U.S. Rep. Juan Ciscomani (R-AZ) on April 7 hosted U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Administrator Thomas Engels of the Health Resources and Services Administration as part of their “Take Back Your Health” tour in the state.
As part of their visit on Tuesday to Arizona’s Sixth Congressional District, which Rep. Ciscomani represents, the congressman held a roundtable with Secretary Kennedy, Administrator Engels, and local leadership to discuss the current status and recent advances of the healthcare industry in southeastern Arizona.
“It was an honor to join Secretary Kennedy at this roundtable and bring together local leaders alongside a fearless advocate who has championed our shared goal of making America healthy again,” Rep. Ciscomani said. “This discussion was an invaluable opportunity to collaborate on how we can advance that mission across southern Arizona, from supporting our children to strengthening care for seniors in our communities.”
The roundtable covered several health-related issues, including the Make America Health Again (MAHA) initiative, local physicians’ efforts to advance access to healthy food and preventative care, and the need to continue to focus health research funding on women’s health and Alzheimer’s research and care.
Among those who participated in the roundtable were representatives of Marana Health, The Diet of Hope Institute, the Pain Institute of Southern Arizona, Mt. Graham Regional Medical Center, Sun Life Health Center, Tucson Medical Center, University Medicine Tucson, DeMent Family Chiropractic, and St. Joseph’s Hospital, among others.
“I am proud of the work our healthcare leaders are doing in our communities and appreciated learning more about the unique talents and services each of these industry professionals bring to serve our region,” said Rep. Ciscomani. “I thank the secretary for taking the time to hear directly from our community and for helping elevate the needs of Arizona’s Sixth District and beyond at the federal level.”
Rep. Ciscomani has supported MAHA by helping to advance $100 million in funding for the initiative in fiscal year 2026, which will allow HHS to invest in prevention and innovation programs for rural communities, telehealth resources for chronic care, and nutrition services.
During their visit last week, Kennedy and Engels also made two Notices of Funding Opportunities (NOFOs) that Rep. Ciscomani said could directly benefit his constituents.
The Residency Planning and Development Program NOFO supports development of rural residency programs in key specialties, including family medicine, psychiatry, general surgery, and obstetrics and gynecology, while the Expanding Nutrition Services in Health Centers NOFO will increase access to nutrition services at federally funded health centers.