New eWIC Program Launched in Pinal County
The new eWIC is officially live in a beautiful new clinic in Casa Grande. WIC families will receive the same foods but shop using the new Arizona eWIC card rather than paper checks. Moms will find that eWIC is flexible and convenient as they can buy their WIC foods as needed and families will carry all their benefits on one [...]
Update: More Progress on Addressing Arizona Opioid Epidemic
ADHS continues to work with partners to respond to the opioid emergency in Arizona, concluding our third week in the Health Emergency Operations Center (HEOC). The teamwork across many areas has resulted in another week of significant accomplishments. This week, we wrapped up our first week of data collection under the Governor’s executive order for enhanced surveillance. This required our [...]
Legionnaires’ Disease in Healthcare Facilities
A recent CDC Vital Signs highlighted Legionnaire’s Disease, a serious and often deadly, lung infection (pneumonia) caused by the bacterium “Legionella”. People are exposed to Legionella when they breathe in mist (small droplets of water in the air) containing the bacteria. Most healthy people do not get sick after being exposed to Legionella. Elderly people, current or former smokers, and people [...]
Arizona Acute and Long-Term Care Infection Prevention and Control Collaborative
Our Healthcare-Associated Infections (HAI) Program and Division of Licensing Services, collaborated with the Arizona Hospital and Healthcare Association, APIC Consulting Inc., Health Services Advisory Group (HSAG), and other state partners to provide a two-day Arizona Healthcare-Acquired Conditions (HAC) and Healthcare Associated Infections (HAI) Prevention Summit. The two-day collaborative, held June 8 and June 9, brought Arizona hospitals and long-term care [...]
Arizona Partners in Preparedness are Prepared to Respond to Public Health Emergencies
Our Bureau of Public Health Emergency Preparedness in partnership with State Emergency Management, Ability360, and independent living advocates joined forces to strengthen disaster readiness for persons with disabilities. The statewide Emergency Preparedness Task Force on Access and Functional Needs held the biannual preparedness summit on June 8 that brought together communities, individuals, and organizations working on innovative approaches to disaster [...]
Antimicrobial Stewardship in Community Settings
Last Sunday our Healthcare-Associated Infections Program and Antimicrobial Stewardship Subcommittee members presented at the 2017 Arizona Pharmacy Association Annual Convention. Their presentation “Antimicrobial Stewardship Focused on Community Settings in Arizona: Ready For Prime-Time” was focused on the following discussions: Global initiatives to improve the use of antibiotics, including programs in the United States Importance of paying attention to antimicrobial stewardship in the community Current mandates for antimicrobial [...]