Posts Tagged ‘healthcare system’

Public Health Conference Offers a Chance to Hear from National Public Health Expert

April 23rd, 2013

The Arizona Public Health Association will hold the 2013 Spring Conference on Wednesday, April 24…  focusing on how we can address removing barriers to access healthcare, integrate primary care and mental health, and strengthen Arizona’s capacity to improve health equity. The Conference will feature a keynote address from one of the nations most decorated and well-respected health experts.  Headlining the Spring Conference will be Dr. Richard Carmona, who served as the 17th Surgeon General of the US.  Dr. Carmona is a highly trained trauma surgeon, a decorated combat Special Forces Vietnam Veteran, one of the most honored police officers in Arizona known for his SWAT expertise, a graduate of the University of Arizona’s Public Health Program, and one of the nation’s premier experts on public health and the healthcare system. 

Dr. Carmona will deliver his Keynote Address at 8:45 a.m. on April 24th and will be the featured guest at a reception on April 23. For those of you who haven’t had the chance to meet Dr. Carmona or hear him speak, the Spring Conference and the reception are the perfect chance to meet him and hear his dynamic keynote speech. You don’t want to miss this opportunity.  Sessions will feature Integration of Care, the Network of Public Health Law, and Community Participatory Research.  There will also be displays and exhibits from many of our public health partners.  The full conference is from 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. on April 24 at the University of Arizona Phoenix Campus, 550 East Van Buren Street. Registration costs are between $75 and $135. 

A reception for Dr. Carmona will be held from 6 to 7 p.m. on April 23 at 1130 The Restaurant, 455 North 3rd Street.  Tickets for the reception are only $45 and all the proceeds will go to the AZPHA Lloyd E Burton Student Scholarship Program- which helps to educate the next generation of public health professionals.

Sliding Fee Clinics Help Increase Access to Healthcare

April 23rd, 2013

For many uninsured Arizonans, a doctor’s visit is a luxury that they simply can’t afford. That is unless they’re visiting a Sliding Fee Schedule Clinic.  These clinics are a vital part of our healthcare system and provide a broad range of primary care, dental and mental health services to uninsured patients regardless of their ability to pay.  Patients at these clinics are screened for income and insurance status and may pay nothing or a nominal fee for their visit based on their gross income, family size and current federal poverty guidelines. 

Our Bureau of Health Systems Development team recently put together an interactive map of all of the a Sliding Fee Schedule Clinics in Arizona- along with links to their websites and contact information.  It’s an excellent resource for finding the clinic nearest to you.  If you’re interested in learning more about Sliding Fee Schedule clinics or would like information on developing or implementing a sliding fee schedule in your clinic, you can visit the SFS Clinic web page.

National Public Health Week: A Celebration of Health Improvement

April 5th, 2013

This week we’re celebrating National Public Health Week… a week that helps us recognize the work we do to keep our communities healthy. Public health focuses on improving our overall health by making the entire healthcare system stronger. The theme of this year’s celebration is Return on Investment. This isn’t just an investment of money, but also in the time and dedication of our staff and innovation that goes into making our communities healthier places to live. 

This video shows how public health surrounds us and has an impact in all aspects of our lives, and why we need to prioritize public health funding. Watch to learn how public health saves both money and lives, and share with others to help us spread the message.

New Year, New MEDSIS

January 14th, 2013

Over the past two years, folks in ITS and Epidemiology and Disease Control have been working together to enhance our state’s electronic communicable disease surveillance system called MEDSIS.   This week the new version of MEDSIS went live. Major enhancements include the integration of tuberculosis reporting, case management and surveillance; expanded case management capabilities for all diseases; and additional functionality to better meet the needs of all users. This system isn’t just used by ADHS staff- it’s used by folks across the healthcare system. 

All 15 county health departments and four tribal public health organizations use MEDSIS to monitor cases of infectious disease and manage their case investigations; infection preventionists at hospitals enter infectious disease cases to satisfy our requirements for reporting selected infectious diseases; and laboratories electronically report positive test results directly into the system. There’s even a Spanish version of MEDSIS to allow us to share bi-national cases with our counterparts in Sonora to improve public health on both sides of the border. Thanks to all of those involved in making MEDSIS a success including Raghu Ramaswamy, Ravikumar Pitti, Sara Imholte, Lloyd Kalicki, Srinivasa Venkatesan, Paula Mattingly, Michael Conklin, Javed Mukarram, Arup Sinha, Teresa Jue, Jessica Rigler, and Shoana Anderson.

Implementing Our Strategic Plan- Prepare for and Respond to Public Health Emergencies

April 24th, 2012

Over the past several months our Public Health Emergency Preparedness team has been integrating 2 big federal disaster preparedness grants- the Public Health Emergency Preparedness program from the CDC and the Hospital Preparedness Program from HHS.  The initiative involves coordinating emergency planning between healthcare facilities, local public health departments, emergency management agencies, tribal partners and a whole slew of other stakeholders across the state.  

One innovative project involves a partnership between our preparedness program and the Arizona Statewide Independent Living Council.  We used federal hospital preparedness funds to buy durable medical equipment and supplies capable of supporting up to 1,000 people with disabilities in general population shelters.  Not only is it important to keep families together during a disaster, it’s a good idea to keep folks who aren’t having a medical emergency out of the healthcare system.  

Another key piece that bridges the gap between healthcare system and public health preparedness is the Arizona Emergency System for the Advanced Registration of Volunteer Professionals.  Our Volunteer Coordinator, Antonio Hernandez, has been working nonstop (in addition to his wellness ambassador duties) with public health and healthcare system stakeholders to prepare our state for all types of emergencies.  Thanks to Antonio for his enthusiasm and dedication.