Oprah: Fight for Life in AZ.

This item below comes via Julie from a friend of hers. Here's the "suggestions" link for Oprah, and Linda's letter as an example of how to try to get her here and turn up the heat, so to speak. The folks at Harpo Productions may not pay attention to just one of these, but I bet if a few along these lines reached them they'd start to notice (especially if they got some from children, with drawings and crayon).

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Dear Miss Oprah,

I am writing to you on behalf of the 96 people in Arizona (2 have already deceased) who were originally approved for organ transplant operations under our State’s Medicaid program called AHCCCS (Access). In August 2010 the Governor, Jan Brewer, informed them all that due to budget constraints the State would no longer offer coverage for these life saving medical procedures.

Since August, our Governor has been presented with several different scenarios and ideas on how to balance the budget without cutting the organ transplant funding. To date she has refused to compromise in any way and says she is making “hard choices in tough economic times”.

I can simply no longer sit around and do nothing! Denying Medicaid patient’s organ transplants is a death sentence. These people do not have time on their side to “ride it out” through our budget crisis. Organ transplants are their ONLY option for living.

I am not asking you for a handout or to fund any transplant procedures. All I am asking is that you devote some time, in one of your shows, to bring national/global attention to the plight of these people in Arizona. I do believe that with enough public attention being drawn to this issue the Governor will be forced to restore the funding out of the sheer protest by the masses. Most Americans do not even realize what is happening in Arizona. Death panels are a reality in this state!

I respectfully request that you please give serious consideration to my request. I will ensure that you have access to the FACTS of this serious matter in AZ. I will also be able to introduce you to the patients who have been denied coverage so that you can personally hear their individual stories. I also have several State representatives who would to happy to discuss this issue with you.

Thank you for your time and consideration.

Sincerely,

Linda Gallie

Phoenix, Arizona

Dying to save Kavanagh $$$: AHCCCS Transplant Patients

Anyone out there from Fountain Hills who is not being accurately represented by John Kavanagh, please speak now. He will be wreaking havoc in our legislature this year, and you folks should rein him in before he hurts anyone else...

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No to transplant funds House, Senate panel chairmen will not give proposals a hearing

by Mary K. Reinhart - Feb. 3, 2011
The Arizona Republic

Arizonans who lost coverage for lifesaving organ transplants had political winds at their backs last fall, with national media attention and a sympathetic key Republican lawmaker.

But Rep. John Kavanagh's support has evaporated, and there now appears little chance legislators will restore funding to return nearly 100 people to waiting lists for heart, liver, bone-marrow and lung transplants.

"I've kind of lost hope," said Randy Shepherd, a Mesa father of three who needs a heart transplant. "I don't know how long we can bang our fists on the wall and continue to be ignored before we decide to be quiet and go away."


Last spring, lawmakers made sweeping cuts to the state's health-care program for the indigent to help bridge a budget shortfall of more than $3 billion, which amounted to nearly one-third of state revenues.

Kavanagh, the House Appropriations Committee chairman, said in November that he was concerned lawmakers had based their decision to deny coverage on flawed data provided by the Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System, the state's Medicaid program. He said he planned to hold a hearing to consider newer statistics showing better patient outcomes.

Now, he says that the mortality data called into question by leading transplant physicians here and across the country look solid and that additional information provided by the same doctors failed to persuade him to reconsider.

"Almost everybody died," Kavanagh said of certain transplant patients during a budget hearing Wednesday. "That's powerful stuff statistically."

While AHCCCS data from 2006 to 2007 showed that 13 of 14 patients who received bone-marrow transplants from unrelated donors died within the first year, doctors provided broader statistics that showed nine of 19 transplant patients were still alive, a 47 percent survival rate similar to the national average.

"Why are we relying on incomplete, old data? What other business would do that?" said Rep. Anna Tovar, D-Phoenix, a transplant survivor who received bone marrow from her brother in 2001. "If we can't take care of our most critically ill Arizonans, then we aren't doing our job."

Democrats have introduced four transplant-related bills, and Tovar is introducing four more today, including a measure to provide private matching dollars from the New Life Foundation for state transplant funding.

Four have been assigned to appropriations panels and the other four are expected to be.

Kavanagh, R-Fountain Hills, and Senate Appropriations Committee Chairman Andy Biggs both said Wednesday that they will not hear them, which effectively kills the bills.

"We're not doing the budget in pieces," said Biggs, R-Gilbert, adding that Gov. Jan Brewer's staff told him she won't consider legislation to restore transplant coverage.

Brewer spokesman Matthew Benson said the governor's position hasn't changed since the transplant cuts took effect Oct. 1.

