Archives

New status leads to growth for Native clinic

PHOENIX — The oldest and largest Native American health clinic in central Phoenix plans to expand now that it has earned a much sought-after accreditation for its services.

Native Health, a nonprofit that serves more than 12,000 people annually, got a thumbs up from the Accreditation Association for Ambulatory Healthcare late this summer, validating its treatments for dental, medical, mental health and wellness issues.

This will allow the organization to celebrate its 30th anniversary this year in a big way, Native Health officials say.

“It will bring growth, of course, and help develop the medical program and focus on the patients with the most need, like prenatal and substance abuse,” says Native Health CEO Dr. Richard Zephier.

The nonprofit plans on opening two more clinics in the near future, says Craig Pattee, a program development specialist at the clinic. The new locations will be in Mesa and the far West Valley, which will complement the existing clinic near Central and Campbell avenues.

Officials say they would like to focus on developing health issues in the Native American community, such as diabetes and hypertension. They also intend to take other insurance plans than just one plan under AHCCCS, Arizona’s version of Medicaid for impoverished families.

Native Americans are also eligible for free health care through a federal agency. But Pattee said it is really used as a last resort.

“Once we’re able to take more [insurance plans], it will make more people eligible to get service through us,” Pattee says.

That’s why gaining accreditation was so important. Native Health officials say getting accredited by the Illinois-based AAAHC took several years and tons of advice from hired consultants who had been through the process, Pattee says.

Accreditation is also like a quality guarantee. This means Arizona regulators will be auditing Native Health’s records less frequently and more federal grants will be coming in to support programs.

“It’s kin to product branding,” Zephier says. “Having the certificate meets our projected growth.”

= = =

>>Email the editor at aklaw@zoniereport.com.

South Mountain freeway project could cost $2.4B

AHWATUKEE — The price of a controversial freeway project along South Mountain has gone up 50 percent since May, meaning taxpayers could shell out as much as $2.4 billion for the work.

The new price tag for the proposed Loop 202/South Mountain Freeway came during a Ahwatukee Foothills Village Planning Committee meeting last night at the Pecos Community Center. Laurel Arndt, a committee member, quoted the price from a recent report submitted by the Arizona Department of Transportation, which is proposing the project as a solution to East Valley commuter woes.

ADOT has continuously stated that nothing in the proposal has changed, Arndt said, but the price of construction has clearly changed.

“The numbers are real,” Arndt said. “They’re public record now.”

Arndt, who is also a member of the South Mountain Citizens Advisory Team (CAT), said she volunteers as a consultant for decisions on whether the freeway project will move forward. Elements such as air quality, noise, traffic, cultural and preservation impacts are commonly brought up, Arndt said.

“The freeway is an important part of our future whether you are for or against it,” she said.

However, Arndt said Ahwatukee community members still feel somewhat disregarded in the decision making process because the city signed away their right to vote on the freeway, leaving the state with the final say.

“It’s time to get support from people other than the councilman and the mayor,” Arndt said.

In a phone interview, Phoenix City Councilman Greg Stanton, who represents the Ahwatukee area, said he has spent the bulk of his time speaking with residents about the Loop 202/South Mountain Freeway. He says that the majority of Ahwatukee residents are against it.

“The freeway will tear down hundreds of homes and take a big chunk out of South Mountain,” Stanton said.

So far, the proposed project has been split into two segments. Placing the western alignment along 55th Avenue has already been decided, said Ahwatukee Foothills Village Planning Committee Chairman Doug Cole.

But residents are still discussing whether to build the east alignment along Pecos Road, he said. The planning committee has voted no on the Pecos Road construction twice, Cole added.

“Building along Pecos Road would lead to the destruction of 400 to 800 homes and could possibly impact several schools and churches along the boundary,” he said.

Cole said the next step is to continue having community meetings discussing the Loop 202/South Mountain Freeway. Although drawing the process out makes the price more expensive, it can also help residents settle on a better route.

“The longer the final decision takes, the better it is for us,” Cole said. “It makes [ADOT] consider alternative options.”

The new cost estimates will be discussed at a public hearing Thursday at 6 p.m. in the Student Union building of South Mountain Community College, 7050 S. 24th St.

= = =

>>Email the editor at aklaw@zoniereport.com.

A prize-drawing in the carpool lane

PHOENIX — The county transportation authority is trying to clean up the summer air by offering prizes to residents who use alternative modes of transportation through Oct. 10.

