Phoenix Children’s, Dignity Health and insurers highlight growing local health needs and workforce gaps

Leaders from Phoenix Children’s Hospital, Dignity Health and Arizona Complete Health told Avondale councilmembers on March 4 that the city’s population growth is increasing demand for pediatric emergency care, behavioral health services and long‑term care capacity.

Cliff Liu, vice president of strategy at Phoenix Children’s, said the system seeks to “go where the kids are,” noting the Avondale freestanding emergency department opened in July 2023 and saw more than 50,000 pediatric visits in 2024. Christina Conrad, medical director of the Phoenix Children’s Avondale emergency department, said the site has 40 rooms, two resuscitation rooms, imaging and 24/7 pediatric subspecialty coverage, and serves a high volume of ambulance transports.

“Before, unfortunately, a lot of these kids were having to go downtown,” Conrad said. She described services that include child life specialists, on‑site mental‑health clinicians and a bridge clinic to connect children discharged with behavioral‑health needs to follow‑up care.

Arizona Complete Health’s market president, Martha Smith, said her plan covers about 600,000 Arizonans in Medicaid, marketplace and Medicare programs and warned of federal and state funding pressures. “We have some serious concerns if there’s some reductions in the federal match program,” Smith said, noting possible impacts to coverage and provider budgets.

Tony Houston, market president for Dignity Health Arizona, described the health system’s scale in the valley and its workforce initiatives, including local clinical education programs. Houston said hospitals face sustained demand and “labor inflation” that affects operating costs and patient access.

Councilmembers asked how the city could support increased access. Panelists recommended encouraging workforce pipelines into health‑care jobs, supporting affordable housing for workers, and forming partnerships with community colleges for training and residency expansions. Phoenix Children’s noted grants and programs that place behavioral‑health clinicians in pediatric practices and provide take‑home naloxone for overdose reversal.

Panelists also flagged long‑term care and community‑based alternatives, calling for coordinated local planning to avoid overreliance on institutional beds. The discussion will inform Avondale’s strategic‑plan priorities for health care and workforce development.