Valleywise Health, Maricopa County鈥檚 healthcare system for low-income, underserved and ethnically diverse populations, is undergoing a major transformation, including a major upgrade and a new 10-story tower for its public teaching hospital in central Phoenix. 

In addition, it has been adding new healthcare centers across the region and expanding its array of services to better serve those in need. 

County voters made it all possible when they overwhelmingly approved Proposition 480 in 2014. The measure approved the $935 million program. 

Among the goals voters approved was to expand the health system鈥檚 reach into underserved areas, incorporate behavioral health services into its model of care, and replace the outdated Maricopa Medical Center with a new, modern acute care facility, the . 

This public teaching hospital contains a Level One trauma center and houses the state鈥檚 only nationally-verified burn center. 

Expanding healthcare in underserved areas 

, a national construction and program management firm, was hired to put together a comprehensive, integrative plan for the project, including demographic studies to determine where patient services are lacking. 

鈥淚f you look at the drivers that keep people from seeking preventive medical care, the main one is a lack of access,鈥� said Jennifer Frost, Vanir鈥檚 Arizona area manager. 鈥淐onvenient, timely access to integrated, effective and efficient healthcare can reduce the overall cost of care and allow for greater access for all.鈥�

As part of its goal to reach underserved patients, Valleywise Health is testing innovative programs like , a web鈥恊nabled, smartphone-based platform, which provides visual guides to help patients describe their symptoms even if they don鈥檛 know the words in English. 

鈥淐are Reimagined鈥� construction projects completed and in the works

The expansion of the healthcare system, whose mission is to bring high quality, convenient and affordable care to every corner of the Valley, has been underway for the past three years. 

Here鈥檚 a look at projects that are completed or underway:

Valleywise Medical Health Center Construction is underway to build a new tower and update and expand the current hospital at 24th鈥疭treet and Roosevelt in Phoenix, which was built in 1967. 

The project, which is scheduled for completion in 2023, will include a new 10-story, 673,000-square-foot tower with 233 private patient rooms, a dedicated floor for the , 10 operating rooms, two interventional radiology areas, two catheterization labs, a dedicated procedural floor, rooftop and ground-level helipads and more.

Valleywise is also constructing a new 100,000 square foot support services building and an underground utility system on the campus. The project is replacing outdated structures from the 1980s. 

Valleywise Comprehensive Health Center  鈥� Peoria This new, state-of-the-art comprehensive health center at the corner of Grand Avenue and Cotton Crossing is currently offering services including primary care, cardiology, dialysis, ultrasound, phlebotomy and a pharmacy for current and new Valleywise Health patients. The final phase, scheduled to open this summer, will include an urgent care center, dental clinic, outpatient operating rooms, dialysis, a retail pharmacy, a cafe and a Family Learning Center.

Valleywise Community Health Center 鈥� South Phoenix/Laveen Located at 35th and Southern avenues in South Phoenix, this state-of-the-art facility opened last year and offers primary and pediatric care, women鈥檚 health, radiology, a pharmacy, diabetes care, behavioral health services with in-person and telehealth appointments, and more. 

Valleywise Community Health Center 鈥� North Phoenix Completed in 2020, this center is located at 19th and Northern avenues, offering primary and pediatric care, women鈥檚 health, radiology, a pharmacy, diabetes care, behavioral health services with in-person and telehealth appointments, and more. 

Valleywise Behavioral Health Center 鈥� Maryvale This 250,000 square-foot, 192-bed psychiatric center opened in 2019 at 51st and Campbell avenues. It is housed in the remodeled former Maryvale Hospital, which shut down in 2017.  

Two other community health centers are also planned for West Maryvale and Mesa, to open later this year and in early 2022, respectively. 

Rebranding a system that dates back to 1877 鈥減est house鈥�

In addition to the construction projects, part of the proposition funding was used to rebrand the healthcare system, whose history dates back to 1877, when doctors and patients banded together to build a 鈥減est house鈥� for contagious diseases.

