Arizona got a great public health preparedness report card from the CDC this week, getting a solid A by scoring 30/32. The report (Public Health Preparedness: Strengthening the Nation’s Emergency Response State by State) examines each state’s readiness using 32 criteria designed to drive states toward demonstrating results, measuring their program improvements and increasing accountability. [...]
Certain “Similac®” powdered baby formulas were recalled this week by the manufacturer (Abbott Labs) because they discovered there were bugs (beetles) in the formula from one of their manufacturing plants. According to the FDA (who regulates foods including formula), the formula that contains beetles doesn’t pose an immediate health risk but babies that drink it [...]
ADHS just scored a $1.3M grant for “enhancing the interoperability of electronic health records and immunization information systems”. This grant allows us to accelerate work with public and private health care provider offices and Electronic Health Record vendors to develop interfaces for the automated vaccination data to the Arizona State Immunization Information System (ASIIS). These [...]
Our Office of Assisted Living Licensure has developed several classes to help assisted living providers to better follow our quality assurance rules for assisted living facilities. Over the past year, surveyors have presented monthly classes on Medication Rules and a refresher class on the Administration of Medications for caregivers and managers. A new presentation on the rules for [...]
The Strategic National Stockpile is a national repository of antibiotics, chemical antidotes, antitoxins, life-support medications, IV administration, airway maintenance supplies, and medical/surgical items which are stored in a few locations around the country. The stockpile is designed to supplement public health agencies in case there’s a national emergency anywhere and at anytime within the U.S. [...]
Last year Arizona welcomed about 98,000 newborns to our world. Our Newborn Screening Program (in the State Laboratory) ensures that each newborn is tested for 28 inherited disorders and hearing problems. The goal is to help kids avoid illness, developmental delays and even death. Teamwork, communication and coordination are to critical in making this program [...]
In Arizona, we’ve been able to decrease the rate of deaths from car, truck and motorcycle crashes by 43% in the last 4 years, from about 19 deaths per 100,000 in 2005 to 11 per 100,000 Arizonans in 2009. While this is good progress, we still have a long way to go. Crashes are still [...]
In Arizona, we’ve been able to decrease the rate of deaths from car, truck and motorcycle crashes by 43% in the last 4 years, from about 19 deaths per 100,000 in 2005 to 11 per 100,000 Arizonans in 2009. While this is good progress, we still have a long way to go. Crashes are still [...]
Our AIDS Drug Assistance Program (ADAP) uses about $10M of federal funds to provide medicine to treat HIV and prevent related infections to low-income folks with HIV who have limited or no coverage from private insurance, AHCCCS or Medicare. Applicants for the program need to show that their annual income is less than 300% of [...]
I attended the “First Forum of Health and Retirement Tourism” at the beginning of September in Alamos, Sonora. The meeting was part of a Sonora’s health tourism initiative that’s focused on improving the retirement infrastructure, providing more opportunities for “Baby Boomers” to retire in Sonora. They also have a goal of building an infrastructure for [...]
