Consider submitting a presentation proposal or research poster to contribute to NRHA's Health Equity Conference, one of the only meetings in the nation to focus on health equity issues in rural America, May 6-7, 2024, in New Orleans, La.

Presentations are due by next Thursday, Dec. 7 for this one-of-a-kind event, while posters are due by Feb. 8.

Coordinated by NRHA's Health Equity Council, this conference is designed for those who are dedicated to bringing quality health care and health care services to underserved and often under-represented populations. These include LGBTQIA+, veteran, and homeless rural residents as well as multiracial and multicultural members of rural communities.

Click here to submit an abstract

Holly Figueroa Recognized as Arizona’s
“Community Star” on National Rural Health Day 

Arizona Center for Rural Health – Holly Figueroa, BCBSAZ Health Choice & Arizona Rural Health Association, has been named Arizona’s 2023 “Community Star” by the National Organization of State Offices of Rural Health (NOSORH). 

On the third Thursday of November, NOSORH leads National Rural Health Day (NRHD), an annual celebration that shines a light on those who serve the vital health needs of the nearly 61 million people living in rural America. Holly Figueroa will be featured prominently on the official NRHD website, PowerOfRural.org, on November 16, 2023, alongside other Community Stars from across the nation. This platform will showcase each Star’s remarkable dedication and contributions to rural healthcare.

Arizona Center for Rural Health is proud to join NOSORH in honoring Holly Figueroa as Arizona's Community Star. Ms. Figueroa has shown steadfast commitment to improving health systems in her community and throughout Arizona. We are honored to work with her and congratulate her on this well-earned recognition.               

In 2015, the Community Star Recognition Program was established in conjunction with NRHD to tell the stories of the people and organizations who make a difference in rural communities. Since then, over 300 inspiring rural stars have been honored nationwide on NRHD.

Additional information about National Rural Health Day can be found at PowerOfRural.org. To learn more about Arizona Center for Rural Health visit crh.arizona.edu.

Ann Garn
Arizona Center for Rural Health
agarn@arizona.edu

Release Date: November 1, 2023

Elizabeth Hall-Lipsey, JD, MPH, past president of AzRHA and faculty of the College of Pharmacy at the University of Arizona, recently completed her fellowship with the National Rural Health Association (NRHA). NRHA's Rural Health Fellows program is a yearlong, intensive training program that develops leaders who can articulate a clear and compelling vision for rural America.

The Arizona Rural Health Association (AzRHA) has announced a call for nominations for its 2024 board of directors.  If you are interested in nominating a colleague or self-nominating, you may click here to complete the board application form.

Diagnostic tests can show if you have an active COVID-19 infection. 

These at-home OTC COVID-19 diagnostic tests are FDA authorized for self-testing at home (or in other locations). This means you collect your own sample, perform the test, and read the result yourself without the need to send a sample to a laboratory. 

Learn more

Arizona Governor Katie Hobbs signed a proclamation dedicating the month of September as Suicide Prevention Month.  The Arizona Rural Health Association joins fellow associations in thanking the Governor for the recognition of suicide prevention.

Click here to view the proclamation

When Holly Figueroa accepted the role of president of the Arizona Rural Health Association board of directors in July 2022, she knew the term was only a year, but hoped she could dig deep to make changes that would help the organization’s role in rural health advocacy grow in meaning and in action.

“There was a time of transition, and I didn’t always feel that I'd have the opportunity to really dig deep into what AzRHA would like to accomplish,” Figueroa said.

Read more »

Provided by Congressman Raúl M. Grijalva | Arizona District 7

Have you heard about upcoming changes to Medicaid or the “Medicaid Unwinding” and wonder how this impacts you? Use the guidance below to learn more about the Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System (AHCCCS) Medicaid unwinding plan. 

Background
At the start of the pandemic, Congress enacted a law which required Medicaid and KidsCare programs to keep people continuously enrolled through the end of the COVID-19 public health emergency (PHE).  Congress has now ended this requirement, meaning states can disenroll individuals that no longer meet Medicaid eligibility requirements. Arizona has begun this “unwinding” process of determining who is still eligible for Medicaid and KidsCare.

