead to 2026, I want to extend my sincere appreciation to our members, partners, and supporters of the Arizona Rural Health Association.

This past year reminded us of both the challenges and the resilience present across rural Arizona. From access to care and workforce shortages to infrastructure and sustainability, rural health issues continue to demand collaboration, innovation, and commitment. I am deeply thankful for the dedication of our members and rural health champions who continue to show up for their communities every day.

As we move into 2026, we are excited about opportunities for growth and impact. We look forward to welcoming new members into our association, expanding our collective voice, and strengthening our advocacy for rural Arizona. We are also optimistic about incoming grant opportunities and the important work they will support, helping us advance programs and initiatives that truly make a difference.

Collaboration remains at the heart of our mission. We look forward to working closely with our rural community partners, clinics, and hospitals throughout the year as we continue addressing the unique health needs of rural and frontier communities across the state.

It is an honor to serve as President of the Arizona Rural Health Association. I am committed to doing my very best to support our mission, uplift our members, and work alongside you to improve health outcomes for rural Arizona.

Thank you for your continued trust, partnership, and dedication. Wishing you a healthy, hopeful, and successful New Year.

Warm regards,
Guadalupe Campos
President
Arizona Rural Health Association

The State of Arizona submitted an application to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) under the Rural Health Transformation (RHT) program requesting $200 million to support rural healthcare system stability and access. Arizona was awarded $167 million through the program. The state has indicated it will submit a revised budget to CMS reflecting the final award amount.

Arizona’s original application focused on two primary objectives: strengthening the rural health workforce and improving access to care in rural and frontier communities. A central component of the proposal was a Rural Health Workforce Development and Training Program, which requested approximately $57 million annually over five years. This program was designed to support recruitment and retention of clinicians and allied health professionals through high school and career and technical education pathways, expanded rural clinical rotations and residency programs, financial incentives such as stipends and relocation assistance, and training programs tied to rural service commitments. The application also identified workforce retention challenges related to long travel distances, housing availability, professional isolation, and burnout.

In addition to workforce initiatives, Arizona’s proposal included a Priority Health Initiative addressing behavioral health and substance use disorder services, chronic disease prevention and management, and maternal, fetal, and infant health. The application also proposed expanding telehealth capacity, supporting mobile and satellite care delivery models, and reducing administrative burdens for small rural providers through shared services such as electronic health record licensing and back-office support.

The application outlined a funding structure that would distribute resources through subawards and cooperative agreements to eligible rural hospitals, clinics, local governments, educational institutions, and community-based organizations. It also included planned investments in data systems, performance dashboards, and fiscal tracking tools to meet federal reporting and accountability requirements.

Oversight and implementation of Arizona’s RHT funds are assigned to the Arizona Office of Economic Opportunity, with coordination planned across state agencies that administer workforce and Medicaid-related programs. The proposal references collaboration with entities that have existing responsibilities for healthcare delivery, workforce development, and program compliance.

Arizona’s award of $167 million represents a partial allocation relative to the amount requested. At the time of reporting, the specific components reduced or modified as a result of the final award level have not been publicly identified. The state’s revised budget submission to CMS will reflect programmatic adjustments consistent with the awarded funding level.

Governor Katie Hobbs recently announced that Arizona has submitted the state’s application for the federal government’s Rural Health Transformation Program alongside a bipartisan letter of support for the Governor’s plan. The program was designed to support health care access in rural communities through investments in health care workforce and technology.

“Arizonans are struggling with health care that is unaffordable and inaccessible,” said Governor Katie Hobbs. “And rural Arizonans face challenges like potential service reductions and hospital closures, a lack of health care professionals, long wait times, insufficient access to specialty care, and outdated technology that is holding our communities back. As health care in rural Arizona continues to be under threat, I’m going to fight to deliver this critical funding for our state and protect Arizonans at risk of losing accessible and affordable health care.”

The Governor’s plan, which was developed in consultation with rural Arizona nurses, doctors, hospitals, health care plans, and community leaders, focuses on the following key initiatives:

Rural Health Care Workforce – $57 million/year for five years

Investments will increase residencies, and will subsidize health education for future clinicians and allied health professionals who commit to working in rural Arizona, including at universities, colleges, career and technical education schools, and high schools. Will also include retention, relocation, and commuting incentives for existing health professionals who work in rural Arizona, upskilling and training grants to improve our existing rural workforce, and the creation of the Arizona Healthcare Workforce Project at the Arizona Office of Economic Opportunity to lead healthcare workforce strategy and to create statewide training networks to supercharge our existing workforce. 

