The mission of the Arizona Division of Public Health Services is to protect and improve the public's health through prevention and control of disease and disability. The division has approximately 650 public health employees committed to this mission through their daily activities.

The Division of Aging and Adult Services provides an array of services to help people achieve or maintain their highest level of independence and self-sufficiency. The division is Arizona’s designated State Unit on Aging. The Federal Older Americans Act provides the Division of Aging and Adult Services with its authority. The division works with local Area Agencies on Aging throughout the state, which advocate on behalf of at-risk, disabled and older Arizonans. In addition, Area Agencies on Aging develop and implement a comprehensive service delivery system of home-and community-based services that most accurately reflect the needs of their local communities. Some services are delivered through multipurpose senior centers and can include home-delivered meals, group meals at the centers, education services and information and referral services.

The Arizona Department of Health Services promotes and protects the health of Arizona’s children and adults. Its mission is to set the standard for personal and community health through direct care, science, public policy and leadership. The department operates programs in: behavioral health; disease prevention and control; health promotion; community public health; environmental health; maternal and child health; emergency preparedness and regulation of childcare; assisted living centers; nursing homes, hospitals and other health care providers; and emergency services.

The Department of Economic Security works to promote enhanced safety and well-being for Arizonans by focusing on three primary goals: strengthening individuals and families; increasing self-sufficiency; and developing the capacity of communities.

The Governor's Advisory Council on Aging (GACA) is a statewide body of 15 members appointed by the governor to serve three-year terms. The council's purpose, by statute, is to "advise the Governor, Legislature and all State Departments which the Council deems necessary on all matters and issues relating to aging, including the administration of the State Plan on Aging." The council's mission is to enhance the quality of life for older Arizonans. The council advises policymakers and state agencies and works with local communities, private enterprises, and older adults across Arizona to accomplish its mission. GACA monitors and develops programs and policies that affect older adults, but it does not provide direct services. As part of its role, the council gathers and assesses information about seniors' needs and aging trends and makes recommendations to the governor, the legislature and appropriate state agencies.

The Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System (AHCCCS) is Arizona's Medicaid agency that offers health care programs to serve Arizona residents. Individuals must meet certain income and other requirements to obtain services. AHCCCS also provides information about Medicare, including cost sharing and payment of Medicare premiums, copayments and deductibles.

By the year 2020, one in four Arizonans will be older than 60. The Governor’s Office on Aging is dedicated to ensuring that Arizona is ready for such a demographic shift by working with state and local agencies and organizations on numerous aging-related policy and program initiatives.

The Arizona Department of Insurance executes the state insurance laws in a manner that protects insurance consumers and encourages economic development. In addition, the department produces a publication designed to help consumers compare Medicare supplement insurance (Medigap) policies. The report helps seniors understand their benefits, compare service options, and evaluate the strength and stability of insurance companies.

As a division of the Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System (AHCCCS), Medicare Cost Sharing provides assistance with the expense of Medicare premiums. This assistance includes: the Qualified Medicare Beneficiary (QMB) program, which provides payment of premiums and deductibles for Medicare Hospital Insurance (Part A) and Medicare Medical Insurance (Part B) for qualified people who are at or below 100 percent of federal poverty guidelines; the Specified Low-income Medicare Beneficiary (SLMB) program, which covers Part B premiums for qualified people who are below 120 percent of federal poverty guidelines; and the Qualified Individual (QI) program, which covers payment of Part B premiums for qualified people who are below 135 percent of federal poverty guidelines.

The Healthy Aging Arizona liaison serves as an advocate, resource and communication link between the department and other agencies and entities providing direct or indirect public health services to Arizona’s older adults. The liaison works with department programs to promote collaborative planning and participation with all local, county, tribal and state agencies that seek to promote good health and quality of life.

AARP is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization with a membership that advocates for people ages 50 and older. Since 1958, AARP has lobbied for senior issues, including the passage of Medicare in 1965. AARP offers support from staffed offices in all 50 states, Washington, D.C., Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

Law for Seniors is a program of the Arizona Foundation for Legal Services and Education with support from the Arizona Supreme Court and the State Bar of Arizona. The program's website provides an overview of legal issues affecting seniors, including Medicare, and gives contact information for resources in Arizona.

The Area Agencies on Aging (AAA) were established under the Older Americans Act (OAA) Comprehensive Services Amendments in 1973 to respond to the needs of Americans 60 and older in every local community. The amendments added a new Title V, which authorized grants to local community agencies in every state. The AAAs provides a range of options that allow older adults to choose the home- and community-based services and living arrangements that suit them best.

Long-term care ombudsmen are advocates for residents of nursing homes and assisted living facilities. They resolve complaints and educate seniors and long-term care providers about their rights and good care practices. They also provide information to the public on nursing homes and other long-term care facilities and services, residents' rights, and legislative and policy issues. In 1978, an amendment to the federal Older Americans Act required every state to have an ombudsman program that addresses complaints and advocates for improvements in the long-term care system. The ombudsman program is administered by the Administration on Aging (AoA). In addition to the statewide ombudsman in Phoenix, Arizona has eight regional ombudsmen.

