Skin cancer is now the most common cancer in the U.S. but is preventable by using good judgment. Thirteen new studies confirm what most of us have suspected, that protecting your skin from damaging UV rays with clothing, sunscreen, hats, sunglasses and shade, decreases sunburns, tanning and the formation of moles—all factors in developing a [...]
I’ve often blogged about why teen pregnancy is an important Arizona winnable battle and why it’s a key public health indicator. Having a baby as a teenager impacts the mom, the dad, the baby and the whole community. Teen parents often don’t finish high school which, in turn, reduces their ability to financially take care [...]
With our Annual Report coming up soon, I was surfing the web to get some ideas last night and ran across our 1920 ADHS Annual Report. Call me a public health geek, but I couldn’t put my iPad down. The Annual Report covers our agency activities that year- things like our new (1919) Midwifery regulations, [...]
So far in this series, we’ve covered the Indian Health Service, the ”638’s” administered by tribes and tribal organizations, and Medicare, Medicaid, and Children’s Health Insurance Plan. This week focuses on the Affordable Care Act & the Indian Healthcare Improvement Act. American Indians wishing to buy health insurance in the Health Insurance Marketplace won’t need [...]
One of our top Strategic Map objectives is to improve access to our services by leveraging technology. We took a great leap forward in that area when our new On-Line EMCT Certification went live this week. The new electronic certification system allows Arizona’s 10,000 Emergency Medical Technicians and Paramedics to apply for and renew their certificate [...]
The first big fire of the season started this week in Oak Creek Canyon- called the Slide fire. Smoke is usually the first public health impact from wildland fires. The air quality in Flagstaff and Sedona has been generally OK- but poor at times depending on the winds (smoke levels in Sedona have been high [...]
More than 300 million people travel on long-distance airline flights each year. Almost everybody does fine on a long flight- but something called deep vein thrombosis can be a serious risk for some long-distance travelers. Anyone traveling more than four hours, whether by air, car, bus, or train, can be at risk for blood clots [...]
There’s no substitute for evidence when it comes to public health decision-making. Over the last couple of years the public health community has been asking itself whether electronic cigarettes can play an important role in getting folks to kick their tobacco habit. We haven’t had much evidence to answer that question so far… but a [...]
Influenza vaccine reduces a child's risk of flu-related intensive care hospitalization by 74% according to a CDC study published in the Journal of Infectious Diseases. This is the first study that estimates vaccine effectiveness against flu admissions to pediatric intensive care units.
In addition to services provided by the Indian Health Service and the ”638’s” administered by tribes and tribal organizations, American Indians are eligible to apply for and receive Medicare, Medicaid, and Children’s Health Insurance Plan. American Indians applying for Medicaid services in Arizona need to meet the same income requirements as all other applicants. Unearned [...]
