Letter from the editor:
The Election season is upon us in Arizona. In this edition of The Pulse, we focus on policy and advocacy. Policy and advocacy are central to ArMA’s efforts to improve healthcare for Arizona physicians and our patients. We will explore topics including Policy, Advocacy, Political Action Committees and understanding how we can participate at our state Capitol. We will explain what it means and how to register to speak at the Arizona Capitol. This edition includes what is important now that the election primaries are decided. We highlight the rewarding experience of our Doctor of the Day program for which all ArMA physicians can participate at Arizona Legislature. We include two informative articles related to Public Health in Arizona; one being the role of community health centers, and another regarding the risks associated with vaccine hesitancy. We also explore the new Walmart Pharmacy policy that further limits opioid prescriptions and what ArMA is doing to help you should this impact your patients. We do a broad overview of the AHCCCS plans and describe significant changes to AHCCCS with the launch of integrated care on October 1, 2018.
I sincerely hope you find something of interest and learn something new. Your feedback is important so please comment about articles if desired. Also, take a minute to fill out our survey on your views and experience with the new Walmart prescription policy and keep it available to forward to us as issues arise.
Sincerely,
Traci Pritchard, MD FACR
