Ducey Names Herrington Interim ADHS Director, Taps Carmona As Public Health Advisor

Ducey Names Herrington Interim ADHS Director, Taps Carmona As Public Health Advisor

By AZ Free News |

Governor Doug Ducey today named Don Herrington, a 21-year veteran of the Arizona Department of Health Services, to succeed Dr. Cara Christ and oversee the frontline health care workers who have spearheaded the state’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Governor and Herrington together named Dr. Richard Carmona, the 17th Surgeon General of the United States, to serve as the senior advisor on public health emergency preparedness and lead a statewide effort to boost vaccine and public health awareness in Arizona.

“Arizona couldn’t have two more dedicated, knowledgeable and experienced public health professionals at the helm of the Department of Health Services,” Governor Ducey said. “With Don directing day-to-day operations and Dr. Carmona marshalling our resources to defeat this virus and get Arizonans vaccinated, I’m confident we just got a lot closer to putting the pandemic behind us.”

Herrington currently serves as the department’s Deputy Director for Planning and Operations. In this role he oversees policy development, hiring professional and support staff and the department’s budget.

“I am grateful for Governor Ducey’s confidence in my abilities to lead ADHS,” said Herrington. “We have an extraordinary group of individuals at the department and I’m honored to lead this team. I look forward to promoting and protecting the health of everyone who calls Arizona home.”

Prior to serving as Deputy Director, Herrington served as Assistant Director of Public Health Preparedness and Bureau Chief of the Bureau of Epidemiology and Disease Control Services. He served on numerous councils, commissions and committees on behalf of the Director of ADHS, including Chair of the Arizona Sanitarians’ Council, Chair of the Arizona Infection Prevention and Control Advisory Committee, and as one of five voting members of the Arizona Emergency Response Commission.

“Don’s leadership at ADHS and depth of knowledge of the department’s core functions make him well suited to serve as interim director,” Governor Ducey said. “Of course, I would be remiss if I didn’t thank Dr. Christ for her extraordinary service and leadership, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. Don has big shoes to fill, but I know that he’s up for the challenge.”

Dr. Carmona is a longtime Tucson resident who served as the 17th Surgeon General of the United States from 2002 to 2006. He is the Distinguished Professor of Public Health at University of Arizona’s Mel and Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health and most recently served as the director of the University of Arizona COVID Response Team.

“I am honored Governor Ducey is entrusting me with this position,” said Dr. Carmona. “We have made a tremendous amount of progress but we still have much to do. There is no doubt in my mind that we are on the right track and that the single best way to crush COVID is with the vaccine and public health mitigation strategies. I’m eager to take on the challenge. COVID is the common enemy and all of us need to work together to defeat it. The state’s response to this global health emergency has been top-notch, and I look forward to building on Dr. Christ and her team’s success.”

Ducey Encourages Arizonans To Honor U.S. Service Members Killed In Afghanistan

Ducey Encourages Arizonans To Honor U.S. Service Members Killed In Afghanistan

Governor Doug Ducey ordered flags at all state buildings be lowered to half-staff through August 30, 2021 in honor of the U.S. service members killed during the terrorist attack in Kabul, Afghanistan.

The governor encouraged his fellow Arizonans to participate in this tribute.

“Today is a tragic day for our nation. I am sending my deepest condolences and prayers to the loved ones of the U.S. forces killed and wounded in today’s terrorist attack in Kabul, Afghanistan. I am horrified by this attack on our brave service members as well as other innocent civilians in the area.

“Arizona joins all Americans in condemning this attack in the strongest possible terms. There are no words to express the depth of Americans’ sorrow and anger for this loss of life.

“As we mourn the dead, we must also recognize the context for this terrible attack. American troops have fought, bled and died in Afghanistan for two decades to keep this country from once again becoming a safe haven for terrorists. We are now seeing in real time how the recent action to withdraw from Afghanistan has made America and the world less safe.”