Rural Health Care Access – $45 million/year for five years

Investments will focus on improving access to healthcare in rural communities, including via telehealth, co-location of services, mobile clinics, and improved care coordination and health transportation.

Key Health Initiatives – $27 million/year for five years

$10 million for behavioral health and substance use disorder, to include access to naloxone, tele-behavioral health services, and crisis services for rural Arizonans; 

$5 million for maternal-fetal health initiatives to improve obstetrician care and access to maternal mental health resources for rural Arizonans; and 

$12 million for chronic illness prevention and treatment, including increases to screenings and public health resources; and

Rural Health Care Resiliency – $51 million/year for five years

Investments to focus on subsidizing rural providers’ fixed costs, including for electronic health records, healthcare technology and equipment, scaling back-office resources, and reducing administrative burdens faced by rural providers, including related to credentialing, licensing, and interoperability challenges.

“With significant input from rural health care clinics, hospitals, clinicians, Medicaid health plans, Tribal partners, universities, and elected officials from across the political spectrum, I’m confident that this plan will be able to deliver truly lasting change for rural Arizona communities and protect Arizonans from threats to their health care,” continued Governor Katie Hobbs.

Arizona expects to receive an announcement regarding its funding award before December 31, 2025, and will begin awarding contracts and subgrants, and distributing funds to rural Arizona in early 2026. 

In a letter supporting the submission, bipartisan members of Arizona’s congressional delegation highlighted rural Arizona’s geographic diversity and the unique challenges faced when delivering health care to communities. Read the full letter here.

In another letter submitted with the application, 17 Arizona associations and organizations praised Arizona’s efforts to engage with the health care community to submit an application that will meet Arizona’s needs. Signers include health associations representing Arizona’s hospitals, community health centers, behavioral health providers, nursing homes, doctors, nurses, ambulances, fire chiefs, fire districts, and Medicaid health plans. The letter is also supported by members of the business community, including the Arizona Chamber of Commerce. Read the full letter here.  

Read Governor Hobbs’ submitted plan here.

Dr. Anaeme delivering “Sophie” assisted by Julia Chan DNP, CNM

By Elizabeth Kizer, DrPH

Earlier this year, the Arizona Rural Health Association (AzRHA), in collaboration with the Arizona State Office of Rural Health (AzSORH) and partners, announced the launch of a grant-funded initiative to strengthen obstetric (OB) care in communities with non-birthing Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs). Since then, the program has made significant progress.

To date, five of the seven targeted CAHs have hosted OB simulation training under this project: Douglas ER & Copper Queen Community Hospital, Hopi Health Care Center, La Paz Regional Hospital, Parker Indian Health Service, and Sage Memorial Hospital. In October, the team will train at Northern Cochise Community Hospital, with San Carlos Apache Healthcare Center scheduled before year’s end.  Also, White Mountain Regional Medical Center served as the pilot site. 

So far, 147 health professionals have attended these trainings. Over half were nurses, EMTs, and paramedics.  Additionally, many nurse practitioners, pharmacists, physicians, and other allied health professionals attended. Notably, about half of the attendees reported they had never worked in a facility with birthing services—yet more than two-thirds had previously assisted with a precipitous vaginal birth. This highlights the importance of preparing rural providers for the precipitous births they are likely to encounter, even though their facilities are “non-birthing” hospitals.

I was able to attend the training at Sage Memorial Hospital on September 16-17th.  Participants shared their experiences with a precipitous birth in an ambulance in a remote community, and I reflected on my own experience living over an hour from my OB/GYN and birthing hospital when I was pregnant with my first child in Apache County.  Listening to medical professionals discuss their experiences, ask questions, and engage in the simulated birth gave me a renewed appreciation for the skill and care they provide to rural residents.   

Early evaluation results are promising. Pre- and post-surveys show participants overwhelmingly gained confidence in their skills and knowledge. The program’s success was also highlighted nationally on September 24, 2025 when the AzRHA team presented outcomes at the Critical Access Hospital Conference in Kansas City, Missouri.

