Preparedness

Items in the Preparedness category will cover everything from Emergency Medical Services to vaccination programs. This division at ADHS tracks contagious disease, coordinates emergency preparedness activity, licenses EMTs and Paramedics, regulates ambulance companies, authorizes special hospital designations like cardiac care center and Level IV trauma center, issues birth and death certificates, and tracks critical health data through various sources including hospital discharge information.

We Are On the Right Track with Vaccine Exemptions

By |2017-02-10T09:48:52-07:00April 14th, 2016|Preparedness|

As we kick off our annual Immunization Conference this week, we have some exciting news to share. The proportion of children exempt from vaccines in Arizona continues to decrease slightly compared to last year. Every year, state and local public health staff work with schools to gather immunization and coverage reports for children enrolled in [...]

Read More
Comments Off on We Are On the Right Track with Vaccine Exemptions

Preparing AZ for Zika Virus

By |2017-02-10T09:48:52-07:00April 12th, 2016|Preparedness|

On April 1st, a delegation of state and local public health professionals from Arizona joined up with experts across the county at CDC's Zika Action Plan Summit in Atlanta. Arizona has already done quite a bit in preparation for the arrival of Zika virus in Arizona, including developing response plans, meeting monthly with state and [...]

Read More
Comments Off on Preparing AZ for Zika Virus

Statewide Partnerships Lead Efforts to Eliminate TB

By |2017-02-10T09:48:53-07:00April 5th, 2016|Preparedness|

Last week, 25 public health tuberculosis (TB) nurses, epidemiologists and program managers from across the state came together to talk Arizona TB. This group represented 13 counties and three tribal nations, and spent the day talking about what they’ve done, what they do, and what they’re working toward. The control of tuberculosis can never go [...]

Read More
Comments Off on Statewide Partnerships Lead Efforts to Eliminate TB

National Public Health Week: Creating the Healthiest Nation by 2030

By |2017-02-10T09:48:53-07:00April 4th, 2016|General, Licensing, Preparedness, Prevention|

This week, April 4 through 10, we’re celebrating National Public Health Week (NPHW) 2016, a week that helps us recognize the work all of us do to keep our communities and our families healthy. During the first full week of April each year, the American Public Health Association (APHA) brings communities across the United States [...]

Read More
Comments Off on National Public Health Week: Creating the Healthiest Nation by 2030

Working Together to Prevent Heat-Related Illness

By |2017-02-10T09:48:54-07:00April 1st, 2016|Preparedness|

Living in Arizona, extreme heat is a situation we are all too familiar with each summer. High temperatures from May through September contribute to more than 118 deaths and more than 2,000 emergency room visits annually here in our state. Right now, it’s not that hot, but we know the scorching Arizona heat is right around the [...]

Read More
Comments Off on Working Together to Prevent Heat-Related Illness

Public Health Lab Authorized by CDC to Test for Zika Virus

By |2017-02-10T09:48:54-07:00March 30th, 2016|Preparedness|

Our Public Health Laboratory has been authorized by the CDC to begin testing for the Zika virus. We received a Zika virus testing validation panel from the Laboratory Response Network at CDC late last week, passed the proficiency testing panel and were authorized to test for Zika virus this past Monday. Using this test we can run up to 100 [...]

Read More
Comments Off on Public Health Lab Authorized by CDC to Test for Zika Virus

Arizona’s First Case of Zika in a Traveler

By |2017-02-10T09:48:54-07:00March 29th, 2016|Preparedness|

As expected, the first case of Zika has finally been confirmed in Arizona. Yesterday, our Arizona State Public Health Laboratory identified Zika virus in a specimen sent to us for testing. The case, an older adult woman in Maricopa County, was infected with the disease while traveling in a country with known Zika virus transmission. [...]

Read More
Comments Off on Arizona’s First Case of Zika in a Traveler

Evaluating Stakeholder Needs to Improve Public Health Programs

By |2017-02-10T09:48:55-07:00March 25th, 2016|Preparedness|

Input and feedback from our partners is critical to ensuring the public health work we do is effective and meaningful. Even when (or especially when) programs have been in existence for years, it’s important to continue checking in with our stakeholders. MEDSIS, our electronic communicable disease surveillance system, has been in place since 2006, but [...]

Read More
Comments Off on Evaluating Stakeholder Needs to Improve Public Health Programs

World TB Day

By |2017-02-10T09:48:55-07:00March 24th, 2016|Preparedness|

Each year on March 24th, we observe World TB Day and revisit the worldwide efforts to control and eliminate tuberculosis (TB) .  The theme of World TB Day 2016, "Unite to End TB," is showcased in Arizona through ongoing local, state, national, and binational collaboration. While nationally in 2015 we saw an increase of 157 [...]

Read More
Comments Off on World TB Day

Fuzzy and Cute Friends Require Healthy Habits

By |2017-02-10T09:48:55-07:00March 23rd, 2016|Preparedness|

With Easter right around the corner, little ones in Arizona may be coming into contact with baby chicks or ducklings at festivals, egg hunts, or petting zoos. While these baby birds are cute, they are also common carriers of Salmonella bacteria . Salmonella bacteria can cause infections in people, with symptoms including diarrhea, fever, and [...]

Read More
Comments Off on Fuzzy and Cute Friends Require Healthy Habits
Arizona Department of Health Services Image

Arizona Department of Health Services

150 North 18th Avenue Phoenix, Arizona 85007
Find us on Google Maps

General and Public Information:

Ph (602) 542-1025
Fax: (602) 542-0883

Hearing/Speech Challenges?
Footer Seal
Go to Top