Cara M. Christ

About Cara Christ

Cara M. Christ, MD, Director Arizona Department of Health Services

Clarifications Regarding the School Benchmarks

By |2021-08-11T14:42:48-07:00October 29th, 2020|Preparedness|

Aside from a child’s home, no other setting has more influence on a child’s health and well-being than their school. Schools provide education instruction, support the development of social and emotional skills, facilitate physical activity, and address nutrition needs.  On October 22, ADHS released updates to the school benchmarks. For details, visit my blog post [...]

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School Benchmarks Update Highlights State-Counties Partnership

By |2021-08-11T14:42:48-07:00October 28th, 2020|Preparedness|

As a mom of young kids attending in-person learning, nothing is more important to me than the health of our kids and the safety of our schools. Close coordination across the public health system and partnering with our education experts is critical to an effective response and safely returning kids to the classroom. The Arizona [...]

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Arizona COVID-19 data trending upward: Don’t let down your guard

By |2021-08-11T14:42:49-07:00October 22nd, 2020|Preparedness|

Global and national COVID-19 cases have increased over the last several weeks, and now that trend is occurring in Arizona, too. While our state is not currently experiencing a surge to the degree other locations are experiencing right now, we have recently seen a shift of COVID-19 spread in the state in the wrong direction. [...]

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Arizona’s COVID-19 Vaccine Plan

By |2021-08-11T14:42:49-07:00October 20th, 2020|Preparedness|

Although a COVID-19 vaccine is not yet available, public health professionals across Arizona and around the country are already hard at work laying the groundwork for efficient and inclusive allocation and distribution of the vaccine. We don’t know when and how the vaccine is coming, quite yet. But based on lessons learned with the 2009 [...]

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Don’t let COVID-19 haunt your Halloween

By |2021-08-11T14:42:49-07:00October 16th, 2020|Preparedness|

I’m guessing that your children, like mine, have asked the same panicked questions as Oct. 31 approaches:  Will there be trick-or-treating this Halloween? What about other fun?  To these kiddos and their parents, I’m pleased to say that trick-or-treating can be done safely, but it’s no time to let down your guard since COVID-19 is [...]

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COVID-19 Hospitalizations In Arizona

By |2021-08-11T14:42:49-07:00October 6th, 2020|Preparedness|

As we continue to monitor the COVID-19 pandemic, we track important outcomes to identify the course of the disease. Hospitalization is one of those metrics that can provide additional information to public health officials to target interventions and identify groups at higher risk for more severe disease. We track hospitalization in several ways:  Using syndromic [...]

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September is Suicide Prevention Awareness Month

By |2021-08-11T14:42:49-07:00September 21st, 2020|Prevention|

The COVID-19 pandemic has brought on many stressors, including emotional hardships, that can impact the overall health and mental well-being of Arizonans. While measures to help reduce the spread of COVID-19, such as physical distancing, are necessary, it has never been more important for us to stay connected to the people we care about. Feelings [...]

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COVID-19 Antigen Tests

By |2021-08-11T14:42:49-07:00September 17th, 2020|Preparedness|

Over the next couple of days, Arizona will be adding a significantly higher number of cases than our recent average. This is a result of advancements in testing, and includes recently classified positive antigen cases dating back over the previous several months.  In late August, a fourth antigen test was authorized by the Food and [...]

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National Preparedness Month – Prepare for Disasters

By |2021-08-11T14:42:49-07:00September 15th, 2020|Preparedness|

This is the third week of National Preparedness Month, and this week’s theme is “Prepare for Disasters.” Depending on where you live, you might face a variety of different hazards. Common types of disasters in Arizona include wildfires, flooding, power outages, and severe storms.  Knowing which type of disasters are most likely to affect you [...]

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Ready for some football? Have a COVID-19 game plan

By |2021-08-11T14:42:49-07:00September 11th, 2020|Preparedness|

The offseason is over, the virtual draft has concluded, and the NFL season has finally kicked off. This weekend, many Arizonans may have plans to enjoy the Cardinals’ opening game against the 49ers. While you’re cheering on our home team, remember you are safer at home. If you do plan to watch the game with [...]

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