Arizona Department of Health Services, Division of Assurance and Licensure Services

This report focuses on the regulatory duties of the Division over five licensing programs including Behavioral Health, Child Care, Home and Community Based, Long Term Care, and Medical Facilities. Specifically, the audit found that the Division has not taken sufficient enforcement action against facilities that repeatedly violated licensing standards. Additionally, the Division has not met its statutory responsibility to restrict or prevent some facilities from operating when they fail to meet licensing standards. In addition to problems enforcing licensing standards, the Division also fails to provide consumers with complete, appropriate, and easily accessible regulatory information. For instance, complaint information contained in files is often not sufficiently detailed for consumers to make informed decisions when selecting providers. Finally, the audit found that one of the licensure programs, Medical Facilities Licensure, does not perform timely complaint investigations.