Maricopa County voters approved a $898 million bond for Valleywise Health with a ballot measure from November's election. The funds support the expansion of specialized services and opportunities for future healthcare professionals.
The Maricopa County Recorder's Office reported that over 51% of voters approved Proposition 409.
Valleywise Health is the only public teaching hospital in Maricopa County. It will use the bond, supplied by the proposition, to fund the construction of a 200-bed behavioral health hospital and continue to grow its emergency services.
Virginia Korte is the chairman of the Maricopa County Special Health Care District Board of Directors, which oversees the Valleywise Health system. She said the bond is necessary to meet the needs of the growing population.
"Phoenix and Maricopa County are looking to continue its growth," Korte said. "We need to be able to provide access to quality health care."
Korte said the Yes on 409 effort gathered over 80 statements in favor of the proposition, which can be read on the measure's informational pamphlet. There were no statements against the bond.
Michael White, Valleywise Health's chief clinical officer, said the system is the largest provider of behavioral health services in Maricopa County and needs the bond to continue to supply high-quality care and educational opportunities.
Achieving Valleywise Health's goals requires investment in educational opportunities to prepare future healthcare professionals, White said. This can provide additional opportunities for ASU students in health fields to be mentored by clinical staff at the start of their careers.
"We know that there has been a bottleneck, oftentimes in being able to provide good clinical learning environments for these increasing numbers of students that need to have this training," White said.
Will Humble, the executive director of the Arizona Public Health Association, said in a written statement that the increased capacity will improve training opportunities in healthcare professions, not just in psychiatry.
"The expansion of training facilities and clinical opportunities will contribute to a more robust and prepared healthcare system, capable of addressing current and future challenges - and important for your (ASU) nursing school," Humble said.
Addison Case, a sophomore studying nursing and the president of Health Occupation Students of America at ASU's downtown Phoenix campus, said teaching hospitals in the Phoenix community give the University's nursing students a place to learn and make lasting contributions.
"Being able to learn where you will continue to practice is another huge strength that this proposition will bring to this community," Case said.
She said Phoenix is growing at an "insane rate," and students need to be culturally competent and well prepared to handle the varying needs of a diverse community.
"When we create facilities that can treat people from lower-income areas, it helps them not struggle with the burdens of their health and be able to pay attention to their own health needs before it gets bad," Case said.
She also said the proposition can help residents with mental health struggles and behavioral disorders, which are often overlooked by society.
White said many college-age adults need psychiatric care, and Valleywise care providers "want to be here as a resource" to support those experiencing early signs of diagnoses like psychosis.
Jacob Marson, a senior studying political science and the executive director of the Keep Arizona Blue Student Coalition, said many students lack health insurance, and Proposition 409 can help them receive support through Valleywise Health.
Marson said bond elections are important for supporting voters' communities, especially for young people.
On the evening of the election, Marson said in a written statement that the passage of the proposition will benefit residents.
"Tonight, Maricopa County voters showed that they're ready to fully fund mental healthcare and affordable care across our county," Marson said. "Prop 409's passage will ensure that residents of all ages—including students—can access care."
Edited by Carsten Oyer, Senna James, Kat Michalak and Pippa Fung.
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Andi Ruiz is a politics reporter at the State Press dedicated to serving her community with truth and honesty in her reporting. She has been working in broadcast and news since high school and was recently an anchor at The Cut Network during her first year at Cronkite. She is going into her second year at ASU as a Barrett Honors student studying journalism and mass communication with a minor in political science.
