Improving Timeliness of Infectious Disease Reporting in Arizona
Arizona laboratories are required to report certain infectious disease test results to public health so that our state and local disease investigators can prevent and control further spread of disease. Many labs do this by faxing or mailing paper to ADHS. Our informatics staff in the Office of Infectious Disease Services are transitioning these labs to Electronic Laboratory Reporting (ELR). [...]
Arizona Nutrition Network Meeting a Success
Nearly 150 people participated in the Arizona Nutrition Network's two-day annual contractors meeting held earlier this month in Phoenix. The event featured national and local speakers on implementing policy, systems, and environmental change strategies to improve healthy eating and active living opportunities in Arizona. The meeting highlighted the synergy and collaborative efforts between the Arizona Nutrition Network WIC and the [...]
Arizona Department of Health Services Honored for Breastfeeding Support
The International Board of Lactation Consultant Examiners (IBLCE) and International Lactation Consultant Association have recognized our department for excellence in lactation care. We received the International Board Certified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC) Care Award in recognition for our staff that hold the prestigious IBCLC, and for providing lactation programs for breastfeeding families. Our department was recognized for our work to help [...]
May 19th National Hepatitis Testing Day
According to new surveillance data from the CDC, almost 20,000 deaths in 2014 were associated with hepatitis C and an increasing number of Americans are developing and dying from liver cancer, which can be caused by hepatitis. A second recently published CDC study shows that hepatitis C related deaths in 2013 surpassed the total combined number of deaths from 60 [...]
Introducing the New ADHS Logo
I'm excited to announce we have a new logo for our department! Developing our new logo was an extensive process where we looked at several options that would best embody what we do for our community. We wanted a logo that would represent our staff, our work, and our role in improving the health and wellness of the people of [...]
A New Tick-borne Disease on the Horizon in Arizona
In the last two years, the tick-borne disease Rickettsia parkeri rickettsiosis (R. parkeri) has been identified in two Arizona residents. Both were bitten by ticks in the mountainous regions of Southern Arizona. Only 40 cases of R. parkeri have been reported in the United States since the disease was first recognized in 2004. The tick responsible for the Arizona cases is Amblyomma triste, a tick that [...]