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.

More Arizona Parents Choosing Not to Vaccinate their Kids

By |2017-02-10T09:49:43-07:00April 11th, 2014|Preparedness|

As I mentioned in a blog post last year, more AZ parents are choosing not to vaccinate their kids- using “personal exemptions” when they enroll their kids in school.  This has jeopardized our immunization rates enough that this week’s measles case in Maricopa County could spread.  We’ll know in a couple of weeks. Vaccinating yourself and [...]

Comments Off on More Arizona Parents Choosing Not to Vaccinate their Kids

Epidemiologists: Public Health’s Smoke-Jumpers

By |2017-02-10T09:49:43-07:00April 10th, 2014|Preparedness, Prevention|

Like a hotshot team, a rapid response by public health is essential to stopping the spread of measles in unvaccinated persons… and disease detectives in Maricopa County are currently working to squash a measles outbreak right now. Last week a person with measles visited a restaurant, church and airport in Arizona, exposing over a thousand [...]

Ebola

By |2017-02-10T09:49:44-07:00March 31st, 2014|Preparedness|

If you’re like me, your introduction to Ebola virus came in the 1990s with the bestseller nonfiction thriller The Hot Zone and loosely-based film Outbreak.  The descriptions of a deadly hemorrhagic fever that quickly spread through the population were terrifying, as were the life-threatening dangers posed to the intervening infectious disease personnel. The Guinea Ministry [...]

Comments Off on Ebola

2014-2015 Influenza Vaccine Recommendation

By |2017-02-10T09:49:45-07:00March 20th, 2014|Preparedness|

Every year the World Health Organization holds a meeting with worldwide experts to make recommendations for the next season’s Northern Hemisphere flu vaccine. It seems strange to plan for next season when we’re still in the midst of the current flu season, but the vaccine-making process still takes about 6 months. Influenza season generally ramps [...]

Comments Off on 2014-2015 Influenza Vaccine Recommendation

A Key Measure of Preparedness Improves in AZ

By |2017-02-10T09:49:45-07:00March 18th, 2014|Preparedness|

During a major crisis, such as an influenza pandemic, we might need to take extraordinary steps to ensure that healthcare workers have the medicines and supplies on hand to treat patients.  State, local, and federal agencies all participate in the Strategic National Stockpile program to help ensure that these critical resources are available during disaster situations. [...]

Comments Off on A Key Measure of Preparedness Improves in AZ

AZ Trauma System Continues to Mature

By |2017-02-10T09:49:46-07:00March 17th, 2014|Preparedness|

I've often written about the importance of a mature trauma system and how it's important to the rural/tribal areas of Arizona for better access to care for injured patients.  Since my last blog on trauma, we've welcomed Banner Del Webb Medical Center, Payson Regional Medical Center, Mt. Graham Medical Center, and Yavapai Regional Medical Center as Level [...]

Comments Off on AZ Trauma System Continues to Mature

AZ EMS Jobs for Veterans

By |2017-02-10T09:49:50-07:00February 18th, 2014|Preparedness|

Around the Country, State Emergency Medical Services offices are looking for ways to help returning Veterans with medical experience find employment in the EMS industry.  We’ll be making it a priority in 2014 to engage more Veterans with EMS experience to use their skills in Arizona’s progressive EMS and Trauma System.   We have a couple [...]

Comments Off on AZ EMS Jobs for Veterans

AZ Aces Latest CDC Public Health Preparedness Report Card

By |2017-02-10T09:49:53-07:00February 3rd, 2014|Preparedness|

Arizona continues to score high marks on preparedness according to a CDC report released this week.  We got a perfect score this year for biological laboratory testing, and we’ve kept our excellent performance measures for incident management, public information, and medical countermeasures.  Our response times for activating our emergency operation center have been well above [...]

What’s the Medical “Standard of Care” in an Emergency?

By |2017-02-10T09:49:54-07:00January 23rd, 2014|Preparedness|

Good question.  Disasters and public health emergencies can stress health care systems to the breaking point and disrupt delivery of vital medical services. For example-  hospitals and long-term care facilities may be without power; trained staff, ambulances, medical supplies, and beds could be in short supply; and alternate care facilities may need to be used.  [...]

Special Needs Emergency Preparedness Manual

By |2021-07-09T08:49:29-07:00January 22nd, 2014|Preparedness|

The first link in the chain of survival during a public health disaster is people taking responsibility for their own family’s safety.  Being prepared at home is the first line of defense.  Families that have family members with special needs sometimes need to have more detailed plans to ensure that their needs will be met [...]

Comments Off on Special Needs Emergency Preparedness Manual
Go to Top