Valley Metro’s annual Summer Ozone Contest has run for more than 10 years. It offers gift cards and incentives for people to carpool, vanpool, take the bus, ride a bike, refuel after dark or telecommute to reduce carbon dioxide emissions, which help trap ozone particles Valley wide and lead to dirtier air and hotter temperatures.

Winners will be drawn at random each month through September. Residents will get a double entry if they use alternative modes of transportation during high-pollution advisories.

The prizes include:

• a one-night stay at Pointe Hilton Squaw Peak Resort,
• a one-night stay at Pointe Hilton Tapatio Cliffs,
• a two-night stay at the Embassy Suites Hotel in Phoenix,
• a $20 gift certificate to First Watch,
• four passes to the Arizona Science Center,
• a $25 gift certificate to Valle Luna Mexican food restaurant,
• a $25 gift card to Claim Jumper restaurants,
• a round of golf for four at The Boulders Resort,
• a $50 gift card to Eddie’s Wildfish Grille in Desert Highlands.

“It is one more way to get people interested in using alternative modes of transportation…it provides interest and excitement,” says Jeff Reid, Valley Metro’s ride share administrative assistant.

Valley Metro hosts various ride share contests throughout the year, including the Valley Bike Month in April, and Ride Share Week in the fall, both which award residents with similar prizes. Local merchants donate them to encourage residents to participate in environmentally friendly habits.

“I wish I would have know about the contest years ago,” says Christine Benson, a Tempe resident since 2004. “I think it’s a great idea. I don’t think people are necessarily going to stop driving to work by themselves, but I do think it is nice to reward those who do try to keep the environment clean.”

To be eligible to participate, contestants must be 18 years of age or older and a resident of Maricopa County. Contestants must also submit an entry during the applicable entry period for that drawing.

Contestants can participate any time before October 10 by entering the date(s) that an alternative mode was used at valleymetro.org. Winners will be randomly selected by Valley Metro administration. The winner will be notified by phone, email or certified mail within 10 days of the drawing date. Submissions are based on the honor system.

= = =

>>Email the editor at aklaw@zoniereport.com.

Graffiti becomes art in South Phoenix

PHOENIX — Vandalism is the third most-committed crime in Phoenix. So when Luis Miranda wanted local taggers to paint the perimeter of his custom car shop, it was no surprise when city officials swooped in to shut it down.

But Miranda, an artist in his own right, saw things differently. When he refused to sign a form requiring all graffiti to be painted over, he kicked off a graffiti art revival of sorts in the Grant Park neighborhood south of downtown Phoenix.

“The neighbors stop by and say thank you,” Miranda says. “From Latinos to blacks to whites, everybody has great things to say about it.”

That includes residents like Armando Gandarilla, president of the Grant Park Neighborhood Fight Back Association. He says he knows graffiti is a problem downtown, but much of the art has gotten a bad rap.

Like Miranda, Gandarilla sees it as a healthy outlet that could spark life in Grant Park, which is bordered by Central and Seventh avenues, between Buckeye Road and Lincoln Street.

“We need to have artwork (like that on Miranda’s property) in the community,” Gandarilla says. “If people are genuinely trying to do something positive, I would never criticize them. But people who support gang activity is negative for the community. I do not approve of breaking the law, but if that adrenaline could be channeled…”

Though statistics on graffiti waivers were not available, local artists suggest graffiti-to-art is becoming a culturally enlightening trend.

Jim Covarrubias, for example, has created murals at numerous locations throughout Phoenix and agrees that graffiti can be a positive outlet for people but is not a substitute for being a good citizen.

“Public art does enhance the urban landscape and allows for artists to personally identify the city where they live,” Covarrubias said in an email. “Graffiti does the same as long as it isn’t a badge of identity for gang affiliation. Like many new forms of modern art, it is readily acceptable by younger citizens and jarring or maybe even threatening to older citizens.

“There has been criticism of murals,” he adds. “Of more concern to me are elected officials who lump graffiti, crime, gangs and every thing bad into the same side of the fence. We need to be more responsive to art and the transient methods that many young artists feel is their chosen technique, but we certainly shouldn’t be creating criminals from artists. Art heralds change and change needs artists to express the face of that change.”

= = =

>>Email the editor at aklaw@zoniereport.com.