What’s Happening Now?
Starting April 1, 2023, AHCCCS will begin disenrolling members who no longer meet Medicaid or KidsCare eligibility requirements. This process will take 12 months. Here’s what will happen:

• During renewal, AHCCCS will attempt to determine eligibility automatically. They believe approximately 75% of eligibility determinations can be completed automatically and members will not need to take any action.
• • If their eligibility is continued, they will receive a summary letter that says, “If the information on the summary is correct, you do not need to do anything. You do not need to call or contact AHCCCS.”
  • If eligibility cannot be automatically continued, they will receive a written request from AHCCCS for more information. They must respond within 30 days.
• AHCCCS cannot disenroll a member whose mail is returned undeliverable until making other good-faith attempts to contact the member.

Immigrants who are “qualified non-citizens” are generally eligible for coverage through Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP), if they meet their state’s income and residency rules. Applying for or receiving Medicaid or CHIP benefits, doesn't make someone a "public charge". This means it won’t affect their chances of becoming a Lawful Permanent Resident or U.S. citizen. Find more information here. 

Members who are no longer eligible for Medicaid will be referred to the Healthcare Marketplace and other sources for coverage options (see www.healthcare.gov).

What Can Members Do to Prepare?

1. Make sure your mailing address, phone number, and email address is correct. Login to www.healthearizonaplus.gov, or call Health-e-Arizona Plus at 1-855-HEA-PLUS (1-855-432-7587), Monday through Friday 7:00 am - 6:00 pm.
2. Check your mailbox for a letter from AHCCCS about renewal of coverage. The envelope will look like this:
   
3. Respond to any requests from AHCCCS for more information so the agency can accurately determine your eligibility.
4. Sign up for texts or emails from AHCCCS about your renewal. Login to (or create) your Health-e-Arizona Plus account.
5. Watch Out for Fraud! AHCCCS will never ask you to pay money to renew your AHCCCS or KidsCare coverage.

Where Can I Go for More Information? 
More information on AHCCCS’s Medicaid unwinding plan, along with frequently asked questions can be found at HERE.   

General Medicaid Eligibility Information can be found HERE.

Senator Kelly’s office invites Arizonans and organizations based in Arizona to submit requests for policies or funding to be included in the fiscal year 2024 appropriations bills, including both programmatic requests and requests for Congressionally Directed Spending.  As a reminder, programmatic requests can include requests to increase or decrease federal funding for federal agencies or programs, or requests that the government funding bills, or their adjoining committee reports, include language to direct federal agencies or programs to take certain actions.  Congressionally Directed Spending requests are requests for funding for specific projects or programs within the state or Arizona.   

To find Senator Kelly’s forms to submit programmatic and Congressionally Directed Spending requests, click here.  The deadline all appropriations requests is 11:59pm MST on Wednesday, March 15th.

A happy new year to you all! I hope you celebrated the start of 2023 safely and in good spirits with family and friends.

2022 was a transformative year for the Arizona Rural Health Association. It was a year in which we strengthened the association further, growing by welcoming new members and strategizing on important initiatives that will help us to be a leader in partnerships, education and policy for improving the health status of rural communities in Arizona.

Working together we made good progress toward our strategic goals despite challenges – not the least of which were ongoing disruptions from the pandemic that continues to have an impact on our own work and home lives, as well as on the lives of our communities.

I was proud to see how quickly we were able to pivot with each new challenge and how the association came together to make the most of the opportunity. A great example of this includes the successful rebranding of the Arizona Rural Health Association’s logo.

The work we are doing is more relevant than ever today.  Our communities and partners rely on us to keep them connected and informed. 

2023 is set to be an exciting year for us. We can look forward to working further on the many initiatives to continue to be a leader in partnerships, education and policy for improving the health status of rural communities in Arizona.

I want to thank you for your continued commitment and effort. Every one of us has an important role in the work ahead and I’m confident that we are stronger together and we will achieve great things.

I wish you and your loved ones a happy and successful 2023!

Respectfully, 

Holly Figueroa,
President
Arizona Rural Health Association