ArMA Member Spotlight: Gretchen B. Alexander, MD, DLFAPA!

August 12, 2024
Portrait of Leah Sanford in glasses, smiling against a gray background with a purple frame and award badge.

This month, we introduce Gretchen B. Alexander, MD, DLFAPA as August's ArMA Member Spotlight! Dr. Alexander works as a board-certified psychiatrist caring for patients in the Phoenix metro area. Dr. Alexander attended the Perelmen School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania and completed her psychiatric residency training at the Long Island Jewish Medical Center.

Dr. Alexander led ArMA as president from 2017-18 and currently serves as Chair of the Medical Aid in Dying Task Force and Chair of the Arizona Medical Political Action Committee's Board of Directors. She recently was recognized with the Distinguished Service Award during the Heart Beat Gala at ArMA's 2024 Annual Meeting. 


Read into Dr. Alexander's award the 2024 Health Care Award Ceremony!

What inspires you?


"As a psychiatrist at Maricopa County’s safety net hospital, I work with patients who are struggling with the gravest challenges—medical, emotional, economic and social. Trying to make sure that our patients leave the hospital with a sense of hope about the world and their situation is a consistent goal for me and our entire group; meeting that goal is a powerful inspiration to me."


What are your 3 favorite movies?


"Albert Brooks’ Defending Your Life, The Adjustment Bureau with Matt Damon and Emily Blunt, and Ingmar Bergman’s The Seventh Seal.”

What does a typical day in your life look like?


"My day starts at 6:45AM reviewing emails and checking for overnight transfers to the medicalcenter from inpatient psychiatry, since we need to follow those cases.

At 7:00AM I start our group’s daily group chat and assign the overnight consults, discuss dispositions and transfers for active cases, and introduce new trainees to the team.

At 8:00 I head down to the hospital for 8:15 table rounds where we review all cases, discuss interesting/educational aspects of patients we’re seeing and coordinate the legal work on patients who are on involuntary status. Sometimes we have a med student give a presentation on a topic which is always interesting.

From 8:45-11:00 I assign work to the resident and medical student on my team, deal with administrative matters , review charts, and call families and outside providers for collateral information on my forensic and risk assessment cases. Sometimes I will have a lecture to give for our residency training program.

From 11:00 to 4:30 I’m on the floors seeing patients, staffing cases with the residents, communicating with medical and surgical teams about the cases they’ve consulted us on, putting out administrative fires, and teaching our medical students.

From 4:30-5:30 or 6 I’m back in my office finishing notes and returning phone calls, or in the ED seeing late consults."

What is a meaniful project to you that you're currently working on?


"Currently, I serve as board chair for the Arizona Medical Political Action Committee. Our role as board members is to support our amazing legislative staff as they advocate for our patients and our profession at the state legislature. I am grateful to have this opportunity to engage with our membership and ArMA leadership as we work to improve our fundraising and advocacy work. ArMA’s effectiveness at the state legislature is closely tied to our engagement with state lawmakers and our PAC is just one of many tools which can be extraordinarily effective in building strong relationships with our allies. Those strong relationships are a critical foundation when we seek to get laws written and passed that will help us achieve our legislative goals."

What is a meaniful project to you that you're currently working on?


"Currently, I serve as board chair for the Arizona Medical Political Action Committee. Our role as board members is to support our amazing legislative staff as they advocate for our patients and our profession at the state legislature. I am grateful to have this opportunity to engage with our membership and ArMA leadership as we work to improve our fundraising and advocacy work. ArMA’s effectiveness at the state legislature is closely tied to our engagement with state lawmakers and our PAC is just one of many tools which can be extraordinarily effective in building strong relationships with our allies. Those strong relationships are a critical foundation when we seek to get laws written and passed that will help us achieve our legislative goals."

How would you describe your approach to patient care?


