The H1N1 pandemic strain virus turns 1 this month. The first indication that there may be a problem was published in an April 24, 2009 Morbidity & Mortality Weekly Report. The CDC announced the new virus in their usual low-key way, with an MMWR lead that said: “On April 17, 2009, CDC determined that two [...]
The Maricopa County Department of Public Health has discovered a pretty significant outbreak of a bacteria called Clostridium difficile this week. This organism can cause severe diarrheal illness, and is commonly associated with antibiotic use and healthcare facilities. Most people who come into contact with Clostridium difficile do not develop disease. Being on long-term antibiotics [...]
Last Wednesday, April 21, the Institute of Medicine (IOM) released a new report on high blood pressure entitled Strategies to Reduce Sodium Intake in the United States. The report was sponsored by the CDC, FDA, and NIH. High blood pressure is one of the nation’s leading causes of death, responsible for roughly one in six [...]
A couple of weeks ago, I mentioned that the US Senate Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry Committee, passed legislation out of their Committee to reauthorize WIC and the other Child Nutrition Programs last week. It’s called the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010. The bill includes the reauthorization of the free and reduced lunch and breakfast [...]
A couple of weeks ago, I mentioned that the US Senate Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry Committee, passed legislation out of their Committee to reauthorize WIC and the other Child Nutrition Programs last week. It’s called the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010. The bill includes the reauthorization of the free and reduced lunch and breakfast [...]
A group called the Arizona Medical Marijuana Policy Project turned in signatures in support of a proposed “medical marijuana” voter initiative for the November 2 ballot. Election officials will be busy over the next couple of months to determine whether enough of the submitted signatures are valid. If enough of the signatures are valid, if [...]
Our child care licensing & rules team, along with a long list of Stakeholders, have been working very hard over the last few months to put together a new list of criteria for operating a child care center. This week, their hard work paid off- and we were able to post a draft of our [...]
As I’ve mentioned in earlier posts, the covered services will be changing for adults with serious mental illness who do not qualify for Medicaid in response to recent budget reductions. We’ve established a dedicated project team to research strategies to responsibly implement the benefit reductions. The project team, composed of peers, family members and agency [...]
Monday, April 19 is the registration deadline to vote on Proposition 100- which is the Special Election for the 3 year, 1% sales tax that would benefit education, public safety and health services (including behavioral health). The election will be held on May 18, but many people will be voting using early mail-in ballots. If [...]
Go out to our own Carol Hensell (from the Bureau of Women’s and Children’s Health). Carol won the 2010 Cherish the Children Award in the Individual category. This Award is given each April as part of Child Abuse Prevention Awareness Month by the Greater Phoenix Child Abuse Prevention Council, a volunteer organization that works to [...]
