Our Arizona State Public Health Laboratory has been selected as a Level 1 Laboratory in the USDA's Food Emergency Response Network (FERN) Cooperative Agreement Program. FERN currently comprises federal, state, and local government regulatory laboratories with varying capacities to perform threat agent testing. The FERN Program enhances the nation's ability to detect microbiological, radiological and chemical threat agents [...]
The World Health Organization (WHO) declared the end of the Ebola outbreak in Liberia on May 9, 2015, when 42 days (two incubation periods) passed since the last Ebola patient was buried. However, the WHO recommended that Liberia maintain heightened surveillance for another 90 days (until August 7, 2015). This led to changes, that began [...]
This year marked the third year that our Division of Licensing Services and Healthcare Associated Infection (HAI) Program partnered with the InterMountain ESRD Network and others to provide a day-long educational session for end-stage renal dialysis (ESRD) providers in Arizona. More than 200 participants attended this year’s ADVICE Collaborative to identify data-driven opportunities to improve [...]
A new virus known as Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) was first reported in Saudi Arabia in 2012. More than 1,000 cases of the disease and more than 400 deaths have been reported by the World Health Organization. Cases have been reported from 25 different countries, all linked to nine countries within the Arabian Peninsula. The U.S. [...]
Our Arizona Diabetes Program hosted a first of its kind Tribal and Urban Indian Diabetes Programs meeting on June 10th. This meeting allowed our Diabetes Program and tribal partners to identify opportunities for partnership while assessing the current diabetes health infrastructure among tribal entities. It is the Arizona Diabetes Program's goal to provide technical assistance [...]
May was Hepatitis Awareness Month and our staff worked with several partners to promote awareness about hepatitis and hold testing events during the week of National Hepatitis Testing Day. The work paid off with our partners hosting 13 sites in Arizona, only one state in the country hosted more. More than 200 people were tested for hepatitis C in Maricopa, Pima, [...]
On November 7, 2006, Arizona voters approved Proposition 201, the Smoke-Free Arizona Act. The Act went into effect on May 1, 2007, and prohibited smoking inside and within 20 feet of entrances, open windows, and ventilation systems of most enclosed public places and places of employment in Arizona. Our Smoke-Free Arizona Program's continued success is [...]
The 2015 Water Drive has been extended through June 19th. As Phoenix heats up, we need your help raising money to purchase life-saving water for those most at risk for heat-related deaths and illnesses. Thanks to you, last year ADHS was the second largest water donator to the Heat Relief Network and in the last two years, [...]
Tuba City Regional Medical Center and Canyon Vista Medical Center recently achieved designation as level III trauma centers. From a trauma system perspective, adding these two facilities to the list of level III trauma centers addresses two important realities about trauma. First, the majority of injured patients (88%) don't require care at the highly specialized level I trauma centers. Their [...]
The newly formed HIV Statewide Advisory Group (SWAG) is recruiting up to 12 new members to represent people living with HIV, those affected by the disease, and HIV care and social service providers statewide. The SWAG is charged with providing planning and guidance for the delivery of services funded by the SWAG and Ryan White [...]