Long-Planned Rate Change Will Bring VLT Parity For Electric Cars, Traditional Vehicles

Long-Planned Rate Change Will Bring VLT Parity For Electric Cars, Traditional Vehicles

Changes to state law mean that drivers who purchase alternative fuel vehicles will pay the same vehicle license tax (VLT) rate as other drivers by 2023. The change in VLT rates is phased-in, starting Jan. 1, 2022.

The VLT is paid during vehicle registration and is assessed in place of a personal property tax often charged in other states. The VLT funds transportation infrastructure in Arizona, including highways, bridges and local roads, and contributes to the general funds of cities/towns and counties.

In 2019, the Legislature amended Arizona Revised Statute 28-5805 (link is external) . This implemented a phased-in approach for making the VLT formula used for alternative fuel vehicles the same one used currently for traditional cars and trucks, bringing fairness to VLT assessments. The changes in the formula will begin taking effect this coming January and be completely phased-in by 2023. The changes ensure that drivers of alternative fuel vehicles contribute to the preservation and maintenance of the state’s 7,000-mile highway system at the same rate as drivers of traditional vehicles. Bringing parity to VLT assessments is especially important for the continued maintenance and expansion of Arizona’s infrastructure as alternative fuel vehicles continue to increase in popularity in Arizona.

Under current state law, an alternative fuel vehicle registered before Jan. 1, 2022, will have its VLT calculated using 1% of the manufacturer’s base retail price of the vehicle. For an alternative fuel vehicle registered between Jan. 1 and Dec. 31, 2022, the VLT will be calculated using 20% of the manufacturer’s base retail price of the vehicle. After Dec. 31, 2022, the formula used to calculate VLT for alternative fuel vehicles will be the same one used for other vehicles, as determined by ARS 28-5801 (link is external) .

What potential buyers of alternative fuel vehicles need to know

  • It’s important to note that the VLT formula attached to an alternative fuel vehicle is determined by vehicle registration date, which can be different from the purchase date. A temporary registration permit issued by a vehicle dealer qualifies as the registration date and must be issued before Jan. 1, 2022, for a vehicle to have its VLT calculated using the 1% formula.
  • For private party sales, new title documentation must be processed by an MVD or an Authorized Third Party office before Jan. 1, 2022, for the alternative fuel vehicle to have its VLT calculated using the 1% formula. Note: Arizona Department of Transportation Motor Vehicle Division offices will be closed Friday, Dec. 31, 2021, in observance of the New Year’s Day holiday.

What current owners of alternative fuel vehicles need to know

  • A current owner of an Arizona-registered alternative fuel vehicle who makes no changes to their vehicle title will continue to have their car’s VLT calculated with the 1% formula. The VLT rate changes won’t affect these vehicles until a change is made to the vehicle title, triggering a new registration cycle.
  • The VLT formula attached to the alternative fuel vehicle will be changed to the current formula in use if a new registration cycle is established. Examples of this include but are not limited to: selling the car, transferring ownership, adding or removing an owner from the title, and a lease buy-out.
  • Paying off a vehicle loan and the lender’s name being removed from the title will not trigger a new registration cycle.
Letter To The Editor: Senators Mark Kelly And Kyrsten Sinema Must Hold Big Pharma Accountable

Letter To The Editor: Senators Mark Kelly And Kyrsten Sinema Must Hold Big Pharma Accountable

In Scottsdale – and communities like ours all over the country – rising prescription drug prices are causing tremendous financial hardship.

It’s impacting patients struggling to afford health care. It’s affecting small business owners who would like to provide affordable health care for their employees. It’s impacting families faced with the unbearable choice between paying for critical medications and other basic necessities. All the while Big Pharma continues to see profits increase.

This January drug companies increased prices on more than 800 brand name drugs rise and already in July we are seeing another batch of price hikes under way, surpassing 65 increases in just a few weeks.

While price hikes disproportionately affect senior citizens and individuals with chronic conditions, more than two-thirds of all American adults use prescription drugs. This is an issue that affects us all.

So, it’s time for our legislators in Washington to pass solutions with bipartisan support.