Included in the rebranding was changing the system鈥檚 name from the Maricopa Integrated Health System to Valleywise Health. 

鈥淏ecoming Valleywise Health (has allowed) us to more effectively articulate under one distinct and memorable name our bold vision to improve community health, while providing a modern network of services and facilities in which to train the next generation of physicians, nurses and allied health professionals,鈥� said Steve Purves, Valleywise Health president and CEO.

Massive project employs local and out-of-state companies

The massive project involves the work of more than a dozen local and out-of-state companies including:

Affiliated Engineers, Inc.

Blue Cottage Consulting

Cuningham Group/EYP Health

DFDG Architecture

DLR Group

Gilbane Building Company

DWL Architects + Planners, Inc.

Hobbs+Black Architects

Kitchell Contractors

Land Advisors Organization

NNR Multicultural Business Development

Okland Construction

Siegel + Gale 

Sundt Construction

The Innova Group

Vanir 

To read more about the healthcare system鈥檚 144-year history in the Valley, visit: .

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When it comes to connecting job seekers to paid apprenticeships, Maricopa County does it best, according to the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL). 

The federal agency recently ranked the county No. 1 in the nation for the number of people it places into registered apprenticeship programs who received support through its . 

Now, the successful Registered Apprenticeshipprogram is expanding into new sectors, providing more opportunities to residents at a time when demand for new careers is high, county officials said. 

This is a proven path for many, including low-income adults and youth, to have a higher quality of life, said Clint Hickman, chairman of the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors.

鈥淭he program gives hundreds of people each year a pathway out of poverty, putting them to work right away in industries where they can build a career,鈥� he said.

Expanding into new industry sectors beyond construction 

Up to this point, the RA program has focused primarily on building partnerships within the construction industry, including electrical and sheet metal work, pipefitting, welding, plumbing, and heat and A/C installation and repair.

The county currently is working with the Arizona Department of Economic Security to support two new apprenticeship programs in auto mechanics and IT. It鈥檚 also seeking new partnerships with companies in sectors like healthcare, insurance and information technology. 

Expanding to include apprentices from criminal justice system

The program is also increasing efforts to help individuals in the criminal justice system who often face significant challenges upon release in getting and maintaining employment, said Matt McGuire, chairman of the , which assists the supervisors in strategic planning and oversight of workforce development goals. 

The idea is to become more innovative in its approach to connect citizens to 鈥済ood jobs,鈥� McGuire said.  

Employment rate above 93 percent

DOL statistics show that the employment rate for apprenticeship participants in the county program was 93.6 percent in 2019. That鈥檚 higher than any other type of job training offered by the county, and significantly higher than the 62.2 percent employment rate for basic career services, the county said. 

During the fiscal 2019 program year, Maricopa County had 660 apprentice participants. In the fiscal 2020 program, 570 apprentices have enrolled so far. 

鈥淭his program was exactly what I needed after I was laid off from a job in the construction industry due to the COVID-19 pandemic,鈥� said Matthew Conroy, a recent participant. 鈥淕etting paid as an electrician apprentice allows me to grow in an industry I鈥檓 passionate about, and the paycheck is helping me pay for schooling at the .鈥�

How to get an apprenticeship 

Depending on a job seeker鈥檚 needs, Maricopa County may cover part or all the cost of the first year of an apprenticeship. There are a few ways a person can get an apprenticeship through Maricopa County鈥檚 RA program including:

• Look for jobs and services through
• Search available apprenticeships at:
• Be referred for an apprenticeship by an employer

For employers interested in offering apprenticeships Employers interested in offering apprenticeships through the county鈥檚 program can explore opportunities at:

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Maricopa County students lead the nation among large urban counties in academic gains in new data released by Stanford University. Perhaps even more impressive, Maricopa鈥檚 strong performance ranked only third among Arizona鈥檚 15 counties.

So, a bit of background before we get to the good news.

