Don Herrington

About Don Herrington

Don Herrington, Interim Director, has been with ADHS since 2000. During this time he has served as the State’s Food Safety Manager, the Office Chief of Environmental Health, Bureau Chief of Epidemiology and Disease Control Services, Acting Assistant Director for Public Health Preparedness, Assistant Director for Public Health Preparedness. Herrington is currently the department’s Deputy Director for Planning and Operations. In this role he oversees policy development, hiring professional and support staff and the department’s budget. During his time in public health, Herrington has served on numerous councils, commissions and committees on behalf of the Director of ADHS, including Chair of the Arizona Sanitarians’ Council, Chair of the Arizona Infection Prevention and Control Advisory Committee, and as one of five voting members of the Arizona Emergency Response Commission.

Week-to-week increases in cases a reminder that COVID-19 remains with us

By |2022-05-18T09:47:46-07:00May 18th, 2022|Preparedness|

Like many of you, public health professionals are closely watching trends reflected on the COVID-19 Data Dashboard, including week-to-week increases in cases since early April. The 7,200-plus cases reported for the week beginning May 8 represent a small fraction of the 150,000-plus cases reported during the week of Jan. 9, when the Omicron variant was [...]

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Social Equity Ownership Program rollout sets standard for the nation

By |2022-05-10T11:34:20-07:00May 10th, 2022|Licensing|

Recently, 26 licenses were awarded under the Social Equity Ownership Program required by the voter-approved Proposition 207, which legalized adult-use marijuana in Arizona. Lasting less than three minutes, this live-streamed digital drawing might have made the process look easy. In fact, a great deal of thought and effort went into creating a successful program on [...]

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State employees contribute every day to Arizona’s well-being

By |2022-05-04T15:17:38-07:00May 4th, 2022|General|

Today is Arizona State Employee Recognition Day, as proclaimed by Governor Doug Ducey.  The governor’s proclamation notes that state employees contribute significantly to the well-being and quality of life for all Arizonans. It adds that state employees embody the “spirit of service” that helps make Arizona a one-of-a-kind place to live, work, and play.  As [...]

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Seniors: Make sure your protection is up to date with a COVID-19 booster shot

By |2022-05-02T11:31:14-07:00May 2nd, 2022|Preparedness|

I recently had the privilege of joining an AARP Arizona virtual town hall to discuss COVID-19 vaccines and, more importantly, why seniors should update their protection by following booster recommendations.  Cases and deaths in Arizona have dropped significantly since the January peak, but COVID-19 is still active and infecting people. A large percentage of seniors [...]

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Antivirals are increasingly available to complement COVID-19 vaccination

By |2022-04-26T12:40:26-07:00April 26th, 2022|Preparedness|

Though cases are down dramatically from the January spike driven by the Omicron variant, COVID-19 remains with us. Vaccines and boosters continue to offer robust protection against severe outcomes, and I want to call attention once again to the availability of antiviral treatments. Initially reserved for the most vulnerable because of limited supplies, the antiviral [...]

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Survey information on in-patient, ICU bed use added to COVID-19 Data Dashboard

By |2022-04-13T10:20:56-07:00April 13th, 2022|Preparedness|

I shared last week how the end of the state’s COVID-19 Declaration of Emergency changes what our COVID-19 Data Dashboard carries for hospital-reported data. A surveillance order through which some of this information was reported to ADHS is no longer in effect.  As a result, the dashboard entries for Hospital COVID-19 Specific Metrics, and Ventilator [...]

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Talk. Test. Treat: Slowing the spread of sexually transmitted infections

By |2022-04-12T14:03:52-07:00April 12th, 2022|Preparedness|

In just the past 22 years, the rate of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) in Arizona has more than tripled, with more than half of all cases affecting those 25 and younger. During STI Awareness Week, I’m calling attention to three critical steps: Talk. Test. Treat. All three can help protect your health and your partner’s [...]

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AZ Hires Vets: ADHS is part of Governor Ducey’s effort to employ more veterans

By |2022-04-11T13:38:54-07:00April 11th, 2022|General|

After nearly 27 years in the U.S. Air Force, Teresa Ehnert was looking for a new career that would allow her to use the skills and values she developed in the military. She found it in the Arizona Department of Health Services. “I love working for the state of Arizona because they exemplify things I [...]

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End of COVID-19 Declaration of Emergency means changes for three dashboard entries

By |2022-04-07T10:55:10-07:00April 7th, 2022|Preparedness|

The end of the state’s COVID-19 Declaration of Emergency means changes to three entries on our weekly COVID-19 Data Dashboard that have relied on information reported by hospitals.  Starting with this week’s update, the graphs under Hospital Bed Usage and Availability, Hospital COVID-19 Specific Metrics, and Ventilator Usage and Availability will no longer be updated. [...]

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National Public Health Week: Arizona State Hospital provides highest level of behavioral health care

By |2022-04-06T12:29:51-07:00April 6th, 2022|General|

For more than two years, Arizonans have associated ADHS most with the state’s COVID-19 response. That makes perfect sense, as the global pandemic has required an all-hands-on-deck approach.  While that commitment is unchanged, we’d like to take time over the coming months, and starting with National Public Health Week, to highlight other things ADHS does [...]

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