Get to Know Dr. Paula Mayer!

February 6, 2023
Portrait of Leah Sanford in glasses, smiling against a gray background with a purple frame and award badge.

We are excited to introduce you to the Arizona Medical Association's (ArMA) Member Spotlight for February, Paula Mayer, MD! Dr. Mayer is an emergency medicine physician in Tuba City, Arizona, and currently serves as the Chief Medical Informatics Officer at Tuba City Regional Health Care Corporation. Within ArMA, Dr. Mayer serves on the Communications Committee, influencing publications like this one!

 

To some, Dr. Mayer's journey with medicine may seem unconventional. Beginning her career in television news, Dr. Mayer sees medicine through a different lens, providing patients with solid communication and quality care.


Learn all about Dr. Mayer's journey with medicine in the interview below! 

What is one message you would give to your 18-year-old self? 


Pick a goal, any goal, then move in that direction. Time will pass faster than you expect, and you might as well get something done in the meantime.


What inspires you? 


Finding solutions to problems. Sometimes it's the answer to why an ED patient has a particular symptom. Sometimes it's looking at why the EHR isn't functioning as we expect or would like. Problem-solving gives me energy and fires me up to find more problems.


If you weren't a physician, what would you be up to right now? 


If I weren't a physician, I would be a National Transportation Safety Board investigator. I love figuring out what went wrong or is going wrong.


What place would you most like to visit? 


I would like to visit a place in the far north where I can see the Aurora Borealis. I have always wanted to see the Northern Lights in person instead of in pictures.


What would you like remembered about you? 


I hope my colleagues will remember that working with me was a good experience and that I always had something a little different or offbeat to contribute. I think that having a career in TV news before medicine gives me a different perspective than those who had a more traditional science or medical background. 


What would people be surprised to learn about you?


I think some people would be surprised that I spent the first ten years of my career in TV control rooms and crouching next to a camera during news conferences.


What do you like best about living in Arizona? 


The breathtaking beauty of the desert driving from Tuba City to Phoenix. I grew up along the Pacific coast, so the saguaro cactus and red dirt still seem very exotic to me.


What prompted you to become involved in organized medicine? 


I felt like organized medicine didn't fully represent my interests, and I wanted to promote change from the inside.

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 .