The Stanford University Opportunity Project has done the hard work of linking state K-12 academic exams from across the country, allowing us to compare academic outcomes across jurisdictions. The Stanford data allows comparisons between schools, school district and charter school combinations and counties. You can examine the data. Counties with above average growth are colored green, those with below average growth are blue.

The chart below has Maricopa County marked as 1. The other four counties with the largest populations are also marked (Harris County, Texas=2, Los Angeles County, California=3, Cook County, Illinois=4, San Diego County, California =5).

The chart shows the average rate of academic growth for low-income students. Low-income students in Maricopa County had a rate 19% higher than the national average, which is easily the best nationwide among large urban counties.

The Stanford website allows you to examine these charts by a variety of subgroups. I鈥檝e shown you the chart for low-income students because it is obviously very important. Rather than bomb this column with charts, I鈥檒l simply note that Maricopa County also beat the other large urban counties among non-poor students, Black students, Asian students, White students and got edged out for first place for Hispanic students by Cook County. (Maricopa County Hispanic students had a rate of academic growth 14.4% above the national average.)

As impressive as Maricopa County鈥檚 performance shows out in the data, it is not the highest performing county in Arizona. Including all Arizona counties in the academic growth chart for low-income students produces the following chart:

Two of Arizona鈥檚 smaller counties (Santa Cruz and Navajo counties) have even higher growth rates for poor kids than Maricopa. All Arizona counties except one have academic gains for low-income students above the national average. You see the same pattern when examining the gains of student subgroups. If you are a student in Arizona, you are likely to be making above average academic gains.

The Brookings Institution measured student access to charter schools in 2015. Their study focused on the percentage of students in each state that had access to one or more charter schools in their zip code. Arizona students had the most access at 84% of students. The lone exception to the overwhelmingly positive story on academic growth in Arizona comes from a county clocking in at 16%. Marked 5 in the chart above, Greenlee County has no charter schools in operation.

Arizona had a remarkable system of public education before the pandemic struck. Let鈥檚 hope the remarkable achievement seen by our district and charter educators seen in these data will prove a prelude to a successful recovery from the learning losses accrued during the pandemic.

Dr. Matthew Ladner is the executive director of the Center for Student Opportunity

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As local leaders, we recognize the role our criminal justice system plays in creating a safe and thriving community. We have spent our careers working with local leaders across Maricopa County to ensure the well-being of our children and families.

The November election is important for a number of reasons, but a top priority is making sure we elect Allister Adel as Maricopa County Attorney. Allister鈥檚 record is unmatched; she has dedicated her career to protecting the most vulnerable and holding criminals accountable.

Public service is a calling. Those who choose this life are committed to helping others and creating safe communities. Allister is the embodiment of character-driven leadership鈥揹oing the right thing, for the right reason, every time.

This is the type of leadership we need in a county attorney. Someone who is ethical and independent, focused on the rule of law rather than the shifting political winds. Our criminal justice system must operate above the fray. It must be smart, fair and just鈥� all of which Allister has helped restore in our system.

Allister knows that a fair and equitable justice system is necessary for economic development, educational access and public safety. The incredible growth and success of Maricopa County is a collective effort which includes the tremendous work of the Maricopa County Attorney鈥檚 Office.

By focusing on a 鈥渢reatment first approach鈥� Allister has implemented programs and services to help those who have committed crimes due to drug addiction or mental illness. This service based approach allows individuals to get the help and treatment they need so they can return to work, take care of their families and contribute to our community. This is the type of leadership we need in the Maricopa County Attorney鈥檚 Office. We must hold violent criminals accountable while giving people who want to do better, the tools they need to be better.

It has been a pleasure working with Allister Adel on a number of these reforms and we are proud to support her for Maricopa County Attorney.

John Giles is the mayor of Mesa. Jenn Daniels is the former mayor of Gilbert.

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Maricopa County voters on Election Day will decide whether Republican Allister Adel should remain as county attorney or whether progressive Democratic candidate Julie Gunnigle should take on the role of lead prosecutor in Arizona鈥檚 most populous county. 

