Policy is one of the most powerful tools public health professionals have to effect positive health changes at a community level.

“In my experience, I’ve seen a disconnect between public health practice and policy,” said Cardenas. “I think there’s a crucial need to empower students and professionals to engage in health policy. I developed Arizona Common Ground to help address this need by walking listeners through the structure of a bill process so they can see how they can have their voice heard by a legislature.”

Krista R. Cardenas, MPH, is the creator and host of the new podcast Arizona Common Ground (AZCG), an eight episode educational podcast series that will take listeners through the legislative process of how a bill is passed in Arizona.

On April 18, 2019, Arizona Governor Doug Ducey signed SB 1089, a Telemedicine bill that requires private insurers to cover the same services provided through telemedicine as they do through in-person care. As an intern, Cardenas shadowed Senator Heather Carter at the Arizona Capitol, to better understand how the legislative system, laws, and processes are carried out. She tracked the Telemedicine bill from stakeholder meetings, language drafting, through the legislature process until it was signed into law.

Cardenas took everything she learned and created the podcast to help public health students, health professionals and other citizens interested in health to implement their work at the policy level. The podcasts include personal narratives and case studies from politicians, lobbyists, policy analysts, and public health professors so you can know how to have voice with these legislative issues.

EP. 1: Introduction: A Telemedicine Case Study

ARIZONA COMMON GROUNDBy Krista R. Cardenas, MPHJul 10, 2019