"We don't have the money," he said. "And who's going to lose coverage to pay for it?"

Arizona and Brewer received national attention after Goodyear father Mark Price, a leukemia patient, came forward with his story. Price was denied coverage for a bone-marrow transplant and put a human face on Arizona's deep budget cuts. An anonymous donor came forward to pay for his transplant, but Price died Nov. 28.

The AHCCCS cuts, which included annual physicals, podiatry and emergency dental care, saved $5.3 million this fiscal year, but the state loses about $20 million in matching federal funds. The services are considered optional under Medicaid rules.

Brewer's budget for the coming fiscal year proposes eliminating 280,000 people from AHCCCS to help balance a $1.15 billion budget deficit. Brewer has asked federal health officials for permission to waive a requirement to maintain Medicaid eligibility.

Meanwhile, Biggs has introduced a bill to repeal AHCCCS, which would mean the loss of about $7.5 billion in federal funds.

Under Senate Bill 1519, the state's current $2.5 billion Medicaid contribution would be divided among services for people who need long-term care, those with serious mental illness and the developmentally disabled.

The Tea Party Legislature now in Session.

From Protecting Arizona's Family Coalition (PAFCO):

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AZ Legislature starts to heat up with many bills dropped and AHCCCS hearings next week.



· AHCCCS is scheduled for informational budget hearings on February 1 and February 2. No budget bills dropped yet for these hearings, but this preliminary hearings will outline the Governor’s budget proposals. Details and agenda are listed below.

· These are opportunities to be present, provide testimony, and show our opposition to the Governor’s budget proposals and clearly outline the type of transparency and accountability measures required when such critical decisions.

· The Governor’s proposals include eliminating 280,000 people from AHCCCS, resulting in the loss of thousands of high paying health care jobs, and crippling the health care system capacity --- potentially comprising the general health care system and cost shifting to private health care plans.

· Such monumental human, economic and health care system decisions must be vetted completely in the light of day with lots of citizen and expert input.

· The past week, a coalition of major health care provider organizations led by the Arizona Hospital and Health Care Association held an educational session with legislators laying out the human, economic and system costs of the Governor’s health care proposals. Clearly the Governor’s choices take a tremendous human and economic toll and must be rejected. For details on the Arizona Hospital Association analysis and study go to: http://www.azhha.org/advocacy/

· Alternatives exist, including a new proposal for raising revenue through a hospital bed tax and health care premium tax. Other alternatives include raising the beer and liquor tax to national average or eliminating tax exemptions and taxing various services. See the article below from ASU economist listed whose analysis indicates at this point revenue increases have a better economic impact that budget cuts. Arizona tax boost better than budget cuts, economist says (www.azcentral.com - http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepublic/local/articles/2011/01/28/20110128arizona-budget-tax-boost.html?utm)_



AHCCCS BUDGET HEARINGS – FEBRUARY 1 IN THE SENATE AND FEBRUARY 2 IN THE HOUSE



· Tuesday February 1 at 2pm AHCCCS Budget hearing - State Senate Appropriations agenda http://www.azleg.gov/FormatDocument.asp?inDoc=/agendas/02010154102%2Edoc%2Ehtm . This presentation is first round presentation. No budget bill has been introduced.

· Here is link to AHCCCS budget presentation. http://www.azahcccs.gov/reporting/Downloads/Legislation/Presentations/1-12househealth.pdf

· Wednesday February 2 at 2pm AHCCCS Budget hearing – House Appropriations agenda --- http://www.azleg.gov/FormatDocument.asp?inDoc=/agendas/02020101102%2Edoc%2Ehtm




Children’s Action Alliance has released a detailed analysis: Read/download the user-friendly chart here and share with your colleagues.

As CAA comments: This budget --- also ignores the next funding cliff when the temporary state sales tax dollars go away - education and health care remain exposed to more major misery. The budget moves resources from the classroom to the prison cell and promises a weaker workforce. Large cuts are proposed for K-12 and universities, key elements in a sustainable economy, workforce, and reduction of poverty, hunger, homelessness, and family violence.

Brewer: Please sack Chuck Ryan.

This letter to Governor Brewer, received in a roundabout way from the Arizona Correctional Peace Officers Association, confirms some of my suspicions. Way to go Tixoc and the ACPOA.

I'm glad they have as many problems with the falsification of records and shabby treatment of prisoners as I do. Their website is an interesting resource, and I imagine they probably have members who would willingly provide eyewitness testimony to institutional patterns of abuse, neglect and deceit to anyone investigating the ADC. Corrections' employee websites and blogs are the bomb. The ACPOA has had a running commentary from the president about the dictatorship of Chuck Ryan for quite awhile, and now they're bordering on insurrection. In fact, it looks like they're already there.

