Posts Tagged ‘Arizona’

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Surviving the Desert Summer

May 20th, 2013

Heat is the number one killer among all weather related causes of death across the country and in Arizona… more than tornadoes, hurricanes, floods, and wildfires combined. It doesn’t get much attention because it’s hard to take a picture of heat- but it’s easy to take a picture of hurricanes and tropical storms.  The AZ heat is a lot more than a nuisance – it’s lethal. Our latest report shows that about 1,400 Arizonans get a heat related illness so serious each summer that they end up in a hospital emergency room – hundreds of them are admitted and dozens die every year. 

Fortunately, there are things you can do to protect yourself and your family. Stay Cool, Stay Hydrated, Stay Informed is the mantra – whenever you can, avoid the heat of the day. Go into an air conditioned place and cool off if you have to be outside. Drink lots of water – if you’re indoors all day, you should be drinking about 2 liters of water. When you’re outside, try to drink 1-2 liters every hour… and stay informed – a good place to do that is our extreme heat website. 

Our Extreme Weather and Public Health program focuses on heat related illnesses by enhancing surveillance and strengthening communication during Extreme Heat Advisory Days.  We’ve also developed innovative toolkits targeting identified vulnerable populations.  You can learn how to Protect yourself from heat with some resources on our website including our Heat Brochure and our School, Older Adult, and Outdoor Worker toolkits.  Also, here’s our Heat Emergency Response Plan.

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National Spotlight on AZ’s High Risk Perinatal Program

May 1st, 2013

The March edition of the Association of Maternal and Child Health Program’s Issue Brief highlights the great strides Arizona has made in decreasing neonatal deaths since the inception of our High Risk Perinatal Program/Newborn Intensive Care Program. When the program started in the 1970s, 1.8% of neonates died within a month of being born.  As a result of a host of Maternal and Child Health interventions over the last 40 years, that percentage has dropped to about 0.4%.  

One key component includes using community health nurses to follow and support families as they transition from the hospital to home.  Community health nurses do developmental, physical and environmental assessments, provide education and guidance to families, and direct families to programs and services. While in the home, the community health nurses can also asses other children and screen mothers for postpartum wellness. This is a great example of how long-term public health programs can have a significant impact on the overall health of the people of Arizona. This national report highlights Arizona’s programs as well as programs in California, Colorado and Utah.

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Programs that Advance Health Equity

April 25th, 2013

If you live in or have visited the rural towns and cities in Arizona, it’s not a surprise that many of these rural locations don’t have enough healthcare providers. Based on current provider shortage data from the federal HRSA, we need an additional 170 primary care providers and 54 mental health providers to adequately care for its underserved populations. 

April is Minority Health Month and a great time to highlight one of our programs that addresses provider shortages and improves health equity in rural and underserved areas. The First Things First Early Childhood Therapist Incentives Program provides stipends and loan repayment to Speech & Language Pathologists, Occupational and Physical Therapists, Child Psychologists, and Mental Health Specialists who provide early childhood development services in rural and underserved areas.  

The program currently has 30 providers participating and will be accepting applications until June 15 for providers in 9 rural counties.  Visit the First Things First Early Childhood Therapist Incentives Program for eligibility and application details.  This program is one of several incentives that can help bring more providers to undeserved areas of the state. Visit the workforce programs web site for information on other programs.

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We’re #1 in Social Media

April 24th, 2013

MPH Programs List Top 45 Social Media Public Health Departments 2013It’s unusual to go through a day without reading, referencing, or interacting on social media. For many, it’s become the preferred source for news, visiting with friends and family both close and far away, and accessing services. Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram, G+, Flickr—the list is endless—offer online connectivity that was only imagined not long ago.  We’ve made using social media a key priority as a means to achieve many of the elements in our Strategic Map.

Wednesday we received a reminder that our efforts in promoting public health with social media is noticed nationally.  We’ve been recognized by “MPH Programs List as the #1 social-media-friendly state health department in the U.S due to our robust social media presence and content.  We’ve also been recognized as a leading user of social media in Arizona state government with an online companion case study to Social Media in Healthcare: Connect, Communicate, Collaborate by Christina Beach Theist… which highlights the various ways ADHS is interacting with Arizona citizens via blogs, live streaming events, online forums, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and other social media environments.

As always…  our success with social media is a team effort, in this case led by Jennifer Tweedy.  Jennifer, her team and the rest of the department that continually refreshes our social media presence with interesting content are making a difference in AZ and nationwide.

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AZ Brain Injury Resources Continue to Expand

April 16th, 2013

Last year we created Arizona’s Excellence in Pre-hospital Injury Care project- which is aimed at improving brain injury outcomes in AZ. The National Institutes of Health chose AZ as the only state to evaluate the national standards for pre-hospital emergency care of brain injury.  Since we got started about a year ago- we’ve recruited almost 100 fire departments and ground/air ambulance companies to get up to speed on the standards, covering more than 80% of the state’s population.  This project will save countless lives by improving the survival rates of folks with traumatic brain injury by implementing pre-hospital guidelines…  but it’ll also help folks recover more fully from brain trauma.  

Adding to the mix…  Banner Health opened their state-of-the-art Concussion Center this week, bringing together key tools for providing more comprehensive concussion prevention and care in AZ.  This brand-new resource will help prevent concussions, improve awareness and education, provide baseline and post injury testing, as well as adding a new community resource for concussion management and treatment.

