Bill to separate Arizona State Hospital operations from ADHS gains traction
The Arizona State Hospital, which treats people suffering from serious mental illness, is now one step closer to no longer being run by the Arizona Department of Health Services.
The bill would transfer the responsibility of running the hospital’s day to day operations from ADHS to an outside board. However, ADHS would continue to license and regulate the hospital.
Will Humble is the executive director for the Arizona Public Health Association. He supports the measure.
“You don't have to be a rocket scientist to know that you shouldn't be regulating the same place that you're running,” he said.
By creating a separate board, Humble said, “We would be in a much better position to ensure the health and safety of the patients out there at the hospital because we would have resolved that institutional conflict.”
The bill passed the Senate Health Committee. It now goes to the full senate for consideration.
EDITOR’S NOTE: This story has been updated to correct that ADHS would continue to regulate the hospital under the bill.