One problem, however, is that the appeal to sack Chuck Ryan goes to the very person who wanted him there to bully everyone into submission in the first place - this isn't just how Chuck runs his department, it's how Brewer runs the state. She asked that man to come run the ADC for a reason, so I'm not entirely optimistic that this appeal will make much of a difference with her - especially given her overwhelming victory in the elections. But it's still a message worth sending.

Good luck in your battle, folks. Let me know if I can help.

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November 10, 2010


Governor Janet Brewer,

We, the Arizona Correctional Peace Officers Association, represent all members of the Arizona Department of Corrections to include: correctional officers, correctional officer IIIs, correctional sergeants, correctional lieutenants, correctional captains,correctional nurses, correctional majors, non-uniform staff and many others that proudly serve the citizens of the State of Arizona. We respectfully submit this letter as our official notice regarding a majority vote of no confidence in Agency Director Charles Ryan.

We, the AZCPOA, write this letter with great hesitation, and only after much discussion and contemplation. We hesitate because we consider ourselves a team of professional, dedicated and educated individuals, and it goes contrary to our traditions to break the chain of command. We also hesitate because we fully believe that if this letter does not have the desired result, there will most certainly be retaliation. We will most certainly pay a high price for doing what we know in our hearts to be the right thing for the State of Arizona, its citizens and its employees.

Over the past year and a half, we have been disheartened by the actions of Director Charles Ryan. He has tested our willpower and confidence in his skill to adequately lead this agency. Under his leadership, staff morale has plummeted to depths never before seen at this agency. This is a direct reflection of our lack of confidence in Director Ryan as he has not taken any steps to improve the spirits of the members of this association or members of this agency. If anything, attitudes have continued to deteriorate within the department forcing an exodus of many well respected individuals and members of our Association.

Employee issues in question regarding the leadership qualities of Director Ryan include: lack of communication in the day to day operations of the agency where information is not disseminated through his subordinates who are responsible for ensuring compliance with polices and procedures. To illustrate this point, there are many unanswered questions regarding staff rotation and why the methodology is inconsistent from complex to complex with apparent disregard to employee needs and fairness.

Furthermore, the agency has experienced a large amount of disparate punishment for similar offenses in the past and suspect there are employees that are being targeted for political reasons or just purely disciplined on emotion rather than facts or evidence at hand. It appears the merits of the investigations have no bearing on the sanction imposed thus poor judgment is used to handle these matters. It is our opinion Director Ryan fosters an atmosphere of workplace bullying and intimidation of employees to maintain a micro management type of control over the agency.

There exists, within ADOC administration, a well-known pattern of obstructing the disclosure of hazards in time to prevent accidents, injury, illness, and deaths. Tragically, in these instances, danger is not "imminent" - it is past, and too late to respond. Employees are routinely ordered to falsify documents and when they proactively seek to report identified hazards, they face punishment and retaliation. Obtaining an accurate account of the range and extent of violations will be difficult from records alone. It is unlikely that ADOC will disclose information without well-planned intervention by authorities. There is no evidence of any health and safety program existing, even on paper. There is no identifiable health and safety officer or other person bearing that responsibility and essential training is lacking to assure staff can perform certain assigned tasks safely and equipped with appropriate equipment e.g. cell extractions, transports, etc.

The entire department is devoid of any active programs for: Fire Prevention, Hazard Communication, Respiratory Protection, Medical Surveillance, Record keeping, Ventilation, Emergency Evacuation Procedures, Disaster Preparedness, Emergency Response, Training, or Education. Failure of ADOC administration to respond has resulted in secondary risks and complications - now endangering, not just the prison population and employees, but the public at large. Appropriate identification of risk requires your immediate intervention. Another day must not go by without initiating an investigation.

We as institutional line staff are expected to hold a very high standard within the institutions and community, we expect that our Director and his administrators to be held to the same standard of conduct and the same standard of punishment if those standards are violated.

In closing this matter, we would like to remind you that we are not troublemakers, malcontents, or disgruntled employees. We are members of the Arizona Correctional Peace Officers Association who have given our hearts and souls to serve the agency and the State of Arizona. Our agenda is strictly based in the well being of the agency so that we may appropriately serve the communities that depend on us for public safety.

Based on these circumstances we tender this letter of No Confidence in Director Charles Ryan and ask that Director Ryan be removed from his position.


Sincerely,

Tixoc Munoz
President and Executive Director
Arizona Correctional Peace Officers Association