OPINION: Little-known Maricopa County measure could have lasting health care effects

In Legislative District 26 in Maricopa County, we look out for each other. We check in on our elders, we show up for our kids, and we believe that no one should be turned away when they need help.  

That’s why it’s important to know about a bond election happening this November, Prop. 409. Prop. 409 will expand Valleywise Health, our county hospital, and its services. It asks voters to approve a $898 million bond to allow Valleywise Health to expand behavioral health services, increase inpatient and emergency room capacity, rebuild and expand community health centers to enhance physician training, build a replacement comprehensive health center, and make other infrastructure improvements.

Unlike traditional hospitals, Valleywise is partially funded through a modest tax levy administered through the Maricopa County Special Health Care District. This funding model allows Valleywise to provide exceptional care to low-income and uninsured residents making healthcare more accessible and our entire community healthier. In other words, Valleywise is where people go when life takes an unexpected turn, insured or not. 

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I know that struggle personally. As a working mom who’s juggled multiple jobs just to keep the lights on and food on the table, access to quality, affordable healthcare has been essential for my family’s survival. 

Let’s be honest: the Valley is growing fast. Maricopa County experienced one of the biggest population growth rates in the United States last year, according to the US Census Bureau. Our health care system must grow with it. That’s why I’m voting yes on Prop. 409. 

Prop. 409 will help expand primary and pediatric care, build a new behavioral health facility in South Phoenix, and train the next generation of nurses and doctors. Many of these health professionals come directly from the very neighborhoods they’ll serve. Can you imagine receiving care from a health professional who understands the local environmental and societal pressures that impact your health?This bond is more than dollars and cents. It’s a moral investment in our people.

Voting yes means keeping the doors open for the next family in crisis. It means building the kind of Arizona we all deserve: one where dignity, healing, and hope are available to everyone.

Join me this November in voting YES on Prop. 409. Let’s choose care. Let’s choose community. Let’s choose each other. We’re all we’ve got!

MORE: Prop 409 aims to expand care for Maricopa County’s only safety net health care system