I just got back from attending the 2014 Comisión Sonora-Arizona meeting (the sister Commission to the Arizona-Mexico Commission). The theme for this year’s Fall/Winter Sonora Plenary was, “Energy Transforms Sonora and Arizona.” I co-chair the Health Services Committee along with Dr. William Neubauer. On the Sonora side, the Health Services Committee is co-chaired by Dr. Bernardo Campillo Garcia the Secretary of Health for the State of Sonora and by Dr. Jorge Isacc Cardoza Amador. Dr. Campillo and I represent the Public Sector and Dr. Neubauer and Dr. Cardoza represent the private sector.
During the Plenary Session two Declarations of Cooperation were also signed by the governors. One Declaration commits us to develop a Binational campaign for the prevention of illicit substances and to promote the benefits of living in communities that are free of illicit substances. The other Declaration had to do with working with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and their Mexican counterpart, Mexico’s Instituto de Diagnóstico y Referencia Epidemiológicos (their CDC) to develop a protocol for crossing appropriate specimens for diagnosis of diseases.
The relationship between the ADHS and the Secretaria de Salud de Sonora allows both states to set the bar for the rest of the U.S.-Mexico Border when dealing with public health issues that affect our communities. We also interact with the other U.S.-Mexico Border States through participation as a member of the United-States-Mexico Border Health Commission and as a Delegate to the United States-Mexico Border Governors Conference Health and Emergency management Worktable.