 

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Whooping Cough Booster & Pregnancy

April 4th, 2013

Whooping cough (pertussis) is a growing problem in the US and Arizona.  There were 41,880 cases and 14 infant deaths from pertussis in the US last year…  which is the largest number of cases since the vaccine became available in the 50s.  In Arizona there were 988 cases in 2012 and there’s a pretty substantial outbreak going on right now in Colorado City.  Anyone can get infected with whooping cough, but infants are most likely to die from it and family member – especially the infant’s mother – are the most likely to give it to infants. 

New data shows that a mother’s antibodies against pertussis are short-lived.  Therefore, giving pregnant women a booster shot in one pregnancy might not provide protection for the next.  In fact, new recommendations from the CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices say that every pregnant woman should get a pertussis booster during every pregnancy.  Places to find vaccines can be found at The Arizona Partnership for Immunization (TAPI) website.

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CDC’s Valley Fever Article Spotlights AZ

April 2nd, 2013

Valley Fever has been making news across the country today. A new report in this week’s CDC’s weekly epidemiology report shows that Valley Fever numbers have gone up substantially in AZ over the last 10 years.  Part of the increase is probably due to the fact that Valley Fever became reportable a few years ago- but no doubt part is because of better awareness of the disease among clinicians and the public. 

The report (coauthored by our own Clarisse Tsang) highlights the important role that AZ plays in understanding Valley Fever.  Working with the California Department of Public Health and the CDC, we helped uncover more information about who is testing positive for Valley Fever.  The report shows that people 60 or older are more likely to test positive in Arizona.  In California the cases tend to be younger with the largest group between 40 and 59 years old.  

The report also shows that about 2/3 of the reported cases in the country are right here in Arizona.  The national attention comes at a great time – since many snowbirds are returning home for the summer.  Anyone who’s spent time in the Desert Southwest needs to watch out for  Valley Fever symptoms… if you’re tired and have had a cough and fever for a couple of weeks, ask your doctor to see if you might need a Valley Fever test.

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Infant Mortality: A Call to Action

March 25th, 2013

A new program is coming to help address infant mortality rates in Arizona thanks to the leadership of Dr. Maria Manriquez and the Maricopa Integrated Health System- who was awarded a Strong Start for Mothers and Newborns grant from Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS).  They’ll be developing enhanced prenatal care at maternity care homes, including psychosocial support, education and health promotion, in addition to traditional prenatal care… reaching 1,500 high-risk pregnant women over a three-year period.  

Why is it necessary, you ask?  Because Arizona is 22nd in the nation in infant mortality… and the US ranks 173 out of 223 nations in this important public health metric.  While we’ve been able to decrease infant mortality and prematurity rates in AZ by 13% in the last 6 years… there’s still a long way to go. 

In an earlier blog I talked about ADHS accepting the ASTHO challenge to reduce prematurity by an additional 8% by 2014.  We’re working to accomplish this goal by expanding and improving home visiting programs, supporting the March of Dimes “Healthy Babies are Worth the Wait 39 Week Toolkit,” and implementing the Arizona Preconception Health Strategic Plan to name a few examples. Additionally, our Bureau of Women’s and Children’s Health was chosen to participate in the Association of Maternal and Child Health Program’s Improving Birth Outcomes learning collaborative.

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Data Shows Progress… but Obesity is Still Rising

March 19th, 2013

Here’s some good news about the battle against the obesity epidemic: national data shows the average intake of calories has decreased for boys and girls over the last 12 years.  While the news is encouraging, our work to promote nutrition and physical activity to reduce obesity remains important. Reducing obesity is a Winnable Battle both nationally and in Arizona. 

There are lots of resources to help you and your family eat healthier meals and become more active. Check out the Arizona Nutrition Network’s Champions for Change for simple ways to eat better. Find more ideas for healthy eating and active living at ChooseMyPlate.gov, where you can sign up for healthy recipes that are emailed every week.

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Promotoras Make Connections

March 11th, 2013

What’s a Promotora?  In simple terms, a Promotora is a community health worker who’s a trusted member of the community and serves as a link between people and services to promote the overall health of family, friends and neighbors. Creating effective linkages between vulnerable populations and the health care system can be challenging in Arizona. Like many other agencies in Arizona, we’ve called on Promotoras to bridge the gap between community members and health care service providers. 

We have a long history of working with Promotoras.  In 1994 our Health Start Program was established and began utilizing them to link women, children, and families to services to reduce low birth weights and the number of children affected by childhood diseases. There are now 45 Promotoras in the Health Start Program who reflect the ethnic culture of their communities and receive extensive training on pregnancy, child growth and development, and community resources. Eligible families receive home visits by Promotoras during their pregnancy and after the birth of their children up to two years of age. 

Our Heart Disease and Stroke Prevention Program uses Promotoras to help manage services for high blood pressure in Yuma and Maricopa Counties.  We partner with the U of A to train Promatoras on identification, treatment and management of high blood pressure and the risk factors related to cardiovascular disease. In Yuma County, more than 1,400 patients are currently enrolled in this hypertension management program. The Maricopa County Hypertension Project is now underway at Wesley Community Health Center and is demonstrating a 100% compliance rate that patients get follow up services if needed. Any behavioral health patients seen at Wesley are referred to the Hypertension Project if they meet the requirements.  

As we look to the future, Promotoras will probably have an increasingly essential role in outreach, reducing health care disparities and emergency room costs within the changing healthcare environment. We’ve partnered with the U of A to call upon nationally respected experts to create the best strategy for Arizona to move forward in building a sustainable Promotora program.  To learn more about this exciting program contact Sara Rumann at sara.rumann@azdhs.gov or David Heath at david.heath@azdhs.gov.

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