environmental health

Take Precautions to Lower Your Risk of Adverse Health Effects from Wildfires

By |2017-07-05T12:05:26-07:00July 5th, 2017|Preparedness|

Arizona may be known for its deserts, but forests make up nearly 27 percent of Arizona’s land. Recently, several wildfires have arisen across the state. By June 28, the Goodwin Fire in Yavapai County has spread to more than 20,000 acres. The Saddle Fire has also grown to nearly 5,000 acres in Cochise County.  Evacuations [...]

Groundwater Awareness Week

By |2017-02-10T09:48:58-07:00March 7th, 2016|Preparedness|

March 6 through 12 marks the 18th National Groundwater Awareness Week. Groundwater is the water that soaks into the soil from rain or other precipitation and moves downward to fill cracks and other openings in beds of rocks and sand. Most groundwater flows directly into streams, rivers and lakes from below. Groundwater contamination is of [...]

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Addressing environmental health concerns in the community

By |2017-02-10T09:49:08-07:00September 30th, 2015|General|

Every year our Environmental Toxicology program responds to environmental health concerns and provides communities with epidemiologic and toxicological health assessments. Recently a community member from the town of Superior brought up concerns that contamination from past mining activities could be affecting the health of residents. Superior is a small mining town with a population of [...]

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Public Health Initiatives for Refugees in AZ

By |2017-02-10T09:49:54-07:00January 28th, 2014|General|

Last year 3,663 refugees resettled in Arizona from 45 different countries (about 1/3 were from Iraq).  Refugees have a variety of pressing social, economic and health needs when they arrive. That’s where our ADHS Refugee Health Program comes in.  Our Refugee Health Coordinator, Zachary Holden, works with partners to ensure that refugees arrive healthy and maintain good [...]

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Integrating Environmental Health & Prevention into Home Visiting

By |2017-02-10T09:50:01-07:00November 4th, 2013|Prevention|

This month we wrapped up an 18-month quality improvement pilot project to better integrate environmental health and chronic disease information and referrals into our state home visiting programs.  A cross-divisional team made up of folks from Women's & Children's Health, environmental Health, chronic disease, workforce development, and performance management worked together to standardize and pilot [...]

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Home Baked Goods & Empowering Opportunity

By |2017-02-10T09:50:27-07:00May 9th, 2013|General|

Last year I blogged about a grant sponsored by the Arizona Developmental Disabilities Planning Council to help folks with developmental disabilities and their families become self-employed by starting their own cottage industry food business. At the end of last year, this funding was awarded to the Southwest Autism Research & Resource Center, which has developed [...]

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2012 Environmental Health Annual Report

By |2017-02-10T09:50:49-07:00December 5th, 2012|General|

I started my career in public health inspecting restaurants, motels and the like in the mid- 1980s.  My area was right around here down toward South Mountain-  and I inspected the cafeteria in the basement of the Executive Tower and the cafeteria that used to be on the 4th floor of the 1740 building.  It doesn’t seem [...]

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The Public Health of Weather

By |2017-02-10T09:50:53-07:00October 30th, 2012|Preparedness|

Our Office of Environmental Health is one of only 8 states awarded a cooperative agreement with the CDC for adapting to extreme weather and its effects on public health. 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 [...]

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Celebrate Healthy & Sustainable Food

By |2012-10-22T08:37:01-07:00October 22nd, 2012|General|

October 24th is the 2nd annual Food Day in the US.  It’s a nationwide celebration and movement towards more healthy, affordable and sustainable food. We’ve been collaboratively planning a “Phoenix Real Food Tour” with Maricopa County Department of Public Health, the The Orchard Community Learning Center garden, Tiger Mountain Foundation, Central Farmers’ Market, and the Arizona Department [...]

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Our New e-Public Health Classroom

By |2017-02-10T09:51:01-07:00September 6th, 2012|General|

I’ve mentioned in previous posts about how I’d like to build more bridges between the Arizona’s academic public health infrastructure and Arizona’s public health system.  After all- our goal is to use evidence-based practices to drive our interventions- and the U of A’s expertise at the Mel & Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health is a [...]

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