Cervical Cancer Screenings Vital for Women’s Health
As we come to a close on the first month of 2016, it is important to revisit the resolutions we set at the beginning of the year. One important way to stay healthy this year and for years to come is to get screened for cancer. For women, getting screened for cervical cancer is one of the best ways to [...]
Targeting Children at Risk for Lead Poisoning
Every year children in Arizona are identified with elevated blood lead levels. Even at low levels, children's intelligence, behavior, hearing, and growth can be irreparably damaged. Most children will not have any symptoms. The only way to detect lead poisoning is through a blood test . In 2015, an estimated 432 newly identified elevated blood lead level cases were reported [...]
Traumatic Brain Injury Report Released
Our Office of Injury Prevention has released the 2014 Traumatic Brain Injury report that shows deaths and inpatient hospitalizations have decreased in Arizona by about 15 percent since 2010, but more people are being seen in emergency departments. A traumatic brain injury is caused by a bump, blow, or jolt to the head, or by a penetrating head injury that [...]
Arizona WIC Program Selected for USDA Lean Six Sigma Process
The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) is undertaking a Lean Six Sigma process improvement project for the development of the WIC state plan. Six Sigma is a data-driven approach and methodology for eliminating shortcomings in processes. USDA selected a variety of state agencies and regional offices to take part in the five-month project. The Arizona WIC Program was one [...]
Arizona Sees Big Drop in Youth Tobacco Use
The Arizona Youth Risk Behavior Survey has some good news for the tobacco prevalence rate among high school aged youth. According to the new data, we saw a drop of almost 30 percent between 2013 and 2015. The percentage of youth using tobacco in our state dropped from 14.1 percent in 2013 to 10.1 percent in 2015, which translates to [...]
I Was Sick Today, So Will I be Infectious Tomorrow?
It’s bad enough to be sick, but worse is the thought of passing your illness to someone else. Have you ever wondered when you’re contagious and when you’re not? Some diseases can keep people infectious for a while. For example, people with pertussis (whooping cough) can be contagious for two weeks. People with infectious tuberculosis can be contagious for several [...]