The two bring starkly different visions to the role. 

Adel, who was unanimously appointed by the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors last October when Bill Montgomery was appointed to the state Supreme Court, has brought a number of changes to the office to increase transparency, has emphasized treatment over punishment, and has sought to strengthen relationships with various stakeholders like the business community.  

Her resume is long and impressive, and the number of reforms she has implemented in a year reveal an active leadership style.  

She鈥檚 earned a number of endorsements from respected Arizonans like former U.S. Sen. Jon Kyl and former U.S. Rep. John Shadegg. 

鈥淎llister Adel is uniquely qualified to continue to serve as Maricopa County Attorney,鈥� Kyl said. 鈥淪he has a strong record as a law and order prosecutor and has a strong reputation in the greater Phoenix legal community. She is a thoughtful, careful attorney who will seek justice on behalf of innocent victims in Maricopa County. I am proud to endorse her election in 2020.鈥� 

Although having served as Maricopa County Attorney for a year, this is Adel鈥檚 first run for office. She served more than seven years as a deputy county attorney before ascending to the top prosecutor position. 

While this is Gunnigle鈥檚 first attempt to become county attorney, it is not her first campaign for public office. She mounted a quixotic race for the state House of Representatives in 2018 in a North Phoenix district coming in a distant fourth out of four candidates. 

In her campaign for county attorney she鈥檚 garnered support from labor unions like AFSCME and the American Federation of Teachers, as well as issue-oriented groups like the abortion advocacy group Planned Parenthood and the National Organization of Women. 

Gunnigle has also taught at the now-defunct Arizona Summit Law School. The school closed its doors in 2018 amid financial struggles and low state bar exam passage rates.

Criminal justice reform 

Criminal justice reform has emerged as a top issue in prosecutor races across the country and in Maricopa County. 

During her time as county attorney, Adel has bolstered diversion programs and she has worked to increase transparency in her office by making body camera footage publicly available and advocating for the mandatory use of body cameras by law enforcement agencies. 

She also wants to partner with the Legislature to review sentencing guidelines, which are set by the state.  

Gunnigle has made politically progressive policy reforms a major theme of her campaign, saying she鈥檒l not charge low-level marijuana offenses regardless of whether voters choose to legalize recreational marijuana, will end cash bail, and has promised to the county鈥檚 incarceration rate. 

The American Civil Liberties Union, which supports a progressive criminal justice and law enforcement reform agenda, is in Arizona via the group鈥檚 Smart Justice program to elevate the issue of reform and highlight the race among voters.  

The group鈥檚 agenda includes, opposing the criminal prohibition of drugs, and decriminalizing 鈥渟ex work,鈥� something Gunnigle also. 

Phoenix attorney Andrew Pacheco, a criminal justice reform advocate who has previously served as a deputy Maricopa County Attorney, assistant United States Attorney and who is the former criminal division chief for the Arizona Attorney General, is backing Adel. 

鈥淒uring her time as County Attorney, she has created meaningful change in the office and done so with integrity,鈥� Pacheco said. 鈥淚 look forward to working with her on much needed criminal justice reform and ensuring justice for all in this community.鈥� 

Public safety

Adel has made public safety a cornerstone of her campaign and she has strongly opposed the effort to 鈥渄efund鈥� police agencies. 

Adel says she seeks to strike a balance between well-resourced law enforcement agencies, community services for those who need them, and holding lawbreakers accountable. 

鈥淭his is not an either/or situation; and calls for defunding police or 鈥榬eallocating funding鈥� as my opponent likes to say, are shortsighted and dangerous,鈥� Adel said. 

Gunnigle recently backed an effort at the Phoenix City Council to cut the Phoenix Police Department budget and has been outspoken on social media about high-profile charging decisions without reviewing the full investigation and evidence of the case. 

She recently got into a social media argument with the Phoenix Law Enforcement Association (PLEA) for an allegation she made about an ongoing investigation. 

