The Arizona Chamber of Commerce & Industry has installed Monica Coury, vice president of external affairs at Arizona Complete Health, as chair of its board of directors, as the organization begins its new fiscal year.

Coury officially assumed the chairmanship during a ceremonial passing of the gavel at the Chamber’s June 26 board meeting. She succeeds Ted Geisler, president and CEO of APS, who served as board chair over the past two years.

As chair, Coury will lead the Chamber’s board while helping guide the organization’s efforts to advance policies that strengthen Arizona’s economy, improve the state’s business climate, and promote long-term prosperity.

“It is an incredible honor to serve as chair of the Arizona Chamber of Commerce & Industry,” Coury said. “I want to thank my fellow board members for the confidence they’ve placed in me, and I’m grateful for the opportunity to work alongside the Chamber’s outstanding team. The Chamber has long been one of Arizona’s most effective and respected advocates on behalf of the state’s job creators, and I look forward to building on that legacy as we continue working to make Arizona the best place in the nation to live, work, and do business.”

Coury has served on the Chamber’s board for several years. She previously chaired the Public Affairs Committee and most recently served as chair-elect. In her role at Arizona Complete Health, she oversees one of the state’s leading health plans and has been a prominent voice on issues involving healthcare access, workforce development, and Arizona’s economic competitiveness.

“Monica is an exceptional leader whose collaborative approach, strategic vision, and deep commitment to Arizona make her the ideal person to lead our board,” said Danny Seiden, president and CEO of the Arizona Chamber of Commerce & Industry. “She understands that a strong economy depends on smart public policy, and she has consistently brought thoughtful leadership and sound judgment to the Chamber. I look forward to working closely with Monica as we continue advancing policies that help Arizona employers create jobs, invest, and grow.”

Seiden also thanked Geisler for his leadership during a period that included significant legislative successes and continued growth for the Chamber.

“Ted has been an outstanding chairman, a trusted partner, and a friend,” Seiden said. “His steady leadership, business acumen, and unwavering commitment to Arizona’s economic future have helped position the Chamber for continued success. We are grateful for his service and look forward to his continued counsel and involvement on our board.”

The Chamber also installed the following governing board officers:

• Chair-elect: Jimmy Lindblom, Willmeng Construction
• Vice-chair, audit & finance: Don Isaacson, Isaacson Law Firm
• Vice-chair, manufacturing: Angela Creedon, Intel

The Arizona Chamber of Commerce & Industry is Arizona’s leading statewide business advocacy organization, representing employers of every size and industry across the state. The Chamber’s mission is to advance Arizona’s competitiveness through policies that foster economic growth, job creation, and opportunity for all Arizonans.

GILBERT, AZ — An Arizona toddler was found breathing inside a Gilbert hospital morgue after being declared dead hours earlier by an Arizona doctor, according to police records.

A police report and body camera video reviewed by the ABC15 Investigators show that two Gilbert police officers saw signs of life multiple times, but the toddler was still taken to the hospital’s “cold room,” which is also considered to be the morgue.

One officer wrote in the police report that the baby was pronounced dead “in error” by the Mercy Gilbert doctor even after a tense exchange about a pulse possibly being detected.

The 18-month-old was rushed to Mercy Gilbert Medical Center after he was found inside the family’s pool on Super Bowl Sunday in February.

It has taken months for the Gilbert police to release public records related to the near-drowning.

The ABC15 Investigators reviewed a half dozen body camera videos, including videos from the initial drowning scene and videos inside the hospital. Most of the videos are heavily blurred, and most of the audio has been muted, but one critical moment was captured between the doctor and the officer.

According to the police report, the officer wrote that a nurse in another room said: “I have a pulse.”

The officer wrote that when he tried to alert the doctor who was with the family in another room, the doctor appeared to dismiss the concerns, “[The doctor] arrogantly told me he was the doctor, he has the medical degree, he went to medical school for a reason, and to let him do his thing.”

Records show that shortly after that exchange, the doctor went on to declare the baby dead.

Over the next hour, two Gilbert police officers continued to document signs of life in their police report.

One officer wrote, “The release of air was audible and visible,” later writing, “It also began to sound like [redacted] was gasping for air.”

The report goes on to say that when medical staff went to move the boy’s body to the morgue, the officer wrote that she “observed what appeared to be another audible gasp.”

That was not the last time she heard signs of life, either.

While inside the morgue, the officer said, “I again observed what appeared to be a gasp or air release, which was now almost an hour later.”

A nurse who was there said those sounds could be a response to efforts to save the toddler.

Some of the last audio recordings heard on the body camera videos were of an officer telling the family that they could say goodbye.

