Bill 4 · Healthcare

Greenlee County Has No Hospital

The nearest ER from Morenci is in Safford — 40+ minutes away. For a community built around one of the most dangerous industries in America, this is unconscionable.

The Reality

Mining injuries require immediate trauma care. Forty minutes is the difference between recovery and permanent disability. Green Valley retirees — median age 73, 68% relying on retirement income — face declining healthcare access as rural facilities close.

The Bill

The Rural Healthcare Access Act provides state matching funds for rural hospital construction in extraction counties, expands telehealth through broadband infrastructure grants, offers loan forgiveness and housing assistance for healthcare workers who serve rural Arizona for 3+ years, and requires mining operations above 500 employees to maintain on-site emergency medical facilities.

The Connection

Freeport-McMoRan profits $1.9 billion. Greenlee County can't keep a hospital open. The Mining Community Investment Act generates the revenue. This bill directs part of it to healthcare.

"If you get hurt in the pit at Morenci, the nearest ER is 40 minutes away. That's not healthcare — that's a gamble."