It’s time to advance  market-based reforms with support from Republicans and Democrats to increase competition and transparency, stop taxpayer subsidies for price hikes higher than inflation, cap out-of-pocket costs for seniors, and hold Big Pharma accountable by giving the drug industry responsibility for significant Medicare Part D cost-sharing.

As a former US Air Force Captain, I know what it means to be a leader and step up when faced with adversity. It’s time for Senators Mark Kelly and Kyrsten Sinema to step up too and deliver solutions to lower drug prices and hold Big Pharma accountable.

Bruce Weber
Scottsdale, Arizona

Arizona Reaches Tentative $26 Billion Opioid Settlement Agreement

Arizona Reaches Tentative $26 Billion Opioid Settlement Agreement

The Arizona Attorney General’s Office announced that it has signed on to a tentative historic $26 billion multistate settlement with four pharmaceutical companies for their roles in the opioid crisis. The tentative agreement includes Cardinal, McKesson, and AmerisourceBergen – the nation’s three major pharmaceutical distributors – and Johnson & Johnson, which manufactured and marketed opioids.

According to the Attorney General’s Office, final details, including a critical mass of states and political subdivisions nationally, are necessary to finalize the settlement. If finalized, Arizona would receive up to $549 million from the settlement and the money would be used for opioid treatment, prevention, and education.

If the settlement is finalized, Arizona’s funds will be distributed through the Arizona Opioid Settlement Memorandum of Understanding (One Arizona Plan). In October 2020, the AGO and local governments (90 cities and towns and all 15 counties) signed on to the One Arizona Plan to maximize Arizona’s amount of recovery from opioid settlements. The One Arizona Plan also ensures that funds will be expeditiously distributed across Arizona. Read more on the One Arizona Plan here .

Funding Overview:

  • Nationally, the three distributors (Cardinal, McKesson, and AmerisourceBergen) collectively will pay up to $21 billion over 18 years.
  • Nationally, Johnson & Johnson will pay up to $5 billion over nine years with up to $3.7 billion paid during the first three years.
  • The total funding distributed will be determined by the overall degree of participation by both litigating and non-litigating state and local governments.
  • After attorneys’ fees and costs, the money is to be spent on opioid treatment and prevention.
  • Arizona’s share of the national funding has been determined by an agreement among the states using a formula that takes into account the impact of the crisis on the state and the population of the state.

Injunctive Relief Overview:

  • The 10-year agreement will result in court orders requiring Cardinal, McKesson, and AmerisourceBergen to:
    • Establish a centralized independent clearinghouse to provide all three distributors and state regulators with aggregated data and analytics about where drugs are going and how often, eliminating blind spots in the current systems used by distributors.
    • Use data-driven systems to detect suspicious opioid orders from customer pharmacies.
    • Terminate customer pharmacies’ ability to receive shipments, and report those companies to state regulators, when they show certain signs of diversion.
    • Prohibit shipping of and report suspicious opioid orders.
    • Prohibit sales staff from influencing decisions related to identifying suspicious opioid orders.
    • Require senior corporate officials to engage in regular oversight of anti-diversion efforts.
  • The 10-year agreement will result in court orders requiring Johnson & Johnson to:
    • Stop selling opioids.
    • Not fund or provide grants to third parties for promoting opioids.
    • Not lobby on activities related to opioids.
    • Share clinical trial data under the Yale University Open Data Access Project.

In order for the multistate settlement to be finalized, a critical mass of participating states and local governments will need to sign on.

The settlement comes as a result of investigations by state attorneys general into whether the three distributors fulfilled their legal duty to refuse to ship opioids to pharmacies that submitted suspicious drug orders and whether Johnson & Johnson misled patients and doctors about the addictive nature of opioid drugs. The settlement would resolve claims of both states and local governments across the country, including the nearly 4,000 that have filed lawsuits in federal and state courts.

Tragically, last year, drug overdose deaths rose to a record 93,000, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Arizona saw a 30 percent increase in overdose deaths over the prior year, claiming more than 2,600 lives in 2020. Countless more have seen their lives torn apart by the disease of addiction. The damage, which continues in part every day due to an insecure southern border, also impacts their families, friends and communities.