The report says, hours later, at 11:52 p.m., the Medical Examiner’s transport showed up and found the toddler was breathing inside the hospital morgue. He was then flown to Phoenix Children’s Hospital for treatment.

An MRI said that the baby had brain damage, and we are told he will need lifelong care.

An attorney representing the family declined to comment.

Mercy Gilbert said in a statement, “This is a heartbreaking situation. We immediately conducted a thorough review of all aspects of the care provided to learn what happened and to make meaningful changes to strengthen our care. Out of respect for the patient’s privacy, we cannot discuss details. We continue to work with the family and their representative. Patient safety and exceptional care is our highest priority.”

HAVE A TIP? Email Investigator Nicole Grigg at nicole.grigg@abc15.com.

Key Points:

• Arizona utilities have begun a siting study to explore building a nuclear facility

• The project hit a setback when the utilities were denied a Department of Energy grant 

• Dwindling Colorado River water supplies could also challenge new nuclear growth

Arizona leaders are forging ahead with plans for new nuclear energy generation despite ongoing funding woes and water hurdles. 

At a June 25 Arizona Corporation Commission workshop, utility companies, universities, local governments and private industry stakeholders demonstrated their preparedness and commitment to turning the state’s dreams for a new nuclear power plant into reality. Arizona’s three largest electric utilities announced ahead of the workshop that they have commenced a siting study to find a potential location for the project. 

Arizona Public Service, Salt River Project and Tucson Electric Power are surveying a range of potential sites for a new nuclear plant, including decommissioned coal-fired plants. Commissioners celebrated that announcement at the workshop. 

“With the recent announcement that APS, SRP, and TEP have launched a preliminary siting study for potential new nuclear generation in Arizona, we’re seeing real momentum translate into meaningful action,” Commission Chair Nick Myers said in a statement. “The expertise and collaboration shared throughout this workshop will help ensure we’re prepared to seize the opportunities ahead and build a strong foundation for Arizona’s energy future.”

If all goes according to plan, the companies expect to hold community stakeholder meetings later this year near the potential nuclear sites. The companies will then “evaluate technical, financial and other factors” to determine whether to submit an early site permit application to the federal government.

However, the utility companies did hit a snag in their process. They did not receive a U.S. Department of Energy grant they applied for in order to help finance that early site permit application, which would need to be submitted to the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission. 

The utilities “will continue to work together to explore future funding opportunities to help mitigate the costs of evaluating potential new nuclear generation,” according to a joint statement. The companies stressed that a new nuclear plant is not a foregone conclusion, and they have not decided whether the potential project would use small modular reactors or large reactors like those at Arizona’s Palo Verde Nuclear Generating Station west of Phoenix.

The June 25 workshop also identified a few other potential obstacles that could slow Arizona’s nuclear energy progress, like supply chain constraints, community backlash and dwindling Colorado River water supplies. 

Cuts to Arizona’s Colorado River water allocation could be the most difficult obstacle for the state to overcome in order to pursue a new nuclear plant. Representatives from the Arizona Department of Water Resources and the Arizona Municipal Water Users Association told commissioners that the Colorado River is no longer a reliable water supply and alternatives will likely require significant investments.

Palo Verde uses recycled wastewater to cool its three nuclear reactors and APS has explored using low-quality groundwater for cooling at the plant. But with water likely to become more scarce and more expensive in Arizona, a cooling source for any new nuclear plant could be a significant hurdle. 

Proposals attempting to clear the way for new nuclear technologies, like small modular reactors, also did not fare well during this year’s legislative session. Lawmakers introduced six bills that would have preempted local authority or streamlined environmental review processes for small modular reactors, but only one made it to Gov. Katie Hobbs’ desk.

Senate Bill 1418 from Sen. Frank Carroll, R-Sun City West, would have allowed utility companies to bypass the commission’s traditional environmental review process for project siting if the company planned to replace a coal generation unit with a small modular reactor. That bill could have benefited the joint project from APS, SRP and TEP if the companies eventually select small modular reactor technology for the new plant. 

However, Hobbs vetoed the bill, arguing it was not in line with the state’s goal to “responsibly reduce barriers to deploying new energy projects quickly.”

“We are not in the business of picking winners and losers in the energy landscape, and while advancements in small modular reactor technologies are promising, they are still emerging,” Hobbs wrote in a veto letter. “Deploying such a catch-all approach for an emerging technology, as laid out in this bill, is irresponsible.” 

Nevertheless, a potential new nuclear power plant has broad, bipartisan support in Arizona. And some communities are chomping at the bit to bring the technology to their areas, as Navajo County Supervisor Jason Whiting told commissioners on June 25. 

“Northeastern Arizona’s energy communities… want to be part of it,” Whiting said. “They want to be involved with it. They will embrace this discussion and decision with open arms.”