There are lots of things about turning 50 that make you stop and think. Near the top of the list is the conversation you’ll have with your doctor about getting a colonoscopy screening to looks for polyps and cancer. Not every polyp turns into cancer, but just about every colon cancer starts as a polyp. [...]
Being born too soon is the number one killer of infants in Arizona and in the nation. Death rates from prematurity are declining but babies born too soon (before 37 weeks) often face medical, developmental and social challenges as they get older. More than 8,000 babies in Arizona were born too soon last year. This week the March [...]
This is Valley Fever Awareness Week- an annual event to provide awareness of coccidioidomycosis (also known as Valley Fever)- the second most commonly reported infectious disease in Arizona. Events for the general public include a “Learn about Valley Fever – Ask the Doctor Your Questions” held in Tucson on Sunday, Nov. 6 and the Walk for Valley Fever in Sun [...]
Two things happen when you turn 50. First, you start getting invitations to join the AARP in the mail every couple of weeks (until they give up). Second, your doctor tells you it’s time for your colonoscopy screening. That’s the one that puts a lump in your throat. At 51, I finally bit the bullet [...]
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I know I read like a broken record- but prescription drug misuse and abuse is a huge public health issue not just here- but nationally. The newest edition of CDC Vital Signs presents information about prescription painkiller overdoses in the United States and highlights promising strategies for addressing the issue. Please share this information broadly with [...]
Teens and drug experts across the land will connect for the 2nd annual National Drug Facts Week this week. The week-long event is sponsored by the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA)- and brings together teens and scientific experts in community events across the country to discuss scientific facts about drug abuse- including prescription drug [...]
Did you know that according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration more than twice as many children are killed in pedestrian/vehicle incidents on Halloween compared to other days throughout the year? So this Halloween, take a minute and review some simple safety tips with your children. Children love Halloween time, so be sure to assure safety for everyone [...]
Prescription drugs can be safe and effective at treating illnesses- but leftovers are also tempting for experimental teens- and the misuse of narcotic prescriptions is an increasingly urgent public health problem in Arizona. In fact, more than 1,100 Arizonans died from prescription drug poisoning from misuse and abuse last year- which is more than the number [...]
You can think of the border public health advocacy network as a binational matrix of public health partners that collaborate to improve conditions along the US-Mexico border. The network includes national organizations like the U.S.-Mexico Border Health Commission along with state based partnerships like the Arizona-Mexico Commission and the annual U.S.-Mexico Border Governor’s Conference. Community based binational partnerships [...]