The Senior Medicare Patrol (SMP) program helps Medicare and Medicaid beneficiaries avoid, detect and prevent health care fraud. The goal is to protect older people and to preserve the integrity of the Medicare and Medicaid programs. The federal program was created in 1996 by the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) and amended in 2006 by Titles II and IV of the Older Americans Act.

Health Services Advisory Group Inc. began in 1979 as a Medicare peer review organization mandated by federal law and acting in only a portion of Arizona. The advisory group now serves more than 20 percent of the Medicare population nationwide as a Quality Improvement Organization (QIO) with offices in seven states. QIOs are private, mostly not-for-profit organizations, staffed by doctors and other health care professionals, who are trained to review medical care, to help beneficiaries with complaints about the quality of care and to implement improvements in the quality of care available throughout the spectrum of care. QIOs are required under Sections 1152-1154 of the Social Security Act.

The State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP) is a national program that offers counseling and assistance to people with Medicare and to their families. Coordinators provide counseling on Medicare benefits, Medicare Prescription Drug Plans (Part D), Social Security, Medicaid and veterans' benefits. SHIP, formerly the Information, Counseling and Assistance (ICA) grants program, was created under section 4360 of the Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1990. This act authorized the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) to make grants to states for health advisory services programs for people with Medicare.

Jodi J. Mansfield, former executive vice president and CEO for Shands HealthCare in Florida, was appointed interim CEO of UA Healthcare in August 2011. At Shands HealthCare, a University of Florida-affiliated system that includes nine hospitals and two academic medical centers, she worked her way up to executive vice president and chief operating officer. Mansfield holds a master’s degree in business administration, with a focus on health and hospital administration, from the University of Florida. In 2010, she became board certified in health care management as a fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives.

Kevin Stockton was made CEO of Northwest Medical Center in March 2011. He has worked in hospital administration for more than 14 years, most recently as the CEO of Valley Hospital Medical Center in Las Vegas, a 404-bed academic center. Stockton is a graduate of the University of Arizona with a master’s degree in business and public administration with a focus on health care administration.

Peter S. Fine was promoted to president and CEO of Banner Health, Arizona’s second-largest private employer, in 2000. Prior to this, he was executive vice president and chief operating officer of Aurora Health Care, a Milwaukee-based integrated system that serves the entirety of Wisconsin. His other previous positions include president and CEO of Grant Hospital and senior vice president of operations at Northwestern Memorial Hospital, both in Chicago, and assistant administrator of Porter Memorial Hospital in Valparaiso, Ind. He is a member of various organizations, including the American Hospital Association, the Health Management Academy and the Business Coalition Leadership Council.

Wyatt Decker has been with Mayo Clinic for more than 16 years as a consultant and professor of emergency medicine. Presently, he's the CEO of the Mayo Clinic’s Arizona campus. He previously served as chair of emergency medicine, which comprised chair responsibilities for the emergency departments at Mayo Clinic in both Rochester, Minn., and Jacksonville, Fla. St. Joseph’s Hospital and Medical Center

Stephen Fahey, who began his career as a psychotherapist, joined Sierra Tucson as CEO in January 2012. As a member of the Mental Health Strategy Board, he was tasked with creating a strategy to provide assistance for adults and youth with mental illness, for which he received the Connecticut Secretary of State’s 2003 Public Service Award. Fahey's previous roles include: administrator of behavioral health at a five-hospital medical system in central Florida; CEO of a 100-plus-bed psychiatric hospital and residential treatment center for children and adolescents; and the director of a substance abuse treatment program.

Linda Hunt is president and CEO of St. Joseph’s Hospital and Medical Center in Phoenix, the largest hospital in Arizona and the flagship hospital for Catholic Healthcare West (CHW). He is also the senior vice president of operations for CHW Arizona. Hunt was named one of the “Top 25 Women in Healthcare” by "Modern Healthcare" magazine.

Thomas J. Sadvary has held many positions in the health care industry, from paramedic to CEO. He joined Scottsdale Healthcare in 1986 as administrator of the Scottsdale Healthcare Shea Medical Center and, having worked his way up, was appointed CEO in 2005. He is a fellow in the American College of Healthcare Executives, and he holds community leadership roles in Arizona.

Peter S. Fine was promoted to president and CEO of Banner Health, Arizona’s second-largest private employer, in 2000. Prior to this, he was executive vice president and chief operating officer of Aurora Health Care, a Milwaukee-based integrated system that serves the entirety of Wisconsin. His other previous positions include president and CEO of Grant Hospital and senior vice president of operations at Northwestern Memorial Hospital, both in Chicago, and assistant administrator of Porter Memorial Hospital in Valparaiso, Ind. He is a member of various organizations, including the American Hospital Association, the Health Management Academy and the Business Coalition Leadership Council.

This House committee considers matters pertaining to the health of Arizona residents.

This Senate committee considers matters pertaining to the health of Arizona residents.