This work is a clear reflection of AzRHA’s mission: to lead in partnerships, education, and policy to improve the health status of rural communities in Arizona. By equipping rural healthcare teams with the skills to respond to precipitous births, AzRHA and its partners are advancing safer birthing experiences and better health outcomes for rural families across the state.

The Arizona Commerce Authority’s State Broadband Office has released Arizona’s BEAD Final Proposal for a 7-day public comment window. The window will allow Arizonan’s to provide feedback related to broadband expansion across the state. The public comment window will close at 5:59 pm AZ-MST on Wednesday, September 3, 2025. To submit feedback, click the Get Started button below. You will have the opportunity to download the BEAD Final Proposal Draft and submit your feedback through an online form.​​​​​ GET STARTED On behalf of the State Broadband Office, thank you to all stakeholders for your continued dedication for providing reliable, high-speed internet to every Arizonan.

The Arizona Rural Health Association is working with state healthcare partners to maximize funds that the state will receive from the Rural Health Transformation Program (RHTP) as part of the One Big Beautiful Bill, passed earlier this summer.

We encourage you to explore this toolkit, published by the Arizona Center for Rural Health, to learn more about these funds and how to get involved with utilization of the program by the state.

Click on the link below to access this toolkit.

More photos of AzRHA members and board leadership at the 2025 Arizona Rural Health Conference.  Click here to view all photos from the conference.

Amanda Aguirre (rt) talks with Leila Barraza

L to R: Lisa O’Neill, DBH, MPH, Dan Derksen, MD, Maria Losoya

Erin McMahon with Jill Bullock

Lupe Campos with Jill Bullock

Jill Bullock, Jennifer Barton, and Dan Derksen

L to R: Joseph Finkelstein MD, PhD, Erin McMahon, Elizabeth Kizer

OB simulation team: Elizabeth Kizer, Jill Bullock, Ashley Brock, Erin McMahon Mc
Mahon

Carrie Foote, BS, BA, Associate Director, Administration, ATP & Program Administrator, SWTRC, Arizona Telemedicine Program and Southwest Telehealth Resource Center

Several representatives from the Arizona Rural Health Association participated in the recent Arizona Rural Health Conference and presented a poster titled Obstetric Simulation Training in Rural Arizona Communities without Birthing Centers.

Participants in the research and featured in the photos are Ashley Brock, MS Student; Jill Bullock; Elizabeth Kizer, DrPH; and Eric McMahon, CNM, EdD.  Also featured is AzRHA president-elect Lupe Campos and board member Jeffrey Axtell.

On May 22nd, the House passed its reconciliation package. The legislation now heads to the Senate and will likely see changes. The National Rural Health Association (NRHA) is extremely concerned by the House’s efforts to limit enrollees’ access to health care coverage through constraining states’ use of provider taxes and state directed payments, apply work requirements, more frequent eligibility redeterminations, and limiting retroactive coverage.  This legislation will result in significant coverage losses and will further limit access to care for all rural patients by closing rural facilities and ending health care coverage for rural residents nationwide.

Now that the bill heads to the Senate for consideration, your advocacy is critical! Use our updated advocacy campaign to contact your Senators about the importance of protecting Medicaid.

Dear AzRHA Members,

It’s that time of year again when we call upon our valued members to participate in shaping the future of the Arizona Rural Health Association through the election of our Board of Directors.

This year, the terms of two current board members are expiring. As such, we are opening a call for nominations to fill vacant seats on the Board of Directors.

If you know someone who has been an active member of AzRHA for at least one year, we encourage you to nominate them for board service. Self-nominations are also welcome.

Important Details:

• Nomination Deadline: June 10, 2025 at 5:00pm (MST)
• Once nominations are received, the elections committee will review all applications.
• A voting link will be distributed to the full membership following the nomination period.

Please remember active AzRHA members make up the voting body for electing our Board of Directors.

If you have any questions or need assistance with the nomination process, feel free to contact us at azrhassociation@gmail.com.

Thank you for your continued commitment to improving rural health across Arizona. We appreciate your time, engagement, and dedication to the mission of AzRHA.

Respectfully,

Holly Figueroa
President
Arizona Rural Health Association