PLEA has endorsed Adel. 

鈥淎llister鈥檚 opponent has spent countless months making false allegations about the men and women who serve in law enforcement, supported the Defund Police movement here in Phoenix, and is backed by organizations that want to completely dismantle police departments,鈥� London said. 鈥淥ur criminal justice system deserves better than that type of behavior.鈥�

An electoral first

No matter who wins the race, the victor will be the first woman elected as Maricopa County Attorney, one of the largest prosecutor offices in the country.聽

Adel or Gunnigle won鈥檛 be the first female county attorney elected in Arizona, though. Barbara LaWall is Pima County Attorney, and Sheila Polk is Yavapai County Attorney. 

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Arizonans for Great Schools and a Strong Economy today filed a lawsuit in Maricopa County Superior Court arguing that proponents of an initiative to increase income taxes by 78% misled voters by failing to disclose the full size and scope of the plan鈥檚 tax increase.

鈥淛ust as they did in 2018, the tax increase proponents have failed to shoot straight with Arizona voters,鈥� Arizonans for Great Schools and a Strong Economy Chairman Jaime Molera said. 鈥淢arketing their plan as a 鈥榮urcharge鈥� attempts to withhold from voters the real impact of their scheme. If the proponents got their way, the top marginal tax rate would jump to 8%, nearly double the current top rate. The Supreme Court in 2018 and in previous cases has been unequivocal: a petition鈥檚 100-word summary cannot confuse voters and a measure鈥檚 principal provisions must be clearly explained. Instead, the tax proponents have again attempted to hide the facts.

The argument also lays out the proponents鈥� failure to inform petition signers who would bear the brunt of the tax increase.

鈥淚t should have been disclosed to voters that this tax increase wallops small business,鈥� Molera said. 鈥淪mall businesses pay their taxes on the individual portion of the tax code. If signers would have known that the backbone of the Arizona economy gets clobbered by this proposal, then they might have thought twice before signing.鈥�

The lawsuit also cites advertisements for petition circulators indicating the circulators would be paid based on the number of signatures they collect, a violation of Arizona law.

鈥淭he Arizona Legislature in 2017 passed a law that clearly banned the practice of paying petition circulators based on the number of signatures they collect, yet based on their own help-wanted ads, that鈥檚 exactly the payment model the proponents used in 2020,鈥� Molera said. 鈥淣ot only is their 100-word summary fatally flawed, but they鈥檝e clearly violated state law when it comes to paying for signatures.鈥�

Molera says he anticipates that the income tax hike measure will not appear on the November ballot.

鈥淔rom early childhood to post-secondary, it is vitally important that our state鈥檚 policies and funding framework reflect education鈥檚 importance to the future of Arizona,鈥� Molera said. 鈥淏ut this proposal the tax supporters are attempting to send to voters is not only poorly conceived and sloppily assembled, but it ignores the law. Arizona deserves better. As was the case two years ago, I anticipate that this year鈥檚 initiative won鈥檛 survive this legal challenge.鈥�

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In the first collaboration of its kind, Intel is teaming up with the Maricopa County Community College District — the largest community college district in the nation — to produce workers  trained in artificial intelligence (AI) skills to meet a growing demand in Arizona.  

Together they are launching the nation鈥檚 first Intel-designed AI certificate and associate degree program. It will enable tens of thousands of students to land careers in high-tech, healthcare, automotive, industrial and aerospace fields, said the district鈥檚 interim chancellor, Dr. Steven R. Gonzales. 

鈥淭his program will train our students for a competitive workforce, strengthen Arizona鈥檚 economy as well as help close the opportunity gap we see across the state and be a model for educational institutions across the nation,鈥� Gonzales said. 

Pilot courses slated for fall kickoff   

The community college district will launch the first two courses in the Artificial Intelligence and Machine-learning program virtually as soon as Fall 2020. By January 2021, it plans to have five courses deployed for the Spring 2021 semester. 

