Preparedness – Page 84 – AZ Dept. of Health Services News

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.

Scorpions!

By azdhs-admin|2017-02-10T09:51:37-07:00August 10th, 2011|Licensing, Preparedness|

Here in the Sonoran Desert monsoon season = scorpion season. There are more than 56 species of scorpions in Arizona- but only one- the bark scorpion is of any public health significance. The problem is that it’s the most common scorpion found in Arizona homes. Since you live in the bark scorpion's territory, you probably have them around [...]

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Another Tool for our Laboratory Toolbox

By azdhs-admin|2011-08-09T09:30:01-07:00August 9th, 2011|Preparedness|

New testing equipment at the state lab is going to help us with flu tracking this fall and dramatically speed up testing for Tuberculosis. The instrument called the Gene Xpert looks for DNA mutations – we can tell if a TB case is resistant to certain antibiotics. For instance, on specific mutation is a marker for rifampin [...]

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Tattoo You?

By azdhs-admin|2017-02-10T09:51:37-07:00August 2nd, 2011|General, Preparedness, Prevention|

Regardless of what you think about tattooing and body piercing- it’s clearly popular. Tattooing and body piercing are obviously invasive- which brings up the question: do these (now common) practices pose a health threat? Are they safe? The answer is simple. Like just about everything else in life- it can be safe as long as [...]

Welcome Our New Teammates

By azdhs-admin|2011-08-01T08:45:22-07:00August 1st, 2011|General, Preparedness|

Please join me in welcoming three folks from the Arizona Biomedical Research Commission to the ADHS team today. The Legislature and Governor made a statutory change last cycle that moved the Commission to us, and their mission is a good fit. The Commission basically awards contracts for projects researching the causes, epidemiology and diagnosis, formulation [...]

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Cottage Industry Foods Rulemaking

By azdhs-admin|2011-07-29T16:13:14-07:00July 29th, 2011|Licensing, Preparedness, Prevention|

We were excited to roll out the new cottage industry food law last week because it provides new fundraising and self-employment for folks. Our brand-new cottage industry food website lays out some of the information folks will need to turn the key- including sample recipe’s and labels, ingredient templates, and how to get a food handler [...]

EMS Service Contract Guidance

By azdhs-admin|2012-11-16T10:42:42-07:00July 28th, 2011|Licensing, Preparedness|

Our Emergency Medical Services team created a new guidance document last week to inform interested parties about the criteria we use when reviewing contracts between EMS providers and local jurisdictions. The document provides an overview of our goals relating to political subdivision contracts; our statutory and regulatory authority related to political subdivision contracts; the process and methods used by the Department for [...]

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Border Health Partnerships

By azdhs-admin|2017-02-10T09:51:41-07:00July 12th, 2011|General, Licensing, Preparedness, Prevention|

A few weeks ago I blogged about the June plenary session of the Arizona Mexico Commission called Arizona & Sonora: Gateway for Innovation. The conference provided an opportunity to move forward a bi-national agenda supported by Arizona and Sonora. The health committee discussed regional approaches to valley fever surveillance, burn patient infrastructure, substance abuse, TB, border [...]

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Exceptional Dust Storm

By azdhs-admin|2011-07-08T08:29:33-07:00July 8th, 2011|Preparedness|

This week's giant dust storm (technically called a haboob) blew through the valley leaving dust hovering in the air for days. The ADEQ said one Phoenix testing station recorded an astronomical reading of over 6,000 micrograms per cubic meter (of PM 10) on Tuesday evening (the federal EPA standard is 150 averaged over a day). PM 10 is a measurement [...]

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State Lab Energy Efficiency

By azdhs-admin|2011-07-06T10:02:14-07:00July 6th, 2011|General, Preparedness|

A couple of years ago (when the financial crisis was just starting), we brainstormed about how we could bring down the utility bills in our State Laboratory. The Lab has always been electricity intensive, partly because of the workplace safety requirements etc. (e.g. the “hoods”) require more air exchange than a normal building. That means constantly [...]

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Extreme Heat Water Drive

By azdhs-admin|2017-02-10T09:51:43-07:00June 30th, 2011|Behavioral Health, General, Licensing, Preparedness, Prevention|

This has been a super hot week- and we’ve even had a couple of extreme heat warnings in the southern deserts with more to come this holiday weekend (it might get to 120o Saturday). Homeless folks have the highest risk for heat-related illness because they have limited access to cool spaces and finding water to drink [...]

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