Note: This week is National Public Health Week. This week I have a five-part public health series that explores the vast network of programs and services that help improve the health and wellness of all Arizonans.
The Public Health Prevention Team is dedicated to improving the quality of life for an individual, which improves the health and wellness of the entire community. We do this through programs that lessen chronic disease risk factors, provide educational awareness on the effects of physical harm, and reduce health disparities throughout the state.
We continue to be among the nation’s leaders in reducing tobacco use and exposure to secondhand smoke. The ASHLine provides free tobacco quit services in the form of help and support from quit coaches. If you want to quit smoking, call the ASHLine today at 1-800-55-66-222. STAND, our statewide youth coalition, is improving their communities by creating local policies restricting the use of tobacco in places such as parks and cars with minors in attendance.
The Injury Prevention team has educational information available to parents for car seat safety and bike helmets to help keep your little one safe when they’re on the move. The Strong Families program helps families create a home free from dangers. This includes the ABCs of the Safe Sleep Program which help keep your kids safe at night. Safety is not limited to our kids. Our Women’s Health Team also focuses on community-based prevention and intervention activities in areas like domestic violence, sexual violence and prevention, preconception health and reproductive health.
Our WIC program provides healthy foods, nutrition education, and community support for income-eligible women who are pregnant and postpartum, infants, and children up to five years old. The Well Woman HealthCheck program provides access to breast and cervical cancer screenings to low-income, uninsured/underinsured women. These programs help keep our families healthy and safe and in turn make for a healthy and safe community to live, work and play in.
Our Healthy Aging Program responds to the needs of older adults by addressing the rising prevalence of Alzheimer’s Disease, providing leadership to healthcare providers who support caregivers of people living with dementia, falls prevention, and helping people acquire skills in disease self-management. This is critical as Arizonans age and enter their golden years. Our goal is to add years to your life and life to your years.
There are public health programs that can help people live healthier lives at every stage of life. Please visit our website to learn about all the programs and services we provide. Check back tomorrow when I feature how we help people make healthy decisions.
Cara M. Christ, M.D., M.S. became Director for the Arizona Department of Health Services in May 2015. Dr. Christ has served the agency for more than nine years. Among her many accomplishments at ADHS, Dr. Christ collaborated with health partners and stakeholders to develop strategic plans for infectious disease prevention and control including the Governor’s Council on Infectious Disease Preparedness and Response. She was involved in leading statewide efforts during the 2009 H1N1 pandemic, and worked with partners to find solutions to improve childhood vaccination programs. In 2012, Dr. Christ managed the development and implementation of 20 Articles of Arizona Administrative Code for Health Care Institutions allowing integration of physical and behavioral health services statewide. Dr. Christ obtained her master's degree in microbiology with an emphasis in molecular virology and public health. She earned her Doctor of Medicine from the University of Arizona College of Medicine. Follow the Director on Twitter @DrCaraChrist.
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