As physical distancing requirements are lifted, and the constraints of the COVID-19 pandemic lessen, the new program will begin in-person at Community College and Community College in Avondale. It then will be expanded to other campuses.

Students will learn fundamental skills such as data collection, AI model training, coding and exploration of AI technology鈥檚 societal impact. 

The courses have been developed by the college鈥檚 faculty and Intel leaders based on Intel software and tools such as the Intel Distribution of OpenVINO Toolkit and Intel Python. Intel is also contributing technical advice, faculty training, summer internships and Intel mentors for both students and faculty members. 

Upon completion, the college district will offer an associate degree in artificial intelligence that can be transferred to a four-year college.

Artificial Intelligence skills one of top five most in demand 

Today鈥檚 AI technology is driving discoveries and technology to add value to people鈥檚 lives and work. It鈥檚 finding water on the moon, speeding critical medical diagnoses, and identifying product defects faster, college and Intel officials aid. 

Occupations using AI skills include: business analyst, java developer, data engineer, marketing manager, health manager, engineer, product manager, developer, front end developer, architect, and more.  

Top employers requesting these skills are corporations like Intel, IBM, Wells Fargo, Deloitte and American Express.

Recent studies show the demand for AI is growing exponentially. notes that AI skills are one of the top five most in-demand hard skills. 

Arizona to see more than 20,000 AI jobs this year 

The local demand for AI talent is increasing as well in Maricopa County and the state. Careers are projected to grow faster than the average rate for all employment over the next decade, district officials said. 

Research done by MCCCD Workforce and Economic Development Office estimates an increase of 22.4 percent for these roles by 2029 according to Economic Modeling Specialists, Inc.

This year, Arizona is expected to see 21,535 AI employment opportunities — 6 percent above the national average, they said. 

Diverse population to benefit industry  

One of the reasons Intel chose the college district, which has 10 campuses and more than 200,000 students, is to tap into its diverse population, said Gregory Bryan, Intel鈥檚 executive vice president and general manager of the Client Computing Group.

鈥淲e strongly believe AI technology should be shaped by many voices representing different experiences and backgrounds,鈥� Bryant said. 鈥淐ommunity colleges offer the opportunity to expand and diversify AI since they attract a diverse array of students with a variety of backgrounds and expertise.鈥�

Arizona Commerce Authority gives $100,000 grant to the program 

As the state鈥檚 leading economic development organization, the Arizona Commerce Authority (ACA) is providing marketing and workforce connectivity strategies to support the program.

鈥淎rizona has become a hub for innovation and emerging technologies like artificial intelligence, and this initiative will enhance our state鈥檚 competitiveness in the global market,鈥� said Sandra Watson, ACA president and CEO. 鈥淓nsuring companies have access to talent with AI skills is key to Arizona鈥檚 continued economic success.鈥�

Intel committed to train 1 million developers worldwide

The new AI program at MCCD expands on the Intel that provides AI curriculum and resources to over 100,000 high school and vocational students in nine countries. 

Intel recently collaborated with Udacity to create the aimed at training 1 million developers.

Both are part of the company鈥檚 commitment to expand digital readiness to reach 30 million people in 30,000 institutions in 30 countries.

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Dear Friends,

Today was Maricopa County鈥檚 single highest reported positive COVID-19 case count at 1,377 positive cases.  We have a total of 20,670 positive cases with 52.5% of those cases occurring June 1- June 15 since we began tracking cases on January 22.  We are also seeing record numbers of emergency room visits and hospitalizations since the pandemic started.  Through yesterday, 49% of positive cases were within the 20-44 age range with a 12% hospitalization rate.  On June 1, that age group only made up 42% of positive cases with a 7% hospitalization rate.

This data is available at 

Maricopa County has added over 100 contact tracing positions and has partnerships with AZ 2-1-1, a Crisis Response Network program, as well as partnerships with ASU and UofA to support contact tracing efforts.  Ultimately, we will have roughly 500 people working on contact tracing.  However, currently test results are taking 7-10 days due to the sheer number of people presenting symptoms and needing tests.  The labs are at capacity.