"Old School: I trained in an era where being detail oriented, thorough and curious about your patients was of paramount importance to being a good physician. So when I walk into a patient’s room, I have already reviewed all of their medical records in detail, sometimes back to the 1990’s. This allows me to spend far less time trying to get the patient to remember their often complicated past history, and to spend more time just chatting with the patient and establishing rapport and addressing their current concerns. "

ADHS Issues Standing Orders for Flu, COVID-19 Vaccine Access

By Admin User • September 18, 2026
Statewide orders keep pharmacists and physicians authorized to vaccinate Arizonans amid uncertainty over the next ACIP meeting. Statewide Orders Cover the 2026-27 Flu & COVID Season The Arizona Department of Health Services has issued statewide standing orders supporting access to the 2026-27 influenza and COVID-19 vaccines approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Arizonans seeking a flu or COVID-19 vaccine should contact their physician or pharmacy to confirm availability. Why the Orders Were Issued Arizona pharmacists may administer vaccines recommended by the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, vaccines recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for international travel, or vaccines authorized under a prescription, including a physician-issued public health standing order. With the timing of the next ACIP meeting uncertain, ADHS worked with the Arizona Board of Pharmacy to issue statewide standing orders for the flu and COVID-19 vaccines, which function as a prescription allowing pharmacists and physicians across Arizona to administer them to anyone who wants one. ADHS Medical Advisor Weighs In "Vaccines are one of the most important tools we have to protect our communities. The Influenza and COVID-19 vaccines have been proven safe and effective at preventing severe illness, hospitalization, and death. Vaccines help us limit the spread of disease, reduce pressure on our healthcare system and reduce costs," said Dr. Richard Carmona, ADHS public health medical advisor and the 17th U.S. Surgeon General. "We have issued these standing orders to ensure safe and timely access to the vaccines in alignment with scientific and evidence-based guidance." What Arizonans Should Know The standing orders do not require every pharmacy to offer vaccinations, and they do not guarantee insurance coverage for administration. Coverage and out-of-pocket costs vary by plan, so Arizonans should check with their insurance provider before scheduling an appointment. 

Arizona Asks Supreme Court to Halt Prison Health Care Takeover

By Admin User • September 18, 2026
State attorneys seek an emergency stay after lower courts reject bids to delay receivership of the prison health care system. State Makes a Last-Ditch Appeal Attorneys for the Arizona Department of Corrections, Rehabilitation and Reentry asked the U.S. Supreme Court this week to delay a court-ordered receivership of the state's prison health care system. The request comes after both a federal district court and the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals declined to pause the takeover. In the recent application, former U.S. Solicitor General Paul Clement, a representative of the department, argued that the state deserves more time to make its case before surrendering control of its operations, including oversight of its employees and health care budget. Roots of the Case The dispute began in 2012 when inmates sued the department, alleging the prison system's inadequate medical, mental health, and dental care amounted to cruel and unusual punishment under the Eighth Amendment. The case went through years of litigation and a failed settlement agreement. In 2023, U.S. District Judge Roslyn Silver ruled that the health care system was "grossly inadequate." The court ordered the prison healthcare system to comply with more than 150 "quality indicators," but according to court-appointed monitors, the department failed to comply with 131 of the measures. In light of this finding, Silver named Annette Chambers-Smith, former director of the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction, to take over as receiver effective Oct. 19. Arguments on Both Sides Clement argues receivership should be the last resort and that Silver moved to it too quickly. He asserts that the department has made measurable progress, including growing its health care staffing by more than 50%, expanding substance-use treatment access, and adopting a new care model. Corene Kendrick, deputy director of the American Civil Liberties Union National Prison Project, which represents the roughly 25,000 people incarcerated in Arizona prisons, called the department's request a "Hail Mary" and said Silver had given the department years of opportunities to comply before ordering receivership. What Happens Next The Supreme Court has not yet set a deadline for the plaintiffs to respond to the stay request. Separately, the 9th Circuit is now reviewing the merits of the receivership order itself. The department filed its opening brief on Sept. 15, and the plaintiffs' response is due Oct. 15. Information in this article was sourced from the Arizona Mirror .