The Arizona Health Facilities Authority has sponsored a comprehensive examination of Arizona's rural hospital facilities. All of Arizona's 34 rural hospitals participated in the study, including those managed by the Indian Health Service (IHS) and two by Arizona Indian nations. The study was prepared by Health Solutions and Market Intelligence, Inc. under a contract with the Rural Health Office of the University of Arizona Mel and Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health.

The study determined Arizona needs 290 additional hospital beds, 230 additional physicians, and $2.1 billion in capital for new hospital construction, renovation, and equipment to serve the growing health needs of Arizona's rural population. Among the 17 recommendations included in the study were several calls to action for the Arizona Legislature including developing a technical assistance program for critical access hospitals that need new facilities, examining new methods for providing incentives to physicians and nurses willing to practice in Arizona's rural and frontier areas, and increasing the funding pool for critical access hospitals proportionate with the increase in the number of hospitals that receive this designation. Arizona's Congressional delegation is urged to provide leadership in Congress to increase appropriations for the Indian Health Service facility capital budget. The Authority is urged to support replacement facilities or renovation projects for small/critical access hospitals, including those operated by IHS and tribal affiliated organizations.

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