We know the risk of serious illness is greater for adults over 65 and those with chronic medical conditions, but anyone can spread the disease and a positive case typically spreads the virus to two to three others.

Please do your part to stop the spread of COVID-19.  Wear a mask if you cannot social distance 6 feet or more.  Wear a mask if you are in a public place such as a grocery store or retail store. Limit gatherings to 10 people or less. And as always, wash your hands or use an alcohol based hand sanitizer.

Stay Safe,

Bill Gates

Gates serves as a County Supervisor for the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors.

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As testing for COVID-19 in Maricopa County and across the state increases, public health officials are sprinting to hire more contact tracing employees to be able to track every person who has had contact with an infected person.聽

Contact tracing is considered an effective tool in the arsenal to fight the disease鈥檚 spread. Employees work by phone with infected patients to discover everyone they had contact with who may have been exposed. 

Last week, the county approved hiring 60 employees to add to the tracking team, said County Supervisor Bill Gates, who also is a member of the county Board of Health.  

鈥淐ontact tracing is a key piece of reopening the economy and being successful and being safe,鈥� Gates said. 鈥淲e鈥檙e increasing our capability to contact trace eight to 10 times over what we鈥檝e been doing.鈥� 

Coronavirus tracking apps could be coming in the future

Across the U.S., health departments are scaling up contact tracing as well. 

Many and some states also are turning to contact tracing apps to help reduce the spread of Covid-19 and get their societies back up and running. While their functions vary, the basic concept is to allow people to voluntarily use their smartphones to automatically trace their encounters with others. 

They use either a GPS-based or Bluetooth approach, or a combination of both, for tracking people who have been in contact with infected patients. 

Currently, Apple and Google are among the companies working to perfect a for health agencies that will have enhanced privacy features.  

Maricopa County Public Health officials would consider using technology to help with contact tracing if it is proven safe and effective, said the county鈥檚 communications director, Fields Moseley.

鈥淢aricopa County wants to reach and help as many people as possible who might be at risk. At the same time, we will only use technology that is proven to work well, fits into our business operation and will protect people鈥檚 privacy,鈥� Mosely said. 

County hiring for contact tracing team

For now, health officials are focused on and training workers to call infected patients and trace who they have had contact with in the past two or three weeks in case they need to quarantine during the 14-day infection phase. 

鈥淭his is painstaking work but it鈥檚 so important,鈥� Supervisor Gates said. 鈥淲e will staff up as much as we need to.鈥�

The health department has done contact tracing for every confirmed case of COVID-19, beginning with the first case Jan. 26, Gates said. As testing numbers have soared, so has the need for more contact tracing workers. 

Last week, the county posted multiple job descriptions for a variety of positions. More than 300 applications have been received. On Monday, 20 new hires were in place. Epidemiologists, investigators and support staff are among those being hired. 

The county also is contracting with the nonprofit Crisis Response Network, or 211, to help with the effort. Crisis hotline workers already are fielding calls from anyone who has questions about the coronavirus.

How contact tracing works 

Contact tracing is conducted by trained investigators who must act as 鈥減art public health, part detective and part social worker,鈥� the public health department said in a statement announcing the hiring effort. 

鈥淭hey must work closely and quickly with positive cases to establish trust, uncover as much information as possible, and then decipher this information to put it into public health interventions.鈥�  

There are a series of steps that must be taken including:

• After a positive case is reported, an investigator reaches out to the individual by phone and conducts an extensive interview to determine who they have had contact with in the prior two to three weeks.
• The investigator then reaches out to any family members and health care providers who  may have been exposed. After that, casual contacts and businesses are contacted to warn them of potential exposure.
• If a contact is required to be quarantined, the investigator will help to ensure the contact鈥檚 basic needs, including healthcare and food, are met.  
• The investigator continues to check up on close contacts to see if they have developed symptoms. Anyone who develops symptoms is given instructions on how to seek healthcare safely without exposing others in the doctor鈥檚 office or ER waiting room.鈥�

Potential job applicants and volunteers, can get more information at: .

Anyone who is sick and suspects they have the virus, or have been around someone who is sick, or are caring for someone who is sick, can get details on how to protect themselves and others at: .聽聽For more information on COVID-19 and what steps can be taken to stop the spread, visit or for the Spanish version at .

Photo courtesy of Maricopa County.

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Finding solutions to complex problems requires understanding the scope of the challenge ahead. Affordable housing, a much-discussed issue facing our Valley and our state, is no different. While we may disagree about how best to build and fund more housing for families at all income levels, we should at least agree on the basic facts 鈥� like how often renters are evicted in Maricopa County and statewide.

Media reports over the past few months have cited numerous eviction statistics. The numbers tossed around have been massive, from ,鈥� to a much-quoted August KJZZ piece that cited 鈥� statewide.

The problem with these numbers? They鈥檙e wrong.

A simple analysis of Arizona court statistics shows that the rate of evictions in Maricopa County has remained stable since the Great Recession of 2008. For every 1,000 rental residents in the county, about 16 or 1.6% ended up being evicted in 2018. Counter to the recent narratives, that鈥檚 the same eviction rate that existed in 2008. 聽Interestingly, the number of eviction actions filed in county courts have dropped significantly by nearly 18 percent between 2008 and 2018. Meanwhile, the county鈥檚 renter population jumped by 32 percent across the same decade.

Most importantly, the eviction rate in Arizona has not increased, and we are far from experiencing record levels of evictions.聽 Those are the facts, and it鈥檚 a good thing.

As the president of the Arizona Multihousing Association, a trade organization with more than 3,000 members including owners of a single rental home and the state鈥檚 largest rental apartment property owners, I understand well that each eviction represents a uniquely difficult moment for both renters and property owners. For renters, evictions may create pain and inconvenience. For property owners, the cost of eviction and re-renting an apartment home sabotages their investment and the bottom line. For all these reasons, our organization and our partners are working hard to help address one of the underlying causes to evictions, and to attack the undersupply of housing that represents the crux of the problem.

How undersupplied is the Valley rental market? According to a study by the National Apartment Association, metropolitan Phoenix would need to build 11,000 units a year for the next decade to meet the rising demand created by being the nation鈥檚 fastest-growing county. Every day, 200 new residents move to Maricopa County. Because we are nowhere near building at such a furious pace, rents continue to rise. That鈥檚 the law of supply and demand at work.

Building more housing for low-income families will require innovation and collaboration between the private and public sectors. Locally, elected officials must work with developers to remove the onerous bureaucratic restrictions that drive the cost of housing higher. Overly restrictive zoning, cost-intense design guidelines, and discretionary review processes which allow arms of local government to add costly fits and finishes to projects all contribute to making housing construction more expensive. Inevitably, higher costs mean higher rents 鈥� or less investment from developers who choose to take their limited resources elsewhere.

At the state level, momentum has begun to build to piggyback on a federal program known as the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit, or LIHTC. Signed by President Reagan, expanded by Democratic presidents and continued by President Trump, federal LIHTC has supported the construction or renovation of about 2 million housing units nationally. Already, 16 states have created their own LIHTC program to speed up the construction of housing for those who would struggle to otherwise afford to pay rent. In Colorado, the state LIHTC program has helped created about 5,000 new affordable housing units since 2015.

Each new unit represents a boost to Arizona鈥檚 economy and our pivotal construction industry. Even more importantly, the family living in each new unit will be better able to afford their home.

No matter what the statistics say, we should all be able to agree that Arizona鈥檚 families deserve our very best effort when it comes to meeting such a critical challenge.

Courtney Gilstrap LeVinus is the president and CEO of the Arizona Multihousing Association

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