Arizona Medical Association achieves wellness victory
With strong support from the Arizona Medical Association, Arizona Psychiatric Society, and Arizona Medical Board, the governor recently signed House Bill 2173 (PDF), which will prohibit all health professional licensing boards in Arizona from asking whether applicants have “sought mental health assistance or received a mental health diagnosis.” The bill also provides confidentiality protections if an applicant is currently enrolled in a monitoring program. The governor signed the bill on March 31.
“This bill is an essential step toward removing the stigma that often prevents Arizona’s physicians and other health care professionals from receiving timely mental health care,” ArMA testified.
The AMA strongly supported HB 2173 as part of its national efforts in support of removing stigmatizing questions from licensing and credentialing applications. Read more (PDF) about the AMA campaign.
ArMA has dedicated significant education and other resources to support physicians’ mental health. Learn more.
