China is continuing to report more and more cases of the new H7N9 Influenza virus. So far they’ve confirmed 108 cases with a death rate of about 20% (21 deaths) All the cases appear to have jumped from birds to humans- meaning that there’s no human-to-human transmission (which is good). One concern is that if a person becomes infected [...]
The benefit of everything is determined by dosage. Even water, a critical element for life, is bad for the human body when you have too much. But when it comes to prescription drugs, the dosage is incredibly important. Doctors spend years learning about which medications work for what and how much is the right dose. [...]
If you live in or have visited the rural towns and cities in Arizona, it’s not a surprise that many of these rural locations don’t have enough healthcare providers. Based on current provider shortage data from the federal HRSA, we need an additional 170 primary care providers and 54 mental health providers to adequately care [...]
It’s unusual to go through a day without reading, referencing, or interacting on social media. For many, it’s become the preferred source for news, visiting with friends and family both close and far away, and accessing services. Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram, G+, Flickr—the list is endless—offer online connectivity that was only imagined not long ago. [...]
The Arizona Public Health Association will hold the 2013 Spring Conference on Wednesday, April 24… focusing on how we can address removing barriers to access healthcare, integrate primary care and mental health, and strengthen Arizona’s capacity to improve health equity. The Conference will feature a keynote address from one of the nations most decorated and [...]
Public health is a vast network of community partners that includes government agencies, medical professionals, community groups, advocates, private industry, and individual citizens- all working together to make our communities healthier. The Arizona Public Health Association is a key Stakeholder by pulling all the partners together. They’re a non-profit organization that’s been around since 1928. [...]
For many uninsured Arizonans, a doctor’s visit is a luxury that they simply can’t afford. That is unless they’re visiting a Sliding Fee Schedule Clinic. These clinics are a vital part of our healthcare system and provide a broad range of primary care, dental and mental health services to uninsured patients regardless of their ability [...]
Last week I wrote about how improving the health of Arizonans is critical to improving the quality of life and reducing health care costs… and that effective strategies are ones that incorporate the principles of population health. A city’s General Plan can be a large public health lever to improve outcomes because it’s the long-range planning [...]
This month marked the 2nd anniversary of our Arizona Medical Marijuana Program. We began issuing cards to qualifying patients 2 years ago this week, and as of April 16th we had about 38,000 qualified patients in AZ. On the Dispensary side of the house… 16 dispensaries are approved to operate in AZ, and another 13 [...]
The events in Boston and in West, TX highlight the important role of our EMS Agencies and trauma centers in helping badly injured victims… but they also remind us that each of us may be unexpectedly needed to help during an emergency. But where can you start to bring up your